These days libraries are more likely to provide access to periodical articles through their subscriptions to online databases than through their subscriptions to the actual print versions of the magazines and journals themselves.

Each of our online databases gathers together articles from hundreds, or even thousands, of different periodicals. This makes searching for articles on a topic

Why Don't I Just Use Google to Find these Articles?

Because these hundreds of millions of articles are not "freebies" that have been posted on the Internet.  In fact, almost none of them can be found using a search engine like Google or Yahoo!  Producers of the databases make licensing arrangements with the publishers of the periodicals and pay them for allowing electronic access to their articles.  Each database costs many thousands of dollars in annual subscription fees, and you have access to them only because you are a registered TCTC student.

Are These Articles Considered "Internet Sources"?

No! Your instructors will frequently limit you in the number of Internet sources that you are allowed to use.  These millions of articles DO NOT count as Internet sources!  They are not "out there" on the Internet.  They are, for the most part, the exact same articles that appeared in the original periodicals that we could have subscribed to in print form.  What you have here are simply electronic versions of the original articles, accessible now in the carefully-controlled confines of the expensive, proprietary database.

Use an Online Database

• when you want to find articles on your topic in magazines, newspapers, or scholarly journals

Example of a Multi-Disciplinary Database

• Academic Search Premier  - World's largest academic multi-disciplinary database, with articles from more than 4500 periodicals going back to 1975

Example of a Specialized Database

• Business Source Premier - Provides access to more than 2500 periodicals in all areas of business, including marketing, accounting, finance, economics, etc.