Preliminary information
Find out how to locate news articles lower on this page. First, review two types of information and the purpose they serve.
A primary source reports authors' original research. Types of primary literature include research articles, technical reports, conference papers, and patents, among others. Primary sources serve as a method of communication between experts in the field, so they can include highly specialized, technical language.
A secondary source evaluates or otherwise interprets the primary literature. Secondary literature may include review articles, magazine articles, and news articles, among other sources. Secondary sources provide information in a more generalized way, to help non-specialists understand a topic. News articles can cover current events before they are researched by scholars, written about, and published in the primary literature.
Watch this short video on distinguishing between primary and secondary sources within the scientific literature:
News article sources
News outlets like The New York Times and the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) have science writers that read original research in technical journals and distill them into articles that are brief, useful, and accessible to a more general audience than scientific journals.
Find news articles in the database Academic Search Ultimate (linked below).
- Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new windowFull-text article database with broad subject coverage | Area Studies | Ethnic & Multicultural Studies | General Sciences | Social Sciences | Law | Politics & Government | Women`s Studies | Popular Culture | Search Multiple Databases
On your search results page, use the Source Types limiter in the left-hand column of the page to only view articles from newspapers.
Search additional newspaper databases:
- Global Newstream -- Access via Booth Library
- Newspaper Source -- Access via Booth Library
- Gale OneFile: News -- Access via Booth Library
Search individual newspapers:
- The New York Times -- Access via Booth Library
- Chicago Tribune -- Access via Booth Library
- Reuters -- "Sustainability" section available online
- BBC -- "Earth" section available online
Source credibility
As with all sources of information, consider potential bias from the authors and publishers. Ad Fontes Media reviews and rates news sources for reliability and political bias. You may also want to check the author's credentials and affiliations.
- Ad Fontes Media -- Access online here
