Gone are the days when Google News sufficed. Now, some professors are readily asking for high-priced subscriptions to the New York Times and ‘expansive archival research.’ Here are some helpful tips that could just make you ace your term papers (let’s be real, they’re not that far away).

1.    You don’t actually have to buy the New York Times subscription.

There’s nothing more infuriating than when you’re just about half-way through an article from ’95 about “rat-fishing” in Baltimore and you get the online limit cut-off alert. We’re sure you’re just as sick of the, “WAIT, THIS IS JUST GETTING INTERESTING” reaction as we are. Don’t fret. After you’ve used the ten free articles per month, just go to the search bar and delete everything after the “html” in the search bar. Voilá! You’ve beat the system.

2. Use databases on NYU Home

They are surprisingly effective and will save you time and a substantial amount of digging. Go to the “Research” tab and peruse the following databases:

• JSTOR

This is for the bourgeoisie crowd. Need a Gallatin thesis to spring from those loins? Think of JSTOR as your intellectual midwife. It will accompany you through the birth of your “Art of Deception” or “Darwin: In Theory” paper. Because as the search engine devoted to academic essays, JSTOR is nurturing, reliable and pretty damn easy to use.

One search of “Journalism” yields a Comparative Literature major’s wet dream:“The Frankenstein Syndrome: The Creation of Mega-Media Conglomerates and Ethical Modeling in Journalism.” Folklore has 128,053 results. You can browse by discipline, title or publisher. You’ll have access to the vast majority of articles and also be able to specify “Article,” “Review,” “Miscellaneous” or “Pamphlet.”

Notable search results:

“Sex differences in adult pubic hair distribution in Nigeria”

“The Effect of Ice Cream Scoop Water on the Effect of Ice Cream”

“Fighting Sicilian Corruption, One Vine at a Time”

• LexisNexis

Since it sounds like a cheer from Bring It On, LexisNexis brings its game. This database is best for searching legal cases, people and getting company information. It’s a Stern kind of world. It’s easy to navigate, albeit not visually appealing. Search a legal case by citation number or TV & Radio transcripts in the news tab.

Notable Search Results:

“Bond Girl: Where are the sex kittens?”

“Fear of the dark can cause sleepless nights”

• ProQuest

ProQuest is ideal for Journalism, MCC, and pretty much major that requires periodical content as sources. The data is geared toward magazines, books and newspapers. You can search specifically by publication (i.e New York Times, Wall Street Journal) and person (Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, etc.).

ProQuest has results dating back to 1800. Go to the “Historical Newspapers” tab and search throughout the archives of papers like The Chicago Tribune, The Guardian and The Los Angeles Times. ProQuest gives a holistic scope of local, regional and global publications. At times, it puts even Google News to shame.

Notable Search Results:

“How America sold its soul in the ‘Age of Betrayal’”

“The Mystery of Terrible Tommy”

• Google Scholar

It’s Google. ‘Nuff Said.

Notable searches:

“Did Abraham Lincoln Pioneer Emoticons? 1862 Speech May Offer Clues”

“The Mad Masquerade: Stardom and Masculinity in the Jazz Age”

3.    Yes, there are books in Bobst.

To search for books go here.

To navigate the vertical labyrinth go here.

If all else fails, IM the librarian!

Best of luck in your researching endeavors. If you have any other suggestions, share in the comments section below!

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