Now that you have identified a question for your research paper, it is time to do some more research.

Another common type of source used in research papers is the periodical article. Periodical articles may be found in magazines, journals, or newspapers (called periodicals, since they come out "periodically"). Periodicals are found on library shelves in hard-copy form, online at a periodical's own Web site, or in a computerized database containing full texts of millions of articles.

In the old days, you located articles by going to the library and looking through bound indexes that contained titles of articles related to various topics. It's still good to learn how to locate articles "the old-fashioned way" since indexes can lead you to articles that are older and not available in digital format. These days, though, librarians urge you to use computerized databases (such as ProQuest Direct or SIRS Researcher) to access full-text articles online. For our purposes, we will learn how to search for articles through both traditional and computerized means.

When you begin to write your research paper, you'll be glad you learned how to locate periodical articles. You'll also be glad you learned how to list them on a Works Cited page in proper MLA format, which is exactly what Assignment 2C will ask you to do, once you have located four articles related to your Research Paper Question.