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BILD 4: Introductory Biology Lab: Google News & RSS Feeds

This guide is your starting point for navigating library resources and completing assignments for BILD 4.

Finding News on the Internet

Google News is a great place to start your news-related research.

Searching Google News

When doing a search in Google News, notice:

"Sections" on the top of the page. These are similar to different sections you would see in a print newspaper. For example, if you are interested in the economics of dementia, you might limit your search to the Business section. 

Results Display. Google uses a complex formula to identify the order of the results. You should not assume the most recent results are at the top of the list -- they are more likely to be the most "popular."

 

Getting full-text news articles

Most of the time, you will probably be able to read the full text news article online. However, there may be articles that you will be asked to pay for or to sign up for an account in order to read them.

Never pay for an article without checking the UC Library Search to see if we have a subscription.

To see if UCSD subscribes to a newspaper:

  1. Go to UC Library Search - choose UC San Diego Library Catalog
  2. Type the newspaper title into the search box (e.g. Sacramento Bee)
  3. Click on the result that most closely matches your search terms (it will probably be one of the first few results)

The record will provide:

  • a link to the online full-text articles (if available) -- click on "Available Online"
  • OR - a library location and call number to find the article in print at the Library.

Google Search Alerts

If you have a Google account, you can also take advantage of some great features, such as setting up email alerts.

By setting up an alert, you will be notified when new results match your search terms. To do this:

  1. Visit the Google Alerts page (you will need to log into your google account).
  2. Enter the search for which you want alerts. You may want to search Google first to create a good search and then copy and paste it in this box.
  3. Limit the Sources to News.
  4. Customize your alert by selecting the frequency (how often) and number (how many).
  5. Click "Create Alert." In the future, you can modify or delete your alert by visiting this page and managing the alerts.