How do I Find Articles from USA Today?

The USA Today is available from many sources, not least including the daily paper copy available at the Circulation Desk on the 4th floor of Alden Library. The graph below summarizes the sources for articles from the USA Today; see the notes below it for more information about using these sources.

Paper copies of the USA Today are available on the 4th floor of Alden Library; current to the past few months: ask for them at the Circulation Desk.

LexisNexis Academic

Access: Ohio U. - all campuses (including off-campus access)
Full-text: Yes (HTML text)
Coverage: January 3, 1989 to the present
How to Search:

1. To limit your search to the USA Today, first click on the "Sources" tab near the top of the screen.
2. Then, on the right, type "USA Today" in the "Find a Source" box and press the "Go" button.
3. Check the box that says only "USA Today" with nothing else added.
4. Then click on the red "OK - Continue" button on the right side of the screen.
5. You will return to the Power Search screen, where you can enter your search term(s), with "USA Today" listed as the source you are searching.

Factiva

Access: Ohio U. - Athens campus only (including off-campus access)
Full-text: Yes (HTML text)
Coverage: April 11, 1987 to the present
How to Search:

1. Click on "Source" in the main search box and search for "USA Today ."
2. Then enter your search terms in the "Free Text" search box and click on the "Run Search" button.

Academic Search Complete

Access: Ohio U. - all campuses (including off-campus access)
Full-text: Yes (HTML text)
Coverage: February 1, 2002 to the present
How to Search:

1. To limit your search to USA Today, type "usa today" in one of the search boxes.
2. On the popup menu to the right of the box, change "Select a Field (optional)" to "SO Journal Name."
3. Enter your search terms in the other box(es) and click on the "Search" button. Note: the search only covers words in the database record, not the full-text of the article.
4. The "FindIt!" link leads, via ALICE, to Factiva (see above); once there, you must search for the particular article you want.

Newspaper Source

Access: Ohio U. - all campuses (including off-campus access)
Full-text: Yes (HTML text)
Coverage: February 1, 2002 to the present
How to Search:

1. To limit your search to USA Today, type "usa today" in one of the search boxes.
2. On the popup menu to the right of the box, change "Select a Field (optional)" to "SO Journal Name."
3. Enter your search terms in the other box(es) and click on the "Search" button. Note: the search only covers words in the database record, not the full-text of the article.
4. The "FindIt!" link leads, via ALICE, to Factiva (see above); once there, you must search for the particular article you want.

ProQuest Newspapers

Access: Ohio U. - Athens campus only (including off-campus access)
Full-text: Yes (HTML text)
Coverage: April 1, 1987 to the present
How to Search: Since this database includes several other newspapers, you must specify "USA Today " as the "Publication Title" in one of the search boxes in order to limit your search results to USA Today only.

USA Today website

Access: Free
Full-text: Yes (HTML text). Current articles are free; older articles in the Archive are available for a fee.
Coverage: Recent months only
How to Search:

1. Go to "Reader Services" dropdown menu and select "Archives."
2. Enter your search term(s) and use whatever limiters are appropriate.
3. Click the Search button.

USA Today on Microfilm

Access: Microforms Collection on 1st floor of Alden Library
Full-text: Yes, articles can be printed or scanned using equipment in the Microforms Collection; for help, ask at the 1st floor service desk.
Coverage: 1982 to the present
How to Search:

1. For those years not covered by the full text sources listed above, use the indexes to locate the date, sections, and pages of the desired articles:
   • Bell & Howell newspaper index to USA today (1982 - 1986)
   • USA today index (1987 - 1993)
2. Load the appropriate reels of microfilm on the viewing equipment and browse the microfilm until you find the articles.
3. For older articles, you need to determine the approximate date of the story you're seeking, then browse those dates of the microfilms.