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When conducting source collection, you may come across citations to print or online versions of newspaper or magazine articles. This Research Guide will provide information on the best methods for obtaining newspaper and magazine articles whether cited to a print or online version.
As stated in the BC Law Review Source Collection Guide, the preferred format of a newspaper article is a PDF. However, because many authors cite to online newspapers, you should also refer to the Collecting Internet Sources section of the Source Collection Guide. This section states that the collected source should not contain ads or popups that block article text.
Newspaper and magazine articles fall under Bluebook Rule 16, Periodical Materials. If you are citing to the print version of a newspaper article, refer to rule 16.6. When citing to the online version of a newspaper article consult Bluebook rules16.6(f), 16.8, and 18.2.2.
Boston College maintains subscriptions to a wide range of major newspapers. In addition, the University provides access to news databases containing U.S. and international news sources. You will generally be able obtain copies of cited news and other publications through Boston College subscriptions. Below are some tips for locating materials efficiently.
Review the News & Magazines at BC Law research guide. The guide includes information on how to set up accounts for online access to publications including, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Since these newspapers are commonly cited in law review articles, we recommend that you take some time to set up these subscriptions, if you haven't done so already. If you need to collect article from these publications, this will make source collection assignments more efficient.
If a citation to a newspaper or magazine article doesn't provide a link to the article or if the link leads you to a site that requires a subscription, don't just start Googling or set up your own account. You will usually be able to access the article through one of BC's online databases. The University has a large collection of resources, as detailed below.
Once you are in the catalog record, you can link directly into the database.
If you want to orient yourself to the full range of newspaper databases available at Boston College, review the BC Research Guide on Newspapers developed by the O'Neill Library. It provides a good overview of current and historical news sources with coverage information and links to the databases. It is a good source to consult if you don't find the source you need by searching the Library Catalog.
If you cannot locate the newspaper or magazine in the BC Catalog, check Westlaw and Lexis to see if you can find the article there. Both Westlaw and Lexis have good coverage of U.S. and international news and magazines, including wire services and news program transcripts. A benefit of Westlaw and Lexis is that you are able to obtain a PDF of the article without any ads or popups that could obstruct the text of the article.
To locate a newspaper on Lexis, start by typing the title of the publication in the main search box and selecting it from the list of recommendations. To determine if Lexis has the dates you need, click on the "i" to determine the coverage. 
Once you click on the source you need, you can run a search for the article you need by using the title field.
If you need to run a news search on Lexis, we recommend that you select News from the Content tab. You can then select specific news sources or run a search across all available publications.
To locate a newspaper on Westlaw, start by typing the title of the publication in the main search box and selecting it from the list of recommendations.
To determine if Westlaw has the dates you need, click on the "i" to determine the coverage. Then use the Advanced search link, to search for the title of the article you need. When searching on Westlaw, put the title in quotation marks. 
If you need to run a search in news on Westlaw, we recommend that you select News from the Content tab. You can then select specific news sources or run a search across all available publications.
If you are unable to locate the article you need through any of the sources recommended, you can request a copy through Interlibrary loan (ILL). Before placing an ILL request, consult one of the T&R librarians. We can review the citation you are looking for and confirm that the article is not available through any sources available at BC. We can also provide advice for placing your ILL request so it is processed as quickly as possible.