<p>What sort of research tools are provided online? Is there a way to search for keywords or specific books online in books, magazines, newspapers, journals, etc?</p>
<p>Right now my school is using an online site called questia. It is the largest compilation of books, journals, newspaper, articles, etc online. For example, I am currently reading “The Prince” by Machiavelli. I can access it in its full version online. I can bookmark it, make highlighted notes, and the site has a feature that creates a work cited page in almost any form you want.</p>
<p>I am just wondering if the academy has anything of this sort and if not would it be worth it to get for next year?</p>
<p>well we can access the library from our computers in the hall. it shows all books and documents they have over there-not the text, just that they have then. Also, the academy provides all students with subscriptions to several databases for scholarly journals, newspaper archives, etc. If you wanna read “The Prince” though, you are probably gonna wanna walk over to the library…hope that helps…</p>
<p>I never once had to consider subscribing to anything other than a Washington/Baltimore newspaper (for my two front page and one sports page articles). Everything I ever needed (and then some) was available in the library. Nowadays with the internet, I wonder if they even need the newspaper. Just pull up Drudge, or FoxNews.com, or CNN.com, or even Al-Jazeera.</p>
<p>Oh, and that was just during Plebe Year. After that, we have dozens of Plebes running around we could ask for the news. ;)</p>
<p>I cannot imagine anyone at USNA NEEDING to get their own subscription to anything these days. With access to the internet, and who knows what improvements (electronic or otherwise) to Nimitz Hall over the past 15 years, I suspect there is no need to spring for your own stuff.</p>
<p>You do get a subscription to a data base that allows you to look at Foreign Affairs articles. (I am an International Relations major). Your mid might not be reading them every day like previously stated, but when it comes to writing papers and such, it helps alot to have something like that. But dont worry, you dont have to get it for them, the academy has got it covered.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks all. I was just wondering if it would be convenient.</p>
<p>In response to Zaphod, “Oh! The horror of having to read a BOOK!” I must say that I love to read books and that I would much rather have one in front of me over a computer screen any day. I was simply wondering that in the case of having to buy books for school wouldn’t it be convenient if you could just hop to a website instead of buying it at the Mid store or online.</p>
<p>But I realize now that the amount spent on books at one year at USNA would probably rival the cost of the online database and you would have a book to show for buying it instead of reading it online.</p>