Penn State University Libraries - Navigating the CQ Researcher Database with a Screen Reader

The links above will allow you to jump to different content areas on this page.

What is CQ Researcher?

The CQ Researcher database, "is the choice of researchers seeking original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news. Published in print and online 44 times a year, the single-themed CQ Researcher report offers in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Each 12,000-word CQ Researcher report is a unique work, investigated and written by a seasoned journalist" (CQ Press, 2012).

You can access the database from here: CQ Researcher, or from the Libraries' homepage by performing the following steps:

• Press the keys INSERT + F7 to hear the list of links available on the page.
• Type 'D' and 'A' and press ENTER when you hear 'Databases.' This will take you to a new page called 'Databases by Title (A-Z).'
  
• Press keys INSERT + F6 to hear the list of headings on the page. Use the DOWN ARROW to hear the available headings and press ENTER upon hearing 'Search for a Database.'
• Press the TAB key once to move the cursor to the edit field. Type in 'CQ Researcher' and press ENTER.
• Again, you will be taken to a new page that lists the results of your search. The only result available will be for the CQ Researcher database.
• Select INSERT + F7 to get a list of the links on the page, type 'CQ' and press ENTER. This will open a new window, beginning with a redirect page and then taking you to the CQ Researcher homepage.

The homepage is well organized using headings, which you can access by using the INSERT + F6 keys. There is a featured report in a level one heading. Related report components, like, The Issues, The Debate, The Pros and The Cons are in lower level heading positions. Additionally, you can access the Basic Keyword Search edit field by going to the level 3 or level 4 heading titled CQ Researcher. There are also lower level headings that will direct you to recent news stories.

From the homepage, you can quickly and easily access the Quick Search edit field.  Once the homepage is open, press the 'E' key and then press ENTER. Your cursor will now be in the edit field. Here you can search by keyword.

Upon entering your search term, pressing the TAB key followed by the ENTER key, a new page will open containing a list of reports related to your keyword search

Advanced Search

If you would prefer to perform an Advanced Search, press 'E' and the TAB key two times, after the homepage content has loaded. Your cursor will now be on the Advanced Search link, press ENTER, taking you to the Advanced Search page.

From here you can search by typing words or phrases into the edit field, search all text or just withing titles or topics, specify date range, select topics from a combo box, and search by report sections. You can select how you would like your search results displayed - showing up to 30 results per page, and sorted by relevancy, alphabetically by title or by publication date.

After entering your search query and selecting the Search button, you will be taken to a new page that contains your search results. There are no headings on this page.

By default, up to 30 results per page are shown in a table format that contains 31 rows (including table headers) and 5 columns. The layout is as follows:

• The first column contains check boxes that, if checked will allow you to save the report to a list of your 'favorite documents' for the remainder of your search session. Once the check box is checked, you will have to navigate back up to the 'Save to Favorites List' button to save the report. You can do this by either pressing SHIFT + TAB keys to move back to the link located near the top of the page or by pressing INSERT + F7 to find the 'Save to Favorites List' link within the page links list.
  
• The second column lists a score for the report, out of 100 points, indicating the degree of relevency of the report to your search query. The higher the number, the more relevent the report. By default, the reports are listed in order of relevency - the highest to lowest score.
  
• The third column contains the title and link to the report.
  
• The fourth column indicates which section of the report is available - some reports don't contain all of the sections, mostly dependent on the age of the report.
  
• The fifth and last column contains the date of publication.

All report titles are links so you can navigate to them by pressing the TAB key repeatedly until you hear titles. Or you can press INSERT + 7 to get a list of the links. The report title links will be located near the bottom of a very long list of links, after a selection of 'Sort results' links. Once you find a report title that meets your needs, press the ENTER key and a new window will open.

The entire report is on one webpage but does not have any headings, though it is organized in sections. Each section title is a link, allowing you to navigate through the reports by pressing INSERT + F7 to find the section you'd like to read. The sections are as follows:

1. Introduction

2. Overview

3. Background - includes history, policies and legalities

4. Current Situation

5. Outlook

6. Pro/Con - statements from experts in the field

7. Chronology

8. Short Features

9. Maps/Graphs

10. Bibliography

11. The Next Step

12. Contacts

13. Footnotes

14. About the Author

Links to print or email the report are accessible by pressing INSERT + F7 to get a list of links - scroll using the ARROW buttons to until you find the Print or email link.

Notes: tables are captured as images. Frames, plug-ins, and audio content are not used. Also, the publication of some reports date back to the early 1920s, and are not organized into multiple sections until the late 1980s. Beginning in the mid 1990s, reports began to include all of the sections listed above and supplied the ability to access the report in PDF format.