Finding Journal Articles

Introduction:

Once you have a topic in mind, the best way to start searching for articles is to use an index to periodicals that is either in paper or electronic format. Most people are doing research for their classes using electronic indexes (databases) that have both citations to articles and, in the case of "full-text" databases, the article itself in either HTML format (Web version) or PDF format (a scanned image of the page exactly as it appears in the print version).

The best place to start your search is on the subject page relevant to your discipline. These pages show what resources in the library or online best address the subject, including databases. Build a search query and kick off a search. Be sure to read the abstracts (summaries) of the articles before you select them. Once you have a list of citations, unless your articles citations contain the "full-text" of the article itself, it is then time to find the article.

With just a citation, you can check the library catalog for a physical copy of the article, or you can check the library's Journal Finder software to find out if the library has an electronic version of the article in one of the databases or electronic journals. Use either of these two tools to locate your article by searching on the title of the journal in which it appears. Once you find the journal, make sure that the subscription covers the specific issue in which your article appears.

Examples:

1. Building a search query: Most databases allow users to build a search query that limits their search results to just those articles most relevant to their research interests. A good way to start is to search by a particular index, thus assuring the relevancy of the items that appear in your search result.

Advanced Search: The most advanced way to search ProQuest is by filtering the database through a search template like this one, using the index drop down menus to find and combine the terms in such a way that your query matches the topic you are searching. [Note: Conversely, you can also do a "Topics" search with similar results.]

Browse Headings: Use the inserted hyperlink (in this case, "Browse People") to find the authorized heading for your topic. Oftentimes, there is more than one heading, and sometimes you will search on the incorrect heading, and the database will lead you to the correct heading. ProQuest will allow you to add to your search the headings that you find by browsing. The image below shows one possible search query for 'articles about the person Florence Nightingale that are not about the subject of nursing.'

2. E-mailing your search results: You can print out your articles directly from the database, but you can also e-mail multiple items to an email account and print them off at home or in another computer lab. Note: to access articles from off-campus, you will have to first log into the database.

From the search results screen in ProQuest, you can select what items you want to save or e-mail to yourself. Once you have selected your items, or selected "Mark All" as the case may be, click on "Email" from the top menu bar and follow the instructions on the screen.

3. Finding a physical copy of an article: Search the library catalog for the title of the journal in which your article appears--in order to determine if the library carries a subscription to that journal. Then, determine if the library's holdings for that journal include the particular issue in which your article appears.

The above example illustrates a search for the journal Science in the library catalog. The library does have this journal, and it also has the issue in which the following article appears:

Angela T. Moles, et al. "A Brief History of Seed Science." Science 307 (Jan 28, 2005): 576-581.

4. Finding an electronic copy of an article: Search EBSCO AtoZ for the title of the journal in which your article appears--in order to determine if the library carries an electronic subscription to that journal either directly, through an electronic journal, or indirectly, through a subscription to a database. AtoZ will also tell you the holdings information for full-text in that title.

The following article is in a journal to which the library does not subscribe: Jackson, Jacquelyne. "The Bell Curve: What's all the fuss about?" The Black Scholar. 25.1 (Winter 1995): 11-22. So, we search for it in AtoZ.

AtoZ shows that The Black Scholar is full-text in five databases, and it shows the span dates for that full-text in each one. The above article was published in the Winter 1995 issue of the journal, so any one of these five databases will have it full-text. Also, where available, the hyperlink will go directly to the journal title level. In the case of EBSCO's Academic Search Elite, as the example below illustrates, in order to find the article, it is necessary to either "Search within this publication" or follow the links from "+ 1995" until you arrive at the article.