5 Ways to Search for Articles:
- Start with a keyword search in the Discovery Search on the Library's homepage.
- For a more tailored search, choose a subject guide from the Research by Subject list on our homepage. Once you've chosen a guide related to your topic or class, pick one of the subject-specific databases listed under the "Articles" tab.
- To learn more about subject databases, watch the "What is a Database?" video.
- To learn more about subject databases, watch the "What is a Database?" video.
- If you already know which database you want, click on Databases by Title from the homepage and select a specific database from the A-Z list.
- For interdisciplinary topics, try a multidisciplinary database such as ProQuest Research Library or Opposing Viewpoints in Context or JSTOR in addition to the Discovery Search.
- In all databases, take advantage of limiters like date, publication type, geography, and subject headings to narrow your results. Experimenting with synonyms and different search phrases also improves your results!
Articles vs. Journals vs. Databases:
Articles are collected and published in journals (also called serials or periodicals). Journals can be print or digital. Digital journals (also called e-journals or electronic journals) are collected in online databases, which allow you to search through thousands of articles, in hundreds of journals, more efficiently. The Library subscribes (pays money!) to online databases-- and the journals within them-- to bring you the articles you need at no cost to you!
Locating the Full Text of an Article:
- Some databases have the full text of articles, while others have only citations and abstracts. Look for links that say full text, PDF, or HTML to read the full article.
Pro Tip: Go with the PDF whenever possible. PDFs look the best when printed, include the original page numbers, and display images better than the HTML version.
- If there are no direct links to the full text, do not despair! Just click the "Find It @ Purchase" button. This searches for full text across ALL of the Library's databases and journal collections. Most of the time, the Library has access to the full text, just in another database.
- If "Find It @ Purchase" does not show links to the article in our library databases, STILL do not despair! Discovery Search will show you if the Library has the article in print (hard copy).
- Never give up! If we don't have immediate access to the article through "Find It" or in our print journal collections, then you can use interlibrary loan to request the item from another library.
- To locate the full text if you already have a specific citation, see our FAQ on Finding an Article from a Citation.
Peer Reviewed or Scholarly Articles:
Many databases let you limit to peer reviewed, scholarly, or academic articles. Look for limiters within the databases that say "scholarly articles," "peer reviewed," "academic journals," or something similar. Note that these limiters are not always 100% accurate, but they give you a very good start. For information on distinguishing peer reviewed or scholarly articles from other types of sources, see this brief video tutorial.