Introduction to Library Research: Finding Articles

Articles are good sources to use for 

• very current events (newspapers)
• contemporary issues (magazines)
• in-depth research (academic journals)
   

To find articles, use the library databases on the Library website. Academic Search Ultimate and Academic OneFile Select  are two multi-subject databases that can be a good place to start. Follow these steps for finding articles:

1. Keep your search simple. Enter basic terms for each aspect of your topic, such as "energy drinks and health."
2. Use the limiting options available on most databases. Common limiters are full-text, date, and source type. Articles from academic (scholarly) journals may be required for some assignments.
3. Evaluate your results. Use the title of the article, the abstract (summary) and the subject terms to determine if the articles are relevant to you. If you want different or additional results, try different search terms. (college costs vs. student loan debt) Remember to keep it simple. Contact a librarian if you need help with your search. 
4. To display the full article, click on the PDF icon, the "HTML Full Text," or other full text icon. Clicking the "Full Text Finder" icon will take you to the full article in a different database. 
5. Please contact a librarian if you need any assistance.

Academic Search Ultimate Tutorial (5:16)

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