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How to Find Articles: Start here.

How to Find Articles

Finding articles on your topic is a 3-step process

If you already have the citation (title, author, journal title, volume/issue, DOI) use Findit@MU Article Finder.

1.  Identify a database.   

  • To find the right database, browse MU's 'Databases by Subject' or see librarians' recommendations in Research Guides.
  • Or use Discover@MU to search MU's collections and subscribed databases at once. This search is broad; consider refining your search by database or format such as Academic Journal, Magazine, or News.  

 2.  Search the database. See Database Search Tips

  • Form a research question. Example: "how is terrorism represented in postmodern literature?"
  • Use important keywords or subject words that describe your topic. 
    • Combine keywords with AND to narrow results. Example: (postmodern AND terrorism)
    • Combine keywords with OR to expand results. Example: (terrorism OR domestic extremism)
  • Scan your results and their abstracts to identify citations that seem relevant or interesting.
3.  Get the full text of the article
  • In many cases, databases link you to the full text directly or via FindIt@MU.
  • If the database you're searching has a FindIt@MU button  or "Full Text .pdf/html" link, click it.  Other options for getting to the full text of an article include:
    • Use the FindIt@MU Article Finder.  This tool allows you enter a citation to see if MU has online access to the article.
    • If we do not have access to the article, you may request it through Interlibrary Loan. ILL@MU Login
    • There is no charge for you to request articles.
    • Articles available electronically may take as little as one business day to recieve.

What is a peer-reviewed article? (Videos)

Video by North Carolina State University

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                          Video by Brock University Library

Multidisciplinary Databases (a good place to start)

Search for Articles in Discover@MU

 

 


Web of Science

Search for Articles in Web of Science
   


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Acknowledgements

Migrated from "How to Find Articles" from MU Libraries.


Adapted from and inspired by COM, Cornell, and MIT  libraries' respective "How to Find Articles" libguides.

Dylan Martin
GRA 2016-17