How to find journal articles

Thousands of journals; millions of articles … But how do you find the articles you need?

Thousands of journals; millions of articles … But how do you find the articles you need?

This presentation will show you

how to find journal articles when researching for your assignments and essays

To search for journal articles, you need to use DATABASES you need to use DATABASES

To search for journal articles, you need to use DATABASES you need to use DATABASES A database is a huge searchable collection of journal article references.

You can search in databases to find journal articles on a particular topic …

or journal articles written by a particular author

UCT Libraries offer more than 200 databases …

How do you decide which ones to use?

Look in your Subject Guide

c Click on Subject Guides on our home page

Choose the guide relevant to your topic

The guide will recommend useful databases for your subject area

Alternatively, ask your Subject Librarian

Alternatively, ask your Subject Librarian c You can link to Subject Librarians’ contact details from our home page

You have been asked to write an essay on:

You have been asked to write an essay on: The influence of global warming on food security.

You have been asked to write an essay on: The influence of global warming on food security. Let’s search the database: Academic Search Premier for articles on this topic

Open the Libraries web site:

c Hover your mouse over Electronic Resources

Open the Libraries web site: In the dropdown menu … click on Databases

c Open the Libraries web site: In the dropdown menu … click on Databases

In the databases list … click on Academic Search Premier

In the databases list … click on Academic Search Premier

The database will open …

Type in your search query

Use quotes (“”) to search for phrases like “global warming”

Type in your search query Use quotes (“”) to search for phrases like “global warming” Use AND to combine different concepts like global warming and food security

This finds a set of article references

Our search found 41 references

Each reference includes …

The article title

Each reference includes … The article title Authors’ names

Each reference includes … The article title Authors’ names Journal title

Each reference includes … The article title Authors’ names Journal title Date, volume, issue, page numbers

Each reference includes … The article title Authors’ names Journal title Date, volume, issue, page numbers Abstract (summary of the article)

You can refine your results in the left- hand column

To see the full record for a reference

Click on its title

Here you will get the complete abstract

And tools for saving, printing, ing, or exporting the reference to RefWorks

Click on the SFX button to see if we have access to the full text of the article

The SFX window tells us that we can access the full text online

Click on Go to get the full text

The full text will open on your screen

If full text is not available, this area will be blank

Click here to search the UCT Library catalogue to see if we have the print version of the journal

Created by Fiona Jones March 2011 That’s it !

Created by Fiona Jones March 2011 And remember … if you need further assistance ASK A LIBRARIAN That’s it !