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Doing Research

Finding journal articles

pages picture Finding journal articles

"It is terrifying to think how much research is needed to determine the truth of even the most unimportant fact"  Stendhal, 1783-1842

  1. Finding a good database to use
  2. Finding the full-text of the journal articles
  3. I’ve got the brief details of a journal article how do I see the full-text?
  4. Why can’t I see all the articles in full-text? 
  5. I click on WebBridge but I still can’t see full-text – why not?
  6. I’m off campus – can I see the full-text of articles?
  7. The journal I want is only at the Highland / Stirling campus
  8. I'm asked to pay to view an article, what should I do?
  9. I can't find many (or any) articles on my topic
  10. Is there anywhere else I can look for articles?
  11. Help me!

 

1. Finding a good database to use

Within the Portal use the link to the A-Z list of online resources to find a database that covers the subject area you are interested in.  A database is an electronic index to journal articles.

Remember you can also see a list of the databases for your particular subject area by choosing the Select a Subject box at the top of the A-Z list.

StirGate may be a good starting point - from one simple search it allows you to search across 100 library resources.

It helps find details of journal articles, as well as other publications and web sites. You can search by subject category or browse across all resources. It may also help you identify which databases are worth exploring further for your particular topic.

StirGate logoStirGate: Search across library resources for journal articles, etc

 

2. Finding the full-text of the journal articles

The databases on the A-Z list normally only provide the brief details and a summary of journal articles, or if they do provide full-text it will only be for some of the articles.  This means you will only find full-text for some of the journal articles.

See below for more info on seeing the full text

 

3. I’ve got the brief details of a journal article how do I see the full-text?

  • First check if the database provides the full-text by looking for a link to full-text or pdf file of the article.
  • Most databases don’t provide the full-text.  So you should search the Library Catalogue to find out if we have access to the journal in paper or electronic format.  
  • Search the Catalogue using the title of the journal. For example, your reference is:

Jones, A (2007) A very interesting article. Journal of interesting stuff 45(3): 564-569

Search the catalogue for: Journal of interesting stuff

Remember to check in the Catalogue whether we have the correct year and volume for the article you are looking for.

  • If the database uses WebBridge then this makes it quicker to check if the Library has access to the article.  Note that WebBridge doesn’t provide full-text – see below for more WebBridge info.

WebBridge button

  • If you are only interested in electronic copies of articles you can use the E- Journal Gateway to check whether we have access to a journal in electronic form.  It will also tell you which years of the journal we have, normally we don’t have all the years.
  • Remember we don’t have the full-text of everything – see below for more full-text info

 

4. Why can’t I see all the articles in full-text? 

No Library could provide all the journal articles – there are too many!  Journals are very expensive, and get more expensive every year.  The Library would love to buy all the journals and we try to buy as many as we can, and negotiate with publishers to get the best deals we can.  But we can’t buy them all.

When you are in the final year of your degree or a postgraduate you can use the Document Delivery Service to request any article.  Find out more about Document Delivery

 

 

5. I click on WebBridge but I still can’t see full-text – why not?

WebBridge button
WebBridge doesn’t provide the full-text of the journal article.  WebBridge helps you find out if the Library has a copy of the article in electronic or paper form.  It can be very frustrating when you click on WebBridge only to find out that you can’t see the article, but if WebBridge wasn’t there it would take even longer to find the answer. 

 

6. I’m off campus – can I see the full-text of articles?

Normally the answer is yes!  So any journal articles you can see on campus, you can also see off campus. But to make sure you are authenticated to access the full text make sure that you start any searches for articles by logging on to the University Portal, and selecting the link to the A-Z list of resources - this ensures you are picking up the necessary authentication required.

So all you need to do is logon to the University Portal first - all the clever technical stuff happens in the background.

 

7. The journal I want is only at the Highland / Stirling Campus

Fill out the appropriate online form listed below and we will get a photocopy of the article you require

Stirling users

Highland users

Western Isles users

8. I'm asked to pay to access an article, what should I do?

Make a note of the article you require and check you are logged into the Portal. Search the catalogue for the journal and check that the dates in the catalogue cover the date of the article. If the joural is listed in the catalogue for the dates you want, and you can not get access, please contact the Information Centre.

When you are in the final year of your degree or a postgraduate you can use the Document Delivery Service to request any article, even if this Library does not provide access.  Find out more about Document Delivery

 

9. I can't find many (or any) articles on my topic

When you find it difficult to find many articles:

  • Use a range of different databases not only one - use the Select a Subject option at the top of the Portal A-Z list of online resources page to see a list for your subject

 

  • Do a search on StirGate - it lets you search a large number of databases all at once, this can give you new ideas for which database to use next

 

  • Think about the search strategy you are using - don't just type the title of your essay. Choose only the main keywords. Think about other words that describe the topic and use those instead.

 

 

  • Think about using other types of information - as well as journal articles, what about books, newspaper articles, encyclopaedias?

 

 

  • You might have a very difficult topic - so get help

10. Is there anywhere else I can look for articles?

Students and staff of the Department of Nursing and Midwifery can apply for a username and password to access the Knowledge Network from NHS Scotland which provides access to over 5000 electronic journals which can be accessed on and off campus. Read more about the Knowledge Network

You may be able to find the journal you require in another library. The SALSER catalogue gives details of the journals held in university libraries across Scotland and the SUNCAT catalogue is a comprehensive source of information about the location of journals held in libraries throughout the UK. Online user guides are available. See more information about using / visiting other university libraries.

When you are in the final year of your degree or a postgraduate you can use the Document Delivery Service to request any article.  Find out more about Document Delivery

 

11. Help me!

Contact a Subject Librarian for help with finding articles and using databases.

Ask a Librarian - Stirling Campus

Ask a Librarian - Highland Campus

Or phone us:

01786 467235 (Stirling Campus)

01463 255600 (Highland Campus)

See our Opening Hours

 

 

Page last modified, 27 January, 2010