Finding Articles in Periodicals

Begin by searching an article index (sometimes referred to as a periodical index or an online database). Booth Library provides access to well over 100 online databases through our website. Click on "Databases" to find a menu of these resources. An article index will give you article citations for specific topics (keywords) or combination of topics (keywords). The citation tells you what periodical to look in, which volume and issue, month, (day) and year in that periodical, and the page number on which the article begins. Some indexes also provide abstracts, which are short summaries of what the article is about. Use the abstract to help you decide whether or not the article is suitable for your paper. Other databases provide full-text access, in which case a link is provided to the complete article.

If the article is not available full-text in the index where you found it, follow the steps below to find the complete article:

Print out or write down the needed information from the index (generally, you need the name of the journal, title of the article, name of the article author(s), date of publication, volume and issue numbers, and page numbers.)


• Look for the icon. This resource will search Booth Library's collections of print and electronic journals and show you where your article is available. If it is a full-text article, you will be automatically directed to the full article (or, in some cases, the site where the full article can be found). If it's a print article, a link to the EIU Library catalog is provided so you can check to see if we own the issue of the journal which contains your article.
  
  
Booth Library also provides an online search option you can use to find out if we own the periodical that contains your article. Click on the Journal Titles tab on the library homepage to find call number and location information for journals we own in print. Results will also include journals to which we have online access, showing date coverage and providing links for online access to complete articles.


• You can also find journals owned by Booth Library by searching the Library Catalog using the "Journal/Magazine" limiter. Type the exact full title of the periodical, omitting initial articles (a, an, or the). 
  
  

There are two kinds of indexes: print and electronic. Most of Booth Library's print indexes are located in the Reference Indexes area on the 1000 level. To find the index you need, ask for help at the Reference Desk or check the EIU Library Catalog. With a few exceptions (such as older materials), electronic indexes have replaced print indexes. Booth Library provides access to a wide array of these resources. Access them through the Journal Titles tab on the library homepage.

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