Graduate Students' Guide to the Library: Articles

Search for your topics in relevant databases to find scholarly articles. 

• Databases may be accessed via the Databases link on the library homepage where they are sorted by subject, type, and name.
• Click on "More Info" next to any database name to learn the scope of the database.
• Are other disciplines doing research in your topic area?  Search databases in other disciplines too.

Be sure to visit the Services for Faculty and Graduate Students library page for tips on locating articles or searching for Full Text by DOI.

Google Scholar searches the web for scholarly articles published in both free, open access journals and in traditional subscription journals.  Searching Google Scholar through the library's website automatically links you to the full text of articles the library owns.  Using the Google Scholar search box below, or via the library website, will provide direct links to these subscription journal articles at no cost.

Four ways to use Google Scholar:

• As a search tool, in conjunction with discipline-specific databases like Education Source and ERIC
• To find the full text of articles
• To see who has cited a relevant article - Cited By - which can lead to more recent articles on a topic
• To locate an article using the DOI (digital object identifier).  For example:  10.3402/edui.v5.23417

Best practices when using Google Scholar:

• Use Google Scholar via the library website.  This will ensure you are not prompted to pay for articles in journals to which the library already subscribes.
• Use Advanced Search to refine your search by date, author, phrase, and more

Is the article you need not available electronically?

• You may request it via ILLiad (our interlibrary loan system). 
• New to using ILLiad?  Please read this first.  Then log in and select New Request - Article.  Complete the form and submit it.
• We will find the article, scan it, and make it available to you electronically.  There is no charge for this service.