Quality Tip: How to Find a Full-Text Journal Article

1. Ask the patron for as much info as possible (article title, journal title, authors, date) to determine if the patron needs an article from a library database or an article placed on Reserve by an instructor (if the latter, consult the library policy page for the procedure for accessing Course Reserves).
   
2. If the patron needs an article from a database, check the library policy page "Databases" section to see if the local librarians offered guidance.
   
3. Look on the library website for a tool that will allows librarians and patrons to search for a publication title and find out which subscription databases carry that publication in full-text (this tool also gives coverage dates).
   
4. If the library does not seem to have this tool, try searching the library catalog for the journal title to see if there are electronic or print holdings.
   
5. If the library does not offer access to the journal, check to see if the library offers interlibrary loan service (some academic libraries offer it to all students, some just to grad students, and some just to faculty).
   
6. Consider obtaining or verifying the patron's email address and/or deadline so you can code the question as Follow Up by Local Library.

Here are some ways that our member libraries are using this tool on their library webpages:

• The King County Library System's databases page has a link on the bottom that says:
  Full-Text Magazines & Journals In KCLS Databases
  Check here for a list of full-text magazines and journals that are available through our database subscriptions.

 

• The Seattle Public Library has a script available entitled "Finding a Specific Article":
  If you're looking for a specific newspaper or magazine article, you can find which database(s) provide access to which newspaper/magazine/journal titles on this page: http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_db_electronic

 

• The Boston Public Library's database page has a link called "Search full-text E-Journals by journal title": http://yj2rx5vx3s.search.serialssolutions.com/

 

• Clicking on the "Electronic Journals" link on the home page for the University of Washington libraries brings up a page with a tool called "Find e-journals by title": http://www.lib.washington.edu/types/ejournals/

 

• The University of Maryland--College Park library's tool is on the "E-Journals" tab in ResearchPort (chatting librarians may log into ResearchPort using the username and password provided in the library policy page).

 

• The Baruch College library policy page says:

To find a specific periodical in full-text (1) Click "Journals, Magazines" on the home page, then click the "Full Text Journals" link. (2) Type in the name of the periodical and hit search. If that periodical is available in full-text in any of our databases, you will see a list of which databases have it and what years are available.

• The E-Journals tab on the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee library's home page has a link entitled "Citation Linker (Find It!)” and the library policy page gives a link to SFX help:
  Find It! Help - Guide to our OpenURL system (SFX)

 

Here are some sample results retrieved after using these tools:

• T+D (Alexandria, Va.)
  from 01/01/1987 to present in ProQuest Discovery
  from 05/01/2001 to 05/01/2004 in Business & Company Resource Center, Expanded Academic ASAP, General OneFile and General Reference Center Gold

 

• Annual review of sociology  (0360-0572)
  from 1975 to 2000 in JSTOR Arts and Sciences I Collection
  from 08/01/1990 to 1 year ago in Academic Search Premier
  from 08/01/1990 to 1 year ago in Business Source Premier
  from 01/01/1993 to 01/01/2004 in Business & Company Resource Center
  from 01/01/1995 to 08/01/2005 in ABI/INFORM Global
  from 01/01/1996 to present in Annual Reviews

 

• Journal of nonverbal behavior [0191-5886]
  We have in print 2nd Floor North in Periodicals
  Available from 1992 volume: 16 until 2003 volume: 27
  Full Text Online Communication & Mass Media
  Available from 1992
  Most recent 1 year(s) not available
  Full Text Online Springer/Kluwer Academic Journals
  Available from 1976 volume: 1 issue:1
  Social Sciences: Sociology
  Social Sciences: Behavioral Science (Psychology) and Counselling