Finding Information: Step Three B

Finding Specific Kinds of Sources: Find Articles

General Considerations:

• What type (scholarly, trade, or popular) of periodical is the most appropriate for your purpose? Each time you look for articles your requirements will probably be different.

• Look back at the list of terms, synonyms, and alternate spellings that you compiled in Define Your Topic and look through the kinds of indexes that are available. Decide which index to start with.

• Scholarly aka Research aka Peer-Reviewed Periodicals
  
  • If you have ever heard of the distinction between a Journal and a Magazine, these are Journals
  • In order to be accepted for publication, articles must be reviewed by a group, most often anonymous, of peers in the field. The reviewers are not agreeing or disagreeing with the article, but reviewing the methodology to be sure that it is sound. This is the only category of periodical where this review is required.
  • Include reports of original research, review articles, and information aimed at experts in the field
  • Include footnotes and cited references
  • Use the jargon and language of the field
  • May be published by specific professional organizations and societies
  • Academic Search Elite is an example of an index that covers scholarly periodicals across all topics. It is updated daily and includes full-text coverage from 1990 - present and indexing and abstracting from 1984 - present.

• Trade aka Professional Periodicals
  • If you have ever heard of the distinction between a Journal and a Magazine, these are probably Magazines
  • Are intended to identify and report on trends and concerns about an industry or segment of an industry
  • Most do not include original research reports
  • Most report industry news, include job advertisements, buyer's guides, pertinent legislative information, and practical articles
  • Factiva is an example of an index that covers all topics, although it specializes in business and the business aspects of other industries. It is updated daily and includes coverage of many trade journals.

• Popular aka General Periodicals
  • If you have ever heard of the distinction between a Journal and a Magazine, these are Magazines
  • Many of these are for sale in the grocery store or at the newsstand
  • Provide short, timely, easily understood information
  • Often do not include information substantive enough for research papers
  • Proquest covers all topics and includes scholarly, trade, and popular periodicals.
  • Academic Search Elite covers all topics and includes scholarly, trade, and popular periodicals.

• When you find an article that you want to read, make sure that you print out or write down all the information that you'll need to locate it. Include: article author, article title, journal title, journal volume, journal issue number, article pages, journal date, and index name.

• To see if OSU has a full-text subscription to a journal, search the full journal title in the Full-Text Periodical Titles and Coverage List. Remember to look at the years that the online subscription includes.
  • Sometimes the link from this list will take you directly to the full-text of the journal.
  • Sometimes the link will take you to the database that includes the full-text as part of its content. (The difference has to do with the authentication protocols required by the vendor, not the OSU Library.)
  • If the link takes you to a database try: looking for a way to limit your search to just the journal that you want, searching for the author(s) of the article, searching for a combination of the author(s) and publication year, searching for a combination of the author(s) and keyword(s) from the article title.

• To see if OSU has a subscription in paper to a journal, search the full journal title in the OSU Library Catalog which will tell you if the library subscribes, what years the library owns, and where it is physically located. In the Main Library (Edmon Low Library) the current issues are on First Floor East, arranged alphabetically by the title of the periodical. Older issues have a call number and are shelved with the books.

Accessibility Legend
	Resource available via the Internet to everyone free of charge.
	Resource available via the Internet to the Oklahoma State University community (faculty, staff, and students), Stillwater campus. These resources may be available to other users depending upon permissions from their home institution.
	Resource available via CD-ROM at public workstations in the Oklahoma State University Library. These resources may be available to other users depending upon resources at their home institution.
	Resource available in print at the Oklahoma State University Library. All call numbers refer to this library. These resources may be available to users at other locations.

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Last Update: 15 August 2006
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URL: http://www.library.okstate.edu/infolit/step3b.htm