Objective

Finding journals is almost identical to finding books. Finding journal articles is an entirely different process. In this lesson we will lay the groundwork for finding journal articles and then address the different ways of accessing them. The remainder of this course will look at the many different ways to locate journal articles.

Discussion

By now, you have a pretty good idea of the types of books that you might want to look at as well as the basic information of how to get them. What we are going to talk about now is how do you find journal articles. Many students, including graduate students, just assume that you go to the section of the library where journals of a particular subject are kept and then flip pages until the perfect article leaps out. A more modern approach is to log on to Google and do a search.

Neither of these approaches will do much for you, particularly if you intend to do research in a serious way.

In the first instance, just going to the stacks where the history or art journals are won't work very well unless the only requirement is that you find one article about anything. We have too many journals and they might not be where you think they are or they might even be online.

Regarding the "Google" approach; it is certainly understandable, why someone would look for journal articles there. After all, almost everything else is there for the asking. The problem is that for a researcher to be recognized, they have to publish in what is referred to as either an academic, learned or scientific journal. Among their other attributes these are very expensive and they are copyrighted. Their publishers are not particularly interested in you getting to read them free on the Internet.

Instead, over time a rather elaborate systen has evolved. The system is based upon indexes (or indices) and abstracting services which tell you which articles are located in particular issues of particular journals. As a rule, only large entities such as a school or a corporation can afford these services or the journals associated with them.

Granted, that on certain free search engines you might occasionally find a site where several articles related to your search are available. That however is a lucky situation and is probably not entirely legal. More importantly, these sites cannot offer the comprehensive capabilities associated with the databases that costs this university tens of thousands of dollars per year.

Definitions

• bibliography - a systematic compilation of journal articles, based upon certain predetermined criteria such as subject or selection of journal titles.
• bibliographic database - a computerized database allowing a wide range of search techniques to be applied.
• bibliographic record - the information contained in each individual record. This could range from a simple citation to the full text of the article.
• citation - the basic information for locating a specific journal article. This will typically be the article title, author's name, journal title, volume, issue, date and pagination.
• abstract - a summary of the article. The citation is usually included.
• abstracting service - the provider or source of a bibliography which provides the citation and abstract. These can be printed or computerized.
• fields - the components of the computerized record, most of which can be searched individually, for example the author, subject, date, etc.

Basic Principles

• Finding journal articles

• There are numerous types of abstract and indexing services. There are print and computerized examples. Some search many topics like InfoTrac while others are more limited to specific subjects. Click on INDEXES at the top of this page and you will be able to examine them by title or by subject. You will also note that some are print and some computer-based.
• The range in complexity and comprehension is enormous. Some like InfoTrac can be operated by your little brother. Others, like Inspec, are substantially more complex to operate. The more complex the tool, the more precise your search can be.
• All major journals are indexed in at least one indexing or abstracting service. You can often find out where either in the journal or by checking with a librarian.
• All services provide a search line, usually a variety of search options and at least a citation as the result.
• Start simple. Learn one easy database well and then go on to the more advanced one.
• If you have any questions or doubts see a librarian.




• Locating the journals

• There are 4 ways to get to a jounal article after you have found it in a computerized database.
1. Some databes will automatically connect you to full text articles.
2. Some you will get from our catalog, USCAN.
3. Some you will get from our collection of online journals, TDNet.
4. Some you will get from Interlibrary Loan.
• One strategy involves opening four windows; one for the search engine, the second for USCAN, the third for TDNet and the fourth for ILL.
• Simply cut and paste from one to the other.

Standard Two

The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.

Performance Indicators

2-5. The information literate student extracts, records, and manages the information and its sources.

Outcomes Include:

• A. Selects among various technologies the most appropriate one for the task of extracting the needed information
  (e.g., copy/paste software functions, photocopier, scanner, audio/visual equipment, or exploratory instruments)
• B. Creates a system for organizing the information
  (In today's world of print and digital information, you may resort to parallel systems; a notebook or folder for printed material and a computer file for your digital material. Your project will dictate your needs.)
• C. Differentiates between the types of sources cited and understands the elements and correct syntax of a citation for a wide range of resources
  (Look at http://www.sc.edu/library/styleresources.html for guidance citing resources)
• D. Records all pertinent citation information for future reference
  (Recognize that the items in a journal citation are different from those of a book, and those of a patent will be different from those of a web site. Be aware of what you will need later.)
• E. Uses various technologies to manage the information selected and organized
  (You can buy software for managing references or you can design your own system. E-mailing references to yourself or saving them to a file are two methods.)