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Guide
Home >> Finding
articles
How do
I find articles?
Finding
articles on your topic is a 3-step process. If
you are looking for a specific article, skip to step 3.
| 1. |
Identify
a database
- Article
databases index journals within a certain subject
area by the author, title, and subject of each
article.
- To find
the right database, browse Vera by
subject or see
librarians' recommendations in our Subject
Guides.
Tip: How
do I choose the best database?
Tip: You need certificates to access most databases from off-campus. |
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| 2. |
Search
the database
Tip: See database
cheatsheets for tips on effective searching
of specific databases.
Tip: Learn about effective database searching techniques.
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| 3. |
Get
the article
In
some databases you can link to the full text
directly or via SFX.
If the database you're seaching has an SFX button  or "Get
this - MIT" link, click it. Other options for getting to the full text of
an article:
- Use the SFX Full Text Finder. This software lets you enter a citation to see if MIT has online access to that article.
- Search
Barton: The MIT Libraries' catalog to see
if MIT owns the journal either in print or
online.
- Vera lists journals that are available online,
but not those in print format. Search Vera by keyword for the journal title you need.
- Be
aware: some electronic resources are only available
in Vera,
and some are only in Barton.
Tip: If you can't find the journal you need in Barton or Vera, you can either:
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Why should
I use articles?
- Articles
are a great place to find highly specific information on
a topic. Articles are often the first place where new research
is discussed.
- Articles
cover many publication types: journals, magazines, newspapers,
chapters in books, conference proceedings, technical reports,
trade journals, etc.
- Articles published in scholarly journals are usually peer-reviewed.
What
are citations and why should I care?
Citations
are a short way to identify a published work. They are found
in bibliographies and reference lists and they are also collected
in article databases. Here is an example:
Citations contain all the information necessary to identify and track down articles, including (colors match to example above):
- author's name (red)
- date of publication (blue)
- title of article (black)
- journal title (orange)
- volume number (purple)
- issue number (green)
- and page numbers (maroon)
How do I cite articles in my paper and bibliography?
See Citing Sources for more information.
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