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Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons

Horowitz: ENL110: Finding Journal Articles

The Library Database Doesn't Have the Full-Text of An Article I Want to Read

  • Although the Berry Library has a robust collection of full-text databases, there will be occasions when you cannot retrieve the full-text of an article in the database where you found the citation. 
  • It is also very likely that Berry Library will not have all books you may have identified in WorldCat. This is an international database.
  • If these things happen, you have some options:
    •  Copy and paste the title of the article (putting quotation "" marks at the beginning and end) into Library Search (the first window of www.salemstate.edu/library to see if another database carries the journal.
    • Copy and paste the title of the article (putting quotation "" marks at the beginning and end) into Google. Sometimes authors upload their publications to scholarly commons or their own web site.
    • Submit an Interlibrary Loan request. The Berry Library staff will request photocopies of journal articles to be faxed here for you to keep. They can also request the lending of physical books that you will be able to keep for several weeks. 
  • Please contact Nancy Dennis ndennis@salemstate.edu or text 978-587-1312 if you would like to walk-through these options.

I Can't Find Anything on My Topic

Though databases look easy to use, they are actually very complicated. 

  • If you keep striking out on finding articles and books, you should vary your key words (change your search strategy). 
  • Try another database. 

If this does not work, please email Nancy Dennis at ndennis@salemstate.edu or text 978-587-1312.

I Need Something Fast

When you have a tight deadline, you want to make sure that you utilize the full-text "limit" options on the databases.

  • You must get articles that are in our systems!
  • You will not have time to request articles from other libraries. 

Email Nancy Dennis at ndennis@salemstate.edu or text her at 978-587-1312 for help.

I Don't Like My Results

  • See the page "Revising and Fine Tuning Your Search" for in-depth explanations of:
    • changing your key words
    • searching only in a specific writing/composition journal
    • searching for your key words in a specific field - like citation
    • finding one good article and linking to similar articles via the subject headings used to classify this item in Academic Search Premier
  • Email Nancy Dennis at ndennis@salemstate.edu or text 978-587-1312 for help!
Subjects: English