Articles are individual pieces of writing published in journals, magazines, newspapers, and conference proceedings. Scholarly articles (also called “peer-reviewed” articles) are written by experts and reviewed by other experts before publication, making them reliable sources for academic research.
Where to search : The library catalog searches millions of articles, books, and other resources at once. See our Research Help guide for explanations of types of articles, journals, and databases.
Our Search Strategies Page can help with article-specific search strategies.
See our research glossary for explanations of articles, journals, and databases.
Step 1: Prepare your search terms
Before you start searching, write down important words about your topic. These are called search terms, and they help you find better results.Example Topic : The effects of climate change on the Great Lakes Search Terms: Climate change, Great Lakes (or Lake Michigan, Lake Superior), effects
Step 2: Start with the main search
Step 3: Use specialized databases for better results
Databases are specialized search engines that focus only on articles in specific subject areas. They often give you better, more relevant results than the general search.
If the article isn’t available online:
“I can’t access the full text”:
“I’m getting too many/too few results”:
“I’m not sure if this is a scholarly source”:
Immediate Assistance:
Research Support:
