Find Articles in Research Databases
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
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Primarily full text (excluding most recent 3 - 5 years) for journal articles in the humanities, social sciences, statistics, and mathematics - America: History & Life This link opens in a new window
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Selected full text articles from journals on U.S. and Canadian history and culture with some coverage of books and conference papers - Historical Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new window
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Selected full text for journal and magazine articles, books, and more on world history and related social science literature with a focus on areas outside the U.S. and Canada - Project MUSE Electronic Journals This link opens in a new window
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Full text articles from journals in the arts, humanities, and social sciences
- Humanities Source This link opens in a new window
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Selected full text articles from approximately 1,400 journals in literature, history, the creative arts, and humanities - Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new windowFull text encyclopedia articles, biographical entries, primary sources, images, and more relevant to African American studies and Africa and diaspora studies
- Bibliography of Indigenous Peoples in North America This link opens in a new window
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Selected full text of journals, magazines, newspapers, and books on all aspects of native North American culture, history, and life. Previously called Bibliography of Native North Americans
Depending on your topic, these databases may be relevant. If needed, more choices are in Databases A-Z.
Add/reuse (map from; do not copy):
- OneSearch with Advanced Search link media/widget (#10098714 owned by Xiao)
Customize sample searches in rich text item below if desired.
Sample searches:
how racial attitudes influence discrimination
"critical thinking" AND "higher education"
motivat* AND exercise
Refine your search with filters on results screen: peer-reviewed journal, available online, etc.
While it doesn't offer some of the sophisticated options available in research databases, Google Scholar can be helpful. See instructions for customizing Google Scholar to provide Full Text @ UHCL links in results.
Most research databases allow you to limit searches to articles in peer-reviewed journals. A peer-reviewed (or refereed) journal:
- uses experts from the same subject field or profession as the author to evaluate a manuscript prior to acceptance for publication
- has articles that report on research studies or provide scholarly analysis of topics
- may include book reviews, editorials, or other brief items that are not considered scholarly articles
- Anatomy of a Scholarly ArticleExplains key elements from the first & last page of a typical scholarly or academic article. North Carolina State Univ. Libraries
Peer Review in 3 Minutes
(3:15) Explains the academic publishing process for research articles and scholarly journals, including the quality control process of peer review. North Carolina State Univ. Libraries
Creating a Good Search
- State your topic or research question in your own words.
- Identify the most important keywords (usually the nouns) or short, commonly used phrases.
- Think of variations (singular, plural) and synonyms for your terms. It may help to check Thesaurus.com.
- Create an initial search statement using connectors or logical operators (especially AND, OR) and, if appropriate, wildcards.
- Try it out in one or more databases and/or Library Catalog.
- Look for other good keywords and subject terms in search results.
- Try revised searches until you're satisfied with the results.
- Depending on the volume of results, consider narrowing or broadening your topic.
- If you're having difficulties, contact us.
Find more (broaden your results) with OR and wildcards:
trabaj* or labor*
Find less (narrow your results) with AND:
autobiography and slave*
Find less with NOT:
revolution not france
Find less by selecting limiters (peer-reviewed, date, etc.).
Some databases require quotation marks for an "exact phrase".
If you're not finding enough, try simplifying your search, and remove less critical keywords or concepts.
- Thesaurus.comAnswers from Roget's New Millennium Thesaurus
- Britannica This link opens in a new windowFull text academic edition of Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster Dictionary; includes video and audio clips
- Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) This link opens in a new window
Gale’s eBook platform provides comprehensive support from many of today’s top publishers.
- Oxford English DictionaryDefines and illustrates through quotations the use of English language words from the earliest known occurance to the present day. A landmark historical resource.
(1:57) Learn how logical operators AND and OR work to help you get good results in library research databases.
(2:05) Learn how to retrieve varying forms of a word and improve search results.
Finding Scholarly Articles on Your Topic
These tutorials include practice in Neumann Library web-based resources and self-quiz questions to help you check your understanding.
- Step 1: Choose a Relevant Research DatabaseLearn how to find subject-specific and other research databases in Databases A-Z and library research guides
- Step 2: Create an Effective First SearchLearn how to choose keywords and how to use logical operators, wildcards, basic limiters, and more
- Step 3: Critically Review and Refine Search ResultsLearn how to identify scholarly articles and to find and use database subject terms, field, and other specialized limiters
See also: