Finding Periodical Articles on Your Topic

SCOPE: This guide explains how to search for journal articles using the databases available through the University of Maryland Libraries, and how to search for journal titles in the libraries' catalog. Contact User Education Services at libues[at]umd.edu for more information.

Search for journal articles in online databases
Search for print copies of journals

Search for journal articles in online databases

• Go to the UM Libraries' home page: www.lib.umd.edu
• Click on Research Port
• Start at "Find Databases" and choose a database by suject category or by title.
• For more information on searching Research Port, see:
  
  
  • Guide to Research Port
  • Research Port Tutorial Flash demonstration



• Many articles will be available full-text online. If they are not, you may be able to find paper copies in the University of Maryland libraries or request them from another library through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).



• In most databases, you will be able to access the full text of an article, or find the catalog record for an article, by clicking



• For more information on Find It see: Find It: Accessing Library Materials

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Search for print copies of journals

Use Find It to access the journal's catalog record:

• Click the link to see the catalog record, which tells you where the journal can be found in the libraries.
• You will need to record the citation information for the article before you can find it in the libraries.

Example of a full citation:

Author: Langer, Judith Article Title: What consumers wish brand managers knew Source: Journal of Advertising Research. v. 37, issue 6, Nov/Dec. 1997, p. 60-68.

Use the Catalog to see if UM Libraries owns the periodical:

In addition to accessing catalog records through FindIt, you can search for journal titles by searching the catalog directly:

• Go to the UM Libraries' home page: www.lib.umd.edu
• Click on Catalog
• Click on JOURNALS.
• Do a title beginning with... search on the journal name.

Identify your title on the screen display:

Whether you have accessed the journal's catalog record through Find It or directly, the following instructions will be the same.

• After you access a journal's catalog record, click on Availability next to the appropriate library's name (e.g., UMCP McKeldin). You will see a list of which volumes and issues the library owns, and where they are located.



• v. 1- means that the library has all volumes from v.1 to the present. v.1-34 means that the library does not have volumes beyond number 34.
• Note the location that the volume and issue you need is kept (e.g., Periodical Stacks or Current Periodicals). Also note the format of the material (e.g., Microfilm).

Retrieve your periodical from the library shelves:

Once you have the call number and location, use the Floor Plan in the appropriate library to locate the item.

If you have any questions, Ask a Librarian for help!

If the Libraries do not own the periodical, you may still be able to get a copy of the article:

• If the journal is not available in any UM Library, Find It should have a link to Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
• Click the ILL link in Find It and fill out the request form.
• You must make sure that the library does not own the journal! Use the Full Text Finder to check various ways of accessing journal articles.
• Enter as much specific information about the journal article as you have.

• Click Find article
• Scroll through the list of results and click on the article or journal you need. You will see a find it menu that will provide options for accessing the material.

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