Library Research Basics for Nursing Students

Library Research Basics
for Nursing Students

Finding Articles in Electronic Journals

Sometimes the article you need is not available full-text online in the database you are using - but it might be available full-text online in another database or in an electronic journal.

1. The database will let you know when your article might be available full-text in another database or journal. Articles potentially available full-text elsewhere will be flagged with a note such as "Linked Full Text," "See More Details for Locating this Item," or "Search for Full Text." Click on this link. [Depending on where you are in the results list, you sometimes may have to click on two such links.]

2. You will be taken to a page that lists all the databases and electronic journals which might contain your article full-text online.

Everything in blue text on this page is a link. Clicking on a link labeled "article" should take you directly to the article full-text in another database or electronic journal. Clicking on the link labeled "journal" allows you to browse through issues of the journal online looking for your article. Clicking on links in the "source" column takes you into another database where you could search for your article.

In determining which of many possible links to follow, remember that is easier to link to the article than to a journal or source - and easier to link to a journal than to a source.

3. Clicking on an article link should take you directly to the article full-text in another database or electronic journal.

Sometimes, however, clicking on an "article" does NOT take you to the article you want. Linking technologies are new and not perfect. In these cases, follow up on other options for getting the article.

4. Each of these databases may present results differently. Some, such as InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP, take you immediately to a listing of all articles from that journal that are in the database. Others, such as WilsonSelect, take you to a blank search page. It is often easiest to do a search in the database using the title of your article, so that you can connect directly to it.

5. The page where you begin your search for full-text also allows you to search the NMSU Library catalog for print holdings (as well as request an Interlibrary Loan).

Each journal has its own unique ISSN (International Standard Serial Number), much as each person has her/his own social security number. This makes ISSN a very effective way for you to search - especially as the search system will automatically input the journal's ISSN for you when searching the catalog. More than one journal could have the same title.

6. When the page tells you "Sorry, no holdings were found for this journal," it is ONLY referring to full-text resources online. You may well still find the information you want in print by using the catalog.