When should
I use articles vs. books?
How do I find
an article on my topic?
How do I find the full text of an article?
Accessing
electronic journals or periodicals in NUcat
Physically locating print periodicals in the Northwestern libraries
What if I cannot find the periodical
I am looking for?
How can I tell
if an article is scholarly vs. popular?
How do I format my citations for a bibliography?
Citation
management software
When should
I use articles vs. books?
Articles tend to have a narrower focus, are relatively short, and can
be more current than books. Books tend
to provide more breadth or background on topics, are usually longer,
and may provide more historical
information.
How do I find an article
on my topic?
There are two steps to finding an article at the library.
1. First you should use an index to find citations for articles
on your subject. An index is a tool that lists, article
by article, the contents of various periodicals including journals, magazines
and newspapers.
2. Second you will need to find the full-text of
the article based on your citation. Sometimes the article's
full
text is available directly from within the index. In other cases, only
the article's citation is available.
The library subscribes to both electronic and print indexes
to articles. Print indexes are often useful for
identifying articles published before 1980. Electronic indexes (also
often referred to as "databases") can be
accessed through the Electronic Resources web page at: http://er.library.northwestern.edu/
| Start by selecting a subject. |
|
 |
| If you know the name of the index, you can also locate
it by title. |
|
The library maintains subscriptions to over 300 electronic indexes
that cover all of the fields of study taught
at Northwestern University.
If you are unsure of what field of study your topic is found
under then you might also start with a list of
general electronic indexes by selecting General under the SELECT
A SUBJECT drop-down menu.
Although all electronic indexes may look different and offer
varying features, they all function in the same way.
Refer to the sample search provided below as a guide.
The index searched in the example below is called Expanded Academic
ASAP (EXAC). It is a general index
to articles in journals, magazines and news publications and it spans
many subject disciplines. It is often a
good index with which to start your research.
| Links to help pages are usually found in the main
tool bar like this one. |
|
| Each index will have a main box to enter your search
terms. Some indexes offer several search boxes, which
enable you to search for a number of terms simultaneously. |
|
 |
| Each index will have a main search button
that will execute your search. |
|
| Look for limit options. Many indexes
offer functions that allow you to limit your search
by specific dates, additional keywords, specific journals/periodicals,
and article types. |
|
| The three items below are
citations to articles. Citations include the article
title, the author, the name of the source or periodical,
the volume, issue and page info. |
|
| Indexes vary in terms of access to full text of articles.
The first of the following citations provides an article
abstract or summary, the second includes a link to
the full text of the article, and the third provides
the citation only. |
|
How do I
find the full text of an article if I have a citation?
Once you have the citation for the article, you have the information
you need to find the article in the library.
The index may also provide the full text of the article. However, if
it does not, then look for the Find it @ NU button.
Search in NUcat, the library's online catalog,
for
the title of the magazine or periodical.
A common mistake is searching for the title of the article in NUcat
instead of the title of the periodical.
Make sure you are searching for the title of the periodical, journal,
or magazine. Use the Journal Title search.
If the library has more than one periodical that matches that title,
you will see a Titles Display listing those
periodicals. Click on a title or anywhere in its record to go to the
Brief View.
The Brief View of each record will include complete call
number and location information, as well as
information about which volumes and issues the library
owns. For Gender & Society, current issues in hard
copy are in the Periodicals room and back issues, in this case 1987 to
2002, are bound and shelved in the MAIN
Library research towers at call number 305.3 G3256. This record also
indicates that there is an online version.
Read below on Accessing Electronic Journals in Nucat for more information.
Accessing electronic journals
or periodicals in Nucat
In addition to journals in print, the library also has a growing
collection of electronic journals, most of which
will be listed in NUcat. The phrase in brackets [electronic resource] or
the red "Link inside" icon in the last
column of a Titles screen indicates that an electronic version is available.
The above record for Gender & Society indicates
that it is available electronically as well as in print. In many
cases, you would want to click on the link to the electronic version
in order to determine whether the
volume/issue you need is available online.
Physically
locating journals or periodicals in print in Northwestern libraries
Most current issues of periodicals held
by the MAIN Library can be found in the Periodicals
and
Newspapers Reading Room on Level 1 unless otherwise stated in NUcat.
Current issues are arranged
in alphabetical order.
Older, non-current issues of periodicals in
the MAIN Library are located in call number
order in the research
towers on levels 3, 4, and 5. NUcat will display the location MAIN for
these items. To locate call numbers for
older issues within the MAIN Library building, refer to the online guide
to the bookstacks at
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/facilities/stacks.html.
Call number location charts are also posted
throughout the library, both inside the elevators and in the elevator
lobbies, and are available at every
service desk. Be certain to note whether or not a call number has an "L" in
front of it. This indicates that
the journal is in the Large Books section of its particular tower. L
(large) books are shelved to the right
of the entrance in each tower.
Other locations with periodical collections in
the Main Library include Africana,
the Art Library, the
Music Library, Special Collections, Government Publications
and Maps and the Transportation Library.
**Please note that not all government serials are currently represented
in NUcat. Staff in the Government
Publications department can help you determine whether or not the library
has a particular government
periodical.**
If the periodical you need is located outside
of the MAIN Library, please refer to the
directory of Libraries
and Collections at http://www.library.northwestern.edu/collections/index.html.
The Science & Engineering
Library, located on the north part of campus, houses issues of journals
in the sciences.
You may request a photocopy of an article via the Main Library
Interlibrary Loan Department from a
periodical located at the Galter Health Sciences Library or the Pritzker
Legal Research Center on
the Chicago campus. Fill out an Interlibrary Loan online form
at
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/ill/mainill.html.
What if I cannot
find the periodical I am looking for?
If a particular periodical or issue of a periodical that you
need is not listed in NUcat either in print or
electronically, it may not be owned by Northwestern. If you have any
questions, don't hesitate to ask for
assistance at the Reference Department, 847-491-7656 or refdept@northwestern.edu
Please contact the Interlibrary Loan Department to
request a copy of an article that is not owned by
Northwestern. You can place a request for an article either in person
on the 1st floor of the Main Library
or submit an online form at http://www.library.northwestern.edu/ill/mainill.html.
How can I tell if an article is
scholarly vs. popular?
| |
Scholarly Publications |
Popular Publications |
| Author |
Noted expert in the field or academic
discipline. Credentials usually included. |
Journalist, popular author, or may not
be listed. |
| Language / Audience |
Written in the scholarly or technical
jargon of the field. |
Written in non-technical language for
anyone to understand. |
| Purpose |
Discusses a narrower topic within a scholarly
field, e.g. economics, medicine, literature, history, etc. |
Discusses current events or
general information on a topic for which little or no expertise is
required. |
| Review and documentation |
Reviewed by peers or other experts within
the same field. List of references or bibliography included. |
Reviewed by editor or editorial board
of the publication in which article is published. References
not necessarily included. |
| Examples |
Harvard Business Review, Journal
of Social Issues, American Journal of Psychology, Nature,
Lancet |
People, Time, Newsweek, New York Times,
Sports Illustrated |
How do I format my
article citations for my bibliography?
The Reference Department has many guides to citation format. There are
a few quick guides available
electronically at
· APA
Style Guide (5th edition)
· Chicago
Style Guide (14th edition)
· MLA
Style Guide
· Turabian
Style Guide
There are also various citation manuals in print at the reference desk.
Citation
management software
Refworks is
a web-based bibliography manager that is available to all
NU students, faculty and staff.
EndNote is a
bibliography manager for advanced researchers. The University
supports it and NU students,
faculty and staff may purchase the software with a discount.
RS and JM
6/05
|
