FINDING ARTICLES IN PERIODICALS
Frequently
asked questions
What are
periodicals?
How do I find articles on my
subject?
Does the library have
the periodical I need?
How do I
find the periodical once I know the library has it?
How do I make copies of articles?
What if
I need a periodical that the library doesn't have?
What if I still can't find
my article?
Periodicals are publications, i.e. journals, magazines or newspapers, issued at regular intervals that contain articles providing general information, commentary, and/or reports of research studies. The scope, frequency, and intellectual level of periodicals vary from popular magazines such as Time to specialized scholarly journals such as the Journal of American History.
How do I find articles on my subject?
Indexes provide direct access to periodicals. Indexes do this by listing the articles published over a given time in a specified set of periodicals. These indexes usually list the articles alphabetically by subject and author. The indexes range from general indexes such as Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature to highly specialized indexes such as Exceptional Child Education Abstracts. (The library owns the former title, but not the latter.) Furthermore, some indexes are electronic and available either online or on CD-ROM disks. An example of an online periodical index is the Expanded Academic ASAP. Most of these electronic databases go beyond being just indexes since they also offer full-text articles. More information about these electronic indexes and other electronic databases can be found in the chapter, USING ELECTRONIC DATABASES.
In most indexes, the citations (or references to articles) can be found by looking up (or typing in) a subject or author’s name. If you do not find relevant articles with your first subject, think of synonyms for that subject or try a broader or narrower term. Ask the Reference Librarian for help if you still can’t find anything. Note that most indexes use either the LCSH or subject headings that are derived from them.
Indexes are published - or if electronic, updated - at regular intervals, usually quarterly or monthly. When you are researching a topic in a periodical index, it is generally a good idea to start with the most recent issue of the index and work backward chronologically. Sometimes, however, you may be interested in looking at a particular year of an index. For example, if you are writing a paper on the Kennedy assassination, look at the 1963 volume of the Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature to find references to contemporary articles on the event.
Does
the library have the periodical I need?
After you have copied a list of articles relevant on your
subject, consult the magazine directory
to determine the availability and location of the journals you wish to find.
The magazine directory is
the white notebook located on the index table next to the Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature. It
contains an alphabetical title listing of all periodicals held in the library.
How
do I find the periodical once I know the
library has it?
Periodicals, whether they are hard copy or available on an electronic database, are located on the first floor. The microform issues are located on the first floor in the Career Services workroom. Back issues of the hardcopy collection are located on the second floor behind the general collection. All titles on both floors are arranged in alphabetical order by the periodicals’ titles.
How
do I make copies of articles?
One photocopy machine is available on the first floor close to the Circulation Desk. Bound volumes and single hardcopy issues may be selected for copying. The cost is ten cents per page; change may be obtained at the Circulation Desk or at the photocopy machine.
A microform reader/printer is available on the first floor and can make paper copies of microform articles. The cost is ten cents per page and the machine accepts dimes or nickels.
What
if I need a periodical that the library doesn’t have?
Don’t despair. What we don’t have in the library we can usually get through interlibrary loan. Ask at the Reference Desk on the first floor for information about this service. But remember - interlibrary loan can take up to two weeks, so allow yourself plenty of time to complete your assignment.
What
if I still can’t find my article?
You may always ask for assistance at the Reference Desk or at the Circulation Desk. The main thing you have to remember is that research is not a simple task, and that every college student has to learn HOW TO find information for their respective assignments.