Research Guides: English 301: College Writing and Research: SEARCHING FORJOURNAL ARTICLES

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Once you have selected a topic and made a list of keywords you are finally ready to begin looking for articles. Here are the key activities on this page:

Watch the videos.
Click on the subject terms listed below and view a few of the more common databases used at Rutgers. It is a good idea to start searching with a multidisciplinary database before you begin searching specific subject databases. Keep in mind that many topics will cross multiple subject headings.
Complete the Activity; "How much do you know about searching for articles."

Where do I find scholarly articles?

While it is possible to find some scholarly articles on the Internet using a search engine such as Google, many scholarly articles are not freely available to the public. The Libraries subscribe to many Indexes and Databases that contain scholarly articles.

Details on how to search Indexes and Databases can be found in the section, "Searching for Journal Articles." Just as not every item in a scholarly journal is scholarly, not everything in an Index or Database is scholarly. Some of the databases, such as those provided by the vendor EBSCOhost allow you to limit your search results to Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals.

Activity - How much do you know about searching for articles

Searching for articles
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Multidisciplinary Databases

Academic Search Premier
This database covers most academic disciplines, however it will not meet all your needs. Be sure to search discipline-specific indexes.
JSTOR
JSTOR provides electronic access to more than 400 important scholarly journals in many subject areas.
Scopus
Scopus contains over 50 million records in the areas of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, arts, and humanities, with coverage strongest in the physical sciences and health sciences, followed by the life sciences, and finally the social sciences & humanities.
Web of Science
This database includes citations and references for articles in almost 9000 high quality, peer-reviewed journals published from 1984 to the present. Journals covered in Web of Science are chosen for their credibility, influence, and relevancy. Coverage is strongest in the sciences, followed by social sciences, and arts and humanities.

General Science Indexes

Science Direct
ScienceDirect, the full-text sciences periodicals database from Elsevier, contains over 25% of the world's science, technology and medicine full text and bibliographic information.
Scopus
This database covers the areas of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, arts, and humanities, with coverage strongest in the physical sciences and health sciences.

Agriculture/Biology/Environmental Science Indexes

Agricola
Covers all aspects of agriculture including: agriculture, agronomy, animal science, biology, biotechnology, botany, breeding, chemistry, conservation, crop management, dairy science, ecology, entomology, farm management, feed science, fertilizers, food and nutrition, forestry, horticulture, hydrology, hydroponics, microbiology, nutrition, pesticides, physiology, plant science, pollution, soil science, water quality, and zoology.
BioOne
Focuses on the biological, ecological and environmental sciences.
BIOSIS Previews
BIOSIS Previews database is a comprehensive index to life science and biomedical research.
GreenFILE
GreenFILE is interdisciplinary and deals with connections between the environment and a variety of disciplines such as agriculture, education, law, policy, and health and technology.

Topics covered include climate change, green buildings, pollution, sustainability, renewable energy sources and recycling.
ProQuest Biological Science Collection
The collection contains biological science related full-text articles, granular access to figures and tables within articles, and the entire range of bibliographic records from Biological Sciences database.
ProQuest Environmental Science Collection
The collection contains environmental science related full-text articles, granular access to figures and tables within articles, environmental impact statements, and the entire range of bibliographic records from Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management (ESPM).

Anthropology

Abstracts in Anthropology
Abstracts in Anthropology covers a broad spectrum of current anthropological topics from a vast number of periodicals.
AnthroSource
This database provides online access to current issues for 15 of the AAA's most critical peer-reviewed publications.
Anthropology Plus
Anthropology Plus provides extensive worldwide indexing of journal articles, reports, commentaries, edited works, and obituaries in the fields of social, cultural, physical, biological, and linguistic anthropology, ethnology, archaeology, folklore, material culture, and interdisciplinary studies.

Art/Dance/Music Indexes

Artbibliographies Modern (ABM)
A source of information on modern and contemporary arts dating from the late 19th century onwards, including photography since its invention and includes performance art and installation works, video art, computer and electronic art, body art, graffiti, artists' books, theatre arts, conservation, crafts, ceramic and glass art, ethnic arts, graphic and museum design, fashion, and calligraphy, as well as traditional media including illustration, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and drawing.
Dance Education Literature and Research Descriptive Index
This collection is an index of literature and research in dance education from 1926 to the present.
Dance in Video
This collection contains more than 250 dance productions and documentaries by the most influential performers and companies of the 20th century. Selections cover ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, experimental, and improvisational dance, as well as forerunners of the forms and the pioneers of modern concert dance.
Music Index Online
“The index covers all styles and genres of music, citing book and performance reviews, obituaries, news and articles about music, musicians, instruments, the history of music, forms and types of music, and the music industry.” It also includes many popular magazines which makes it a good choice when you're looking for reviews of popular music or interviews with rock or hip hop musicians.
JSTOR
This database provides electronic access to back runs of more than 400 important scholarly journals in the Arts, Music and Dance among others.
RILM: Abstracts of Music Literature
RILM is the major index for music research, and indexes the contents of most scholarly monographs, collections of essays, dissertations, and peer-reviewed journals. It does not, however, index many magazines that have popular music recording reviews. Covers many fields of music and musicology, which can delve into political, historical and social topics. Explores the world of music, from Western and Eastern classical to pop, folk, and jazz.
RIPM: Retrospective Index to Music Periodicals
An international bibliography of 19th and early 20th century periodical literature dealing with music, musical life, and, by extension, music history. Articles include the years from 1800 to 1950.
Sports Medicine & Education Index
Sports Medicine & Education Index indexes a wide variety of content from peer-reviewed journals, report literature, conference proceedings, and trade magazines in topics ranging from physical education curricula, to sports medicine, to dance. Other coverage includes sport law, kinesiology, motor learning, recreation, standardized fitness tests, sports equipment, business and marketing, coaching and training, and sport sociology/psychology. Health education and physical therapy are also covered as they continue to become more prevalent in our society.

Business/Economics Indexes

Business Source Premier
Covers most business and management topics including accounting, banking, economics, finance, international trade, marketing, and public administration.
EconLit
A collection of scholarly materials covering subjects from accounting, consumer economics, monetary policy, labor, marketing, demographics, modeling, economic theory, planning, and more.
PAIS Index
Topics covered include: administration of justice; agriculture, forestry, and fishing and agricultural policy; banking and public and private finance; business and service sector; culture and religion (social and political perspective); economic conditions and policy; education and education policy; energy resources and policy; environment and environmental policy; government; health conditions and policy; human rights; international relations; labor conditions and policy; law and ethics; manufacturing and heavy industry; media, telecommunications, and information policy; military and defense policy; politics; population groups, population policy, and demographics; science and technology policy; social conditions and policy; trade and trade policy; and transportation and transportation policy.
SBRnet: Sports Business Research Network
SBRnet features market research and industry news in the area of sports business. It includes industry-developed market research, government statistics, facility reports and news, international market publications, customized research, and directories for governing bodies, college athletic, employment agencies, and marketing agencies etc.
Westlaw Campus Research
This database covers thousands of publications, most of which are available in full text. It is especially useful for legal research, as well as for current news coverage and business.

Communication & Mass Media Indexes

Communication & Mass Media Complete
Topics covered include general communication, mass communication, advertising & marketing, broadcasting, communication theory, interpersonal communication, small group communication, organizational communication, journalism, public relations, radio, public opinion, speech, television, including bi-lingualism, hearing impairment, communications in social services, education and various ethnic/racial groups, international literature in film studies, the role of technology in human communications, risk communication, crisis communication, and public opinions.
ComAbstracts
ComAbstracts is part of a system of electronic databases and textual and research resources provided by the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship, a not for profit organization. It contains abstracts of articles and books published in the professional literature of the communication field and covers over one hundred journals. Records may be searched by word, phrase, author, or publication.

Criminal Justice/Law/Political Science

Criminal Justice Abstracts
Topics include crime trends, crime prevention and deterrence, juvenile delinquency, juvenile justice, police, courts, punishment and sentencing. Very limited coverage of the military.
HeinOnline
This database is a legal research collection that features full-text searching of scholarly legal and criminal justice periodicals and related materials
PAIS Index
click on the "i" icon for a full description of topics covered.
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Covers international literature in economics, political science, public policy, business, finance, law, international trade & relations, public administration, government. Topics include administration of justice; agriculture, forestry, fishing, agricultural policy; banking & public and private finance; business & the service sector; culture & religion (social and political perspective); economic conditions & policy; education, education policy; energy resources & policy; environment & environmental policy; government; health conditions & policy; human rights; international relations; labor conditions and policy; law & ethics; manufacturing & heavy industry; media, telecommunications, information policy; military & defense policy; politics; population groups, population policy, demographics; science & technology policy; social conditions & policy; trade & trade policy; transportation & transportation policy.
Westlaw Campus Research
This database covers thousands of publications, most of which are available in full text. It is especially useful for legal research, as well as for current news coverage and business.
Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Contains literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, sociology, economics, and public administration/policy.

Education Index

ERIC--Education Resources Information Center
The premier index for education materials from pre-school through higher education.
Includes material about the locations and use of education campuses, administrative issues and student-related psychological issues and programs. A good resource for any topic concerning children even if it does not appear to be related to education.
ProQuest Education Journals
Offers comprehensive coverage of education topics-from early childhood education to higher education, adult education, home schooling, bilingual education, teacher training, distance learning, etc.

Engineering/Technology Indexes

ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) Digital Library
Covers various fields related to computing, including software, hardware, computational theory, artificial intelligence, information science, human-computer interaction, instructional technology, and the research and development communities involved in computing.
Compendex (Engineering Index)
This database includes citations for articles on engineering topics including nuclear technology, bioengineering, transportation, chemical and process engineering, light and optical technology, agricultural engineering and food technology, computers and data processing, applied physics, electronics and communications, control, civil, mechanical, materials, petroleum, aerospace and automotive engineering.
Food Science & Technology Abstracts
Covers all aspects of food science including biotechnology, food safety, functional and novel foods, food additives, nutrition, and packaging.
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Covers all aspects of food science including biotechnology, food safety, functional and novel foods, food additives, nutrition, and packaging.
IEEE Explore
Covers more than 30% of the world's literature in electrical engineering, electronics, computer science, information science, materials science, physical sciences and biomedical engineering.
INSPEC
Provides English-language bibliographic access to the world's scientific and technical literature in physics, electrical engineering, electronics, communications, control engineering, computers, computing, and information technology. In addition, there is significant coverage in materials science, oceanography, nuclear engineering, geophysics, biomedical engineering and biophysics.

Ethics

ATLA Religion Database
This database is an essential tool for the study of religion. It is the premier index to journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all fields of religion.
JSTOR
This database provides electronic access to back runs of more than 2,000 important scholarly journals.
Philosopher's Index
This Index covers the areas of ethics, aesthetics, social philosophy, political philosophy, epistemology, logic, and metaphysics, as well as material on the philosophy of law, religion, science, history, education, and language.
PubMed

Fashion

AnthroSource
This database provides online access to current issues for 15 of the AAA's most critical peer-reviewed publications.
Business Source Premier
Covers most business and management topics including accounting, banking, economics, finance, international trade, marketing, and public administration.
Google Scholar
Historical Abstracts
This database is a comprehensive bibliography for material on the history of the world from 1450 to the present.
JSTOR
This database provides electronic access to back runs of more than 400 important scholarly journals in the Arts, Music and Dance among others.

Film

FIAF International Film Archive Database
This database is an international compendium of information on film and television maintained by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF).
Film & Television Literature Index
Film & Television Literature Index (FTLI) is a comprehensive bibliographic database covering all types of writing, including industry papers, news journalism, and scholarly academic journals on topics for film and television.
Filmakers Library Online
This database contains over 1,000 international documentary films made from 1974 to the present by independent filmakers from all over the world.
Literature Resource Center
This database gives access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analysis of authors and their works from every age and literary discipline.
New York Times
This database provides the full image of articles published in the New York Times from its first issue in 1851.

History Indexes

America: History and Life
Covers literature about the history of the United States, Canada and their people from prehistory to the present.
Historical Abstracts
A comprehensive bibliography for material on the history of the world from 1450 to the present. It covers all countries and regions, excluding the United States and Canada. A good resource for a variety of disciplines including multicultural studies, sociology, psychology, women's studies/gender studies, religion, anthropology, political science, history of science, economics, business, education, music, art, and law.
History of Science, Technology and Medicine
History, a place where paradigms were born. This database indexes journal articles, conference proceedings, books, book reviews, and dissertations in the history of science, technology, and medicine and allied historical fields.
Oral History Online
This index provides access to oral histories of English-speaking men and women from all walks of life. The database contains some proprietary material, but for the most part it serves as a detailed index of thousands of oral history projects worldwide.

Literature Indexes

Literature Online (LION)
Searchable full-text of literary works in the English language-poetry, drama, and prose.
Topics include literary criticism of English language literary works.
MLA International Bibliography
This database provides citations for literary criticism, literary theory, drama, folklore, linguistics and film
Oxford Bibliographies Online: Childhood Studies
Childhood Studies is international and cross-cultural in scope, transcending narrow geographical confines and analyzing modern and historical childhoods both locally and globally.
Project Muse
Project Muse ® provides full-text access to more than 320 scholarly journals in the arts and humanities; social sciences; and mathematics. Fields covered include literature and criticism; history; the visual and performing arts; cultural studies; education; political science; gender studies; economics; and many others.

Medicine/Sports and Related Indexes

CINAHL (Comprehensive Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature)
Comprehensive coverage of the nursing and allied health journal literature. Related health fields such as physical and occupational therapies are also included. Journals in the related subjects of consumer health, alternate/complementary medicine, biomedicine, and health sciences librarianship are indexed selectively.
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Comprehensive coverage of the nursing and allied health journal literature. Related health fields such as physical and occupational therapies are also included. Journals in the related subjects of consumer health, alternate/complementary medicine, biomedicine, and health sciences librarianship are indexed selectively.
Healthstar
Literature on health services, health technology, administration and research. Focuses more on the business of health care than clinical medicine
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Literature on health services, health technology, administration and research. Focuses more on the business of health care than clinical medicine
International Phamaceutical Abstracts
Provides worldwide coverage of pharmacology, pharmacy and health related literature. IPA provides comprehensive information for drug therapy, toxicity, and pharmacy practice as well as legislation, regulation, technology, utilization, biopharmaceutics, information processing, education, economics, and ethics as related to pharmaceutical science and practice. The abstracts included for clinical studies include study design, number of patients, dosage, dosage forms and dosage schedule.
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Provides worldwide coverage of pharmacology, pharmacy and health related literature. IPA provides comprehensive information for drug therapy, toxicity, and pharmacy practice as well as legislation, regulation, technology, utilization, biopharmaceutics, information processing, education, economics, and ethics as related to pharmaceutical science and practice. The abstracts included for clinical studies include study design, number of patients, dosage, dosage forms and dosage schedule.
***Medline
Provides information from the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, as well as coverage in the areas of allied health, biological and physical sciences, humanities and information science as they relate to medicine and health care, communication disorders, population biology, and reproductive biology.
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Provides information from the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, as well as coverage in the areas of allied health, biological and physical sciences, humanities and information science as they relate to medicine and health care, communication disorders, population biology, and reproductive biology.
Sports Medicine & Education Index
Topics include physical education curricula, sports medicine, dance, sport law, kinesiology, motor learning, recreation, standardized fitness tests, sports equipment, business and marketing, coaching and training, and sport sociology/psychology.
Psychiatry Online
Searches textbooks and journals for information related to psychiatry (a medical perspective.)
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Searches textbooks and journals for information related to psychiatry (a medical perspective.)
PubMed

Nutrition

AgNIC
This database includes the latest agricultural news and events taking place around the world.
Agricola
This database covers all aspects of agriculture.
CAB Abstracts
This database is a comprehensive in the applied life sciences.
Food Science and Technology Abstracts
This database is a premier resource for all aspects of food science including biotechnology, food safety, functional and novel foods, food additives, nutrition, and packaging.
Google Scholar
Medline
This database is widely recognized as the premier source for bibliographic and abstract coverage of biomedical literature.
ScienceDirect
This database covers a wide selection of science, technology and medicine with full text and bibliographic information.

Philosophy/Religion Indexes

ATLA Religion Database
Covers the research literature of religion, including such topics as Biblical studies, world religions, Church history and religious perspectives on social issues.
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Covers the research literature of religion, including such topics as Biblical studies, world religions, Church history and religious perspectives on social issues.
Philosopher's Index
Covers the areas of ethics, aesthetics, social philosophy, political philosophy, epistemology, logic, and metaphysics, as well as material on the philosophy of law, religion, science, history, education, and language.
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Covers the areas of ethics, aesthetics, social philosophy, political philosophy, epistemology, logic, and metaphysics, as well as material on the philosophy of law, religion, science, history, education, and language.

Psychology Index

PsychInfo
Covers literature in psychology and related disciplines including: medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, medicine, education, social work, law, criminology, social science, and organizational behavior.
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Covers literature in psychology and related disciplines including: medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, medicine, education, social work, law, criminology, social science, and organizational behavior.
PILOTS: Published International Literature on Traumatic Stress
Catalogs worldwide literature on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental-health consequences of exposure to traumatic events. It is produced by the National Center for PTSD, and although sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, PILOTS is not limited to literature on PTSD among veterans.
Sociological Abstracts
Abstracts and indexes of international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences.

Social Work Indexes

Oxford Scholarship Online: Social Work
This index is notable because it searches within books, not journals
A collection of searchable, full-text books published by Oxford University Press. Subdisciplines covered include children and families, communities and organizations, health and mental health, research and evaluation, and social policy.
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This index is notable because it searches within books, not journals
A collection of searchable, full-text books published by Oxford University Press. Subdisciplines covered include children and families, communities and organizations, health and mental health, research and evaluation, and social policy.
Social Services Abstracts
Topics include social work, human services, community development, gerontology, homelessness, social policy and social welfare.
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Topics include social work, human services, community development, gerontology, homelessness, social policy and social welfare.

Sociology Indexes

Alcohol Studies Database
Contains records for books, book chapters, journal articles, government documents, conference papers, and dissertations covering biomedical and psychosocial aspects of alcohol use, as well as a growing number of records on other drug use/abuse.
ASSIA: Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts
Using social science research, this index contains citations to articles that have applied research (real world settings) ideas.
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Using social science research, this index contains citations to articles that have applied research (real world settings) ideas.
Family and Society Studies Worldwide
Subjects covered include family therapy, cross-cultural issues, minority groups, intermarriage, social policy, parenting, family relationships, foster care and adoption.
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Subjects covered include family therapy, cross-cultural issues, minority groups, intermarriage, social policy, parenting, family relationships, foster care and adoption.
Hispanic-American Periodicals Index
The journals indexed include information about Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean basin, the United States-Mexico border region, and Hispanics in the United States, focusing on analyses of current political, cultural, economic, and social issues. Many articles are in the Spanish language.
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The journals indexed include information about Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean basin, the United States-Mexico border region, and Hispanics in the United States, focusing on analyses of current political, cultural, economic, and social issues. Many articles are in the Spanish language.
ProQuest Sociology
This database provides access to full-text articles from over 275 sociology, social work and related social sciences journals
PsycINFO
This database is an electronic bibliographic database that provides abstracts and citations to the scholarly literature in the behavioral sciences and mental health.
Social Science Citation Index
(is located within Web of Science)
Covers the social sciences of sociology, anthropology, education, political science, psychology, applied linguistics and economics. Also looks at social-science-like aspects of business, health care, education, women’s studies, ethics, environmental studies, law, rehabilitation, public planning and development .
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(is located within Web of Science)
Covers the social sciences of sociology, anthropology, education, political science, psychology, applied linguistics and economics. Also looks at social-science-like aspects of business, health care, education, women’s studies, ethics, environmental studies, law, rehabilitation, public planning and development .
Sociological Abstracts
International literature in sociology, including culture and social structure, family and marriage, history and theory of sociology, political sociology, race and ethnicity, and related disciplines.

Women's and Gender Studies Indexes

GenderWatch
Provides access to citations and full text resources on the topics of women and gender, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) issues.
Womens Studies International
Covers the core disciplines in Women's Studies to the latest scholarship in feminist research in the areas of sociology, history, political science and economy, public policy, international relations, arts and humanities, business and education.