Find Articles

Brainstorm Search Terms (Keywords)

Library databases and Google can't be searched the same way so take a few moments to come up with a search strategy before diving into a database.

Step 1: Think about the key concepts of your topic and search those instead of an entire phrases or sentences.

Step 2: Think of other terms you could use that are synonyms or related (they could be a broader or narrower aspect). This often requires that you do a little background research to learn more.

Step 3: Connect your terms using AND and OR:

Remember -

AND narrows your topic (use AND between terms if you want them all to appear in your results)
OR broadens your topic (use OR between terms if you want any, not all, to appear in your results)

Generate Keywords from a Topic
This tool can help you create search terms and formulate an effective search.

Libraries Search Box
Search across many of the Libraries electronic and print resources at once. Includes articles, books, ebooks and more.

Academic Search Complete
Peer-reviewed, as well as magazine and newspaper articles from across disciplines
Google Scholar
Search for scholarly articles using a Google search. Access it through this link or the Libraries web site to be asked for your EID instead of hitting a paywall.
JSTOR
Scholarly articles from across disciplines. Less current content available.
PAIS
Public policy

All Library Databases
UT Libraries has over 900 databases. Pick one by subject to find peer-reviewed articles in your discipline.

Alt-Press Watch
Newspapers and magazines from the alternative and independent press
Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints
Find overviews of controversial topics with links to magazine, news and some scholarly articles, relevant web sites, etc.
Nexis Uni
Local, state, national and some international news articles

New York Times Online
Sign up to access the NYT online for free through the Libraries. Fun fact - it includes cooking, games and the Athletic

In the Libraries Search Tool: Look for the "get pdf or "available online" link. If it says it is only available in print, click Get a Scan to have the article scanned and emailed to you (for free).
In GoogleScholar: Look for the html or pdf link (and you may have to log in with your EID). If you don't see either, look for the View it @ UT link.
In Library Databases: Look for the pdf, full text, or hmtl link. If none are available, look for Find it at UT to find it in another database.

If none of those work, look up the article title in the Libraries Search tool to see if we have it.

If you can't find it, request it (for free) through Interlibrary Loan and we'll scan and email it to you.

Find Articles Tutorials

$18m +

The UT Libraries spends over $16 million/year licensing access to scholarly information, including peer-reviewed articles. Although they are behind a paywall, you can access them on and off campus through the library website or this guide with your EID.

An important part of gathering and evaluating sources for research projects is knowing the difference between popular, scholarly, and trade publications.

Popular magazine articles are typically written by journalists to entertain or inform a general audience,
Scholarly articles are written by researchers or experts in a particular field. They use specialized vocabulary, have extensive citations, and are often peer-reviewed.
Trade publications may be written by experts in a certain industry, but they are not considered scholarly, as they share general news, trends, and opinions, rather than advanced research, and are not peer-reviewed.

The physical appearance of print sources can help you identify the type of source as well. Popular magazines and trade publications are usually glossy with many photos. Scholarly journals are usually smaller and thicker with plain covers and images, In electronic sources you can check for bibliographies and author credentials or affiliations as potential indicators of scholarly sources.

	Popular Magazines	Scholarly (including peer-reviewed)	Trade Publications
Content	Current events; general interest articles	Research results/reports; reviews of research (review articles); book reviews	Articles about a certain business or industry
Purpose	To inform, entertain, or elicit an emotional response	To share research or scholarship with the academic community	To inform about business or industry news, trends, or products
Author	Staff writers, journalists, freelancers	Scholars/researchers	Staff writers, business/industry professionals
Audience	General public	Scholars, researchers, students	Business/industry professionals
Review	Staff editor	Editorial board made up of other scholars and researchers. Some articles are peer-reviewed	Staff editor
Citations	May not have citations, or may be informal (ex. according to... or links)	Bibliographies, references, endnotes, footnotes	Few, may or may not have any
Frequency	Weekly/monthly	Quarterly or semi-annually	Weekly/monthly
Ads*	Numerous ads for a variety of products	Minimal, usually only for scholarly products like books	Ads are for products geared toward specific industry
Examples on Publisher Site	Time; Vogue; Rolling Stone; New Yorker	Journal of Southern History; Developmental Psychology; American Literature; New England Journal of Medicine	Pharmacy Times; Oil and Gas Investor Magazine
Examples in Library Databases	Time; Rolling Stone; New Yorker	Journal of Southern History; Developmental Psychology; American Literature; New England Journal of Medicine	Pharmacy Times; Oil and Gas Investor Magazine

*Ads will not be visible when viewing articles through a library database

Peer review is a process scholarly articles go through before they are published. Scholarly articles are sent to other experts in the field (peers) to ensure that they contain high-quality, original research important to the field. This is a measure of quality control other types of literature don't go through.

If you can't tell whether or not a journal is peer-reviewed, check Ulrichsweb.

access the database
type in the title of the journal
peer-reviewed journals will have a referee jersey ("refereed" is another term for "peer-reviewed") - example below