Information Literacy Instructional Program

Information Literacy Learning Guides

Finding Articles in Magazines & Journals

Introduction

Periodicals are publications printed in intervals that continue to be printed for an indefinite period of time. Journals, magazines, and newspapers are types of periodicals.

Journals	Magazines
Journals contain published articles written by scholars and researchers. Journals are often published by professional associations.	Magazines contain published articles written for a general audience. Articles in magazines rarely include bibliographies.

Five Steps to Finding Journal and Magazine Articles

Choose and refine your topic	Sometimes choosing a topic is the biggest hurdle in doing research. Your instructor may assign a general or specific topic, or the choice may be up to you. Knowing where to look for ideas will help you find an interesting subject. It is important to consider refining your topic.
Choose appropriate databases	Choosing the appropriate database to meet your research needs is essential to locating the most current and best information. Estrella Mountain has many online databases with the full text of thousands of magazines and journals. They are located under Articles & More. Estrella Mountain also has access to newspapers including the National News 5 ( New York Times, Washington Past, Chicago Tribune, LA Times and Christian Science Monitor).
Search databases	Databases are large storehouses of data that contain small sets of related information called records. Online periodical databases are collections of magazines that can be searched and accessed Here are some general tips: Analyze your topic. Use synonyms, related words. Put phrases in quotes, use truncation when appropriate (usually an asterisk), use Boolean operators Limit searches by language, by date range, by type of document, by specifying number of pages, etc.
Accessing articles	Each database presents search results in a unique format, however there are some similarities that hold true in most cases: All records are numbered, and the search retrieved will display the total number of records. 10 records are displayed per screen, with navigational buttons allowing for movement between result list screens, and between records. Records are presented with the most recent displayed first, with the list moving back in time to the oldest record. A citation format will be displayed for each record, with links to a more detailed screen. The detailed screen will display an abstract (when available), and the other fields that are not present in the brief display.
Printing or saving articles	Most databases offer the option of printing, emailing, or saving search results. To know if a database offers any of these functions check the database guide. It is recommended to follow the individual database's online instructions for printing, emailing, and saving search results. Check the database's online help for further information on these functions.

Journals & Magazines via the Internet

Journals	Magazines
Scholarly Society Project http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/society/full-text_soc.html	Online Serials    http://www.ipl.org/reading/serials/
Electronic Journals http://www.library.upenn.edu/webbin5/resources/ejspublic5.cgi	Web Magazines http://dir.yahoo.com/News_and_Media/Magazines/
New Jour - Electronic Journals & Newsletters http://ejournal.coalliance.org//	eLibrary - Magazines http://www.newsdirectory.com/news/magazine/