Finding Articles

How to Find Journal Articles

How to Find Newspaper Articles

1. Choose the right article database

The easiest way to find journal and magazine articles on a specific subject is to use an online database.

Below are two options for viewing the databases that Wright State Libraries provides:

Databases by Subject

All Databases (Alphabetic List)

Keep in mind that for some subjects/disciplines, the best place to find articles is not online, but in a print index. If you do not see your subject in one of the options above or if the list is extremely brief, please see our Research Guides by Subject page for more information.

2. Search the article database

Enter important keywords that describe your topic like this:

stress and "college students"

NOT like this:

the stress that college students experience

You'll get a list of articles containing your keywords. When you see an article that looks helpful, click on the title to get more information about how to access it.

If you are searching a full text database, you will probably be able to print the whole article and you're done!

If you are searching a non-full text database, you will get information about the article: what journal it is in (with volume and issue numbers), the author, maybe a summary of the article, and sometimes more. Step 3 will tell you what to do if your article is not full text.

3. Get the article

If the database you were searching is not full text, you need to find the article in print or in another online source. There will be a button like this: , or a link that says Find a copy, or both. Click on one of them and a new window will open.

In this window you can see whether WSU subscribes to the journal that your article is in or not. Often, there will be a link to the full text in a brown outline in the information window.

If we only have the journal that you need in print, write down the journal title, the volume number, the location (Dunbar or Fordham), and the call number. Librarians can help you find the journal and then your article if you're having trouble.

Do you still have questions about how to find a journal article?