Skip to main content

Agriculture: Finding Articles | Databases

Periodical List Search

Periodical List is the search page to use when you need to know if the library has print and/or online access to a journal. If the Library does not have print/online access to a journal you need an article from, request a copy of the article via Interlibrary Loan/ILL.

Enter Journal Title:
       

Search Tips

Search by keywords and small phrases.

Maximize your keyword searches with Boolean searching. What's Boolean?

  • AND
  • OR
  • NOT

Use "quotation marks" to search for whole phrases. 

Use the database’s built in limiting features. Some databases have a filter for full-text or scholarly journals. 

Consider truncation. The symbol used is usually *.

AGRICULTUR* will retrieve: 
agriculture, agricultural

Try using the database’s subject terms. Those are listed in the database’s thesaurus, or they may be listed near the article abstract.

What is Scholarly | Peer-Reviewed?

Most libraries subscribe to various types of periodicals, such as scholarly (which may be peer-reviewed), popular, or trade publications. Choosing which to use depends on your topic, the type of writing you are doing, your assignment, and the sources your professor wants you to use.  Many databases offer the option to limit to "Scholarly Journals" or "Peer Reviewed".  If you're not sure if a journal is considered scholarly/peer-reviewed, check Ulrich's but looking up the title of the journal.

Characteristics of a scholarly journal:
  • Usually reports on research or reviews the literature
  • Language is often technical and specific to the subject
  • Articles will contain a list of references cited in the paper.
  • Authors are usually researchers or experts in their field
  • Has little or no advertising
  • May have charts and graphs
  • Scholarly journals may or may not be peer-reviewed (see below)

What is a peer-reviewed journal??

A scholarly journal is peer-reviewed when there is an editorial board that decides which articles should be included for publication. These journals are generally thought to be of the highest quality. To determine if a journal is peer reviewed, look for an editorial board in the early pages or on the journal's Web site.

Citation Management

 

Refworks and EndNote are bibliographic management tools that enables you to:

  • Organize your research
  • Include citations while you write your paper
  • Build a bibliography in a variety of formats
  • Import references from many data sources

Workshops are also available.

Google Scholar Search