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Boatwright Memorial Library

Useful Databases

Getting the Full Text of Articles

If the full-text of an article is not available in the database you are searching, use the Journal Titles tab in the red search box at the top of the main library web page to search for the title of the journal, or use the link below.  If we have a subscription, you will learn what years are available and in what database. 

Some or all years of a journal may be available only in physical form in the periodicals collection on the second floor.  For other journals we may have limited access, for example, not the most recent issues or not the earliest published issues.

If UR does not subscribe to the journal, use Interlibrary Loan to request a copy of the artilcle.

Tips for Finding Peer-Reviewed Journals & Articles:

Finding peer-reviewed articles: When you are searching for academic, scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, the best place to start is to use the "Articles" tab on the library homepage, which has default filters set to scholarly articles in English.  Some databases, such as Academic Search Complete and other Ebsco databases also have this feature on the initial search screen.

  • Start with academic or scholarly journals.  You won’t find peer-reviewed articles in popular, newsstand magazines.
  • Look for research length, journal articles – not one page overviews of a topic and definitely not book reviews or editorials.

One note: A journal may be peer-reviewed, but that doesn’t mean that all information in that journal is actually refereed, or reviewed. For example, editorials, letters to the editor, or book reviews aren’t peer-reviewed parts of the journal.   

Use the hints below to get you started.

How do you determine if it’s a peer-reviewed journal article?

1. Check the journal title - often you can click on the title of the journal to get more information about the journal, including whether or not it is considered peer-reviewed.  Review the journal’s publication details to see if it is peer-reviewed.  If the journal is available online, look at the details provided within the database about publication.  Many databases like Academic Search provide a link and provides publication details, including scope and type of journal, including whether it is peer-reviewed.

2.    Check Ulrichsweb (on the Databases’ list) to determine if the journal is indicated as being peer-reviewed.

3.  Look at the official Web site of the journal on the Web.  Check About or Submission Guidelines to see if it states that the journal is peer-reviewed. Don’t just look at web pages about the journal – go to the publisher’s web page for the most accurate information.

 [adapted from http://www.angelo.edu/services/library/handouts/peerrev.php]