Cowles Library Drake University

How do I find e-journals?

Quick Answer:

Use one of the periodical databases.

Explanation:

Our 15,000 electronic journals come in online packages known as “periodical databases.” Each database has between 200 to over 4,000 e-journals. In addition, most include indexing for several more journals. Indexing provides only the “citation” information - name of article along with when and where it was published.

Most periodical databases have an easy-to-use basic search, but some have advanced search options available, too. To start your basic search, type in two or three words describing what you are looking for. Press enter or click on “search.” The results page will list the title, author, and publishing information for each article it finds. If you want to see the article, click on it. Usually, there will be an “abstract” or short summary of the article available.

To get to the full text of the article, scroll down. In a few databases, there is an additional link to click to get to the full text. When the database you are in does not have full text for the article, it will have a link that reads “Search for Full-text Article.” Follow this link to find the full text if it is available in a different database. Remember, not ALL articles are available in full text- but with over 15,000 periodicals’ worth of them, chances are good that you will find something to suit your needs.

Advanced Searches:

Most periodical databases have several search options, such as: author search, limit by years; search within one periodical; type of publication; and many other specializations based on the subject of the database. Review the search screen, or, in some databases, click on “Advanced Search” to learn more. Also, look for a “help” tab; most databases have reasonably good help pages.