Scholarly v. Popular
- Anatomy of a Scholarly ArticleInteractive display of the key elements of a scholarly journal article.
- Here is a short video explaining PEER REVIEW.
Los Angeles Public Library
Not all articles are available in databases that UCLA subscribes to. The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) has over 250 databases available to anyone with an LAPL library card. You can get an ECARD online-no need to go to a library.
The most useful database to try searching is Research Library (ProQuest), which UCLA does not subscribe to. It has some online journals not at UCLA.
Sample Search
This is a sample search in the Articles, Books and More scope of UC Library Search. The goal is to find diaries and/or letters by/from Alcatraz prisoners or guards or occupiers. You can substitute other terms for alcatraz, depending on what you are looking for.
You can scan the titles to see what might be useful. For example, item 13 "Letter-writer claims to be survivor of legendary Alcatraz prison break" might be a good one.
Databases that Index Journal Articles
This is a very select list of available article databases. If you want to look for others, go to this page and click through to your discipline (political science, sociology, history, etc.). Here you will find a selection of the most useful databases for each discipline listed.
is your link to full-text! Note that some sources only index journal articles—they don't actually have the full text.
- Use the button to find the full text or search for the journal title in the UCLA Library Catalog.
- Request the article through interlibrary loan if UCLA does not own the full text.
For more tips, see our guide on database searching.
- America: History & Life This link opens in a new window
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Historical coverage of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Search for diary or diaries or journal or correspondence or letters as a SUBJECT and california as a SUBJECT. Limit time period as you wish, e.g., 1945 t0 2020. - Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
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A multidisciplinary database that covers subjects from A to Z. Search for diaries or diary or journal as a SUBJECT and california as a SUBJECT. - JSTOR This link opens in a new window
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Search for diary in the TITLE and california in the TITLE. You will find articles and book reviews that might be relevant. If it is a book review, you can look up the title of the book in the UCLA Library Catalog. - Los Angeles Times This link opens in a new window
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Full text (no ads or pictures) from 1985 to the present. For access to older issues, see ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times [1881-2000].
