Searching for Articles in Journals
There are several ways to search for journal articles. You can start with UC Library Search, using the Articles, Books and more option, which searches all the databases the UCLA Library subscribes to. Or you can go to a specific database, such as APA PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete, PubMed, etc.
In either case, start with a keyword search using words relevant to your topic. When you see some articles that look interesting, click on the title to see the complete citation. If there are subject terms or descriptors, click on those that seem related to your topic to get other articles on the subject.
Article Databases
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.)
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.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
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A multidisciplinary database that indexes over 10,000 publications, with the complete text of over 5,500 periodicals, including a mix of peer-reviewed journals, magazines, and newspapers. - 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. Indexes articles from over 1,700 history journals published worldwide since 1964. - Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
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Comprehensive business articles database covering more than 8,500 scholarly, professional, and trade periodicals in all areas of business. Coverages dates back to 1886. Content also includes books, case studies, Datamonitor company and industry profiles, conference proceedings, country reports (from CountryWatch, EIU, Icon International, and others), market research reports, SWOT analyses, profiles of the most-cited authors, and more. Sole electronic resource for full text of the Harvard Business Review and California Management Review. - EconLit This link opens in a new window
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The fundamental research tool in economics with bibliographic citations, and some abstracts, to the international literature on economics since 1969. Subjects covered include book reviews, business, economics, finance, industry and statistics. - PAIS Index This link opens in a new window
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International coverage of articles, books, conference proceedings, and government documents on social and political policy, political science, public administration, current affairs, and related topics from 1972 to the present. Includes PAIS Archive, which covers 1915 to 1976.
- Social Services Abstracts This link opens in a new window
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Citations (with abstracts) of current research focused on social work, human services, and related areas, including social welfare, social policy, and community development. Coverage: 1980-present. - Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
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Indexes the international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences from 1,800+ serials publications; also provides abstracts of books, book chapters, dissertations, and conference papers. Coverage from 1952-present.
- Web of Science This link opens in a new window
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A multidisciplinary database, with searchable author abstracts, covering the journal literature of most disciplines. Indexes major journals with all cited references captured. Combines the following citation databases: Science Citation Index Expanded; Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI); Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI); Conference Proceedings Citation Index.
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.