Article Search Tips
This quick introduction to searching for academic journal articles in databases will help you make your searches more efficient and more effective:
Avoiding plagiarism can be more tricky than it seems at first glance. Complete this activity to learn strategies for avoiding plagiarism.
Few of us can recall every detail and argument from academic articles - they’re packed with so much information! It’s best to create reading strategies that help you focus on comprehending the most essential elements of an academic article. Breaking Down Academic Articles is a webcomic tutorial that walks you through the most important aspects of an academic article, to help you prepare for class discussion on the article(s) or take away essential information from the article to support future research.
Note: a transcript for each slide can be located at the bottom of each slide. Click the button to preview transcript of slide for description of art in each panel and the script of tutorial guide.
Looking for an efficient way to get a research overview on a topic? A review article is a great place to start.
A review article provides an analysis of the state of research on a set of related research questions. Review articles often: summarize key research findings, reference must-read articles, describe current areas of agreement as well as controversies and debates, point out gaps in knowledge and unanswered questions, suggest directions for future research.
Check out this quick overview of finding review articles in Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and more.
The Library's online subscription resources can always be accessed from computers and wireless networks on campus. However, off-campus access is restricted to current UCLA, students, faculty, and staff who have set up their computer using one of the following methods.
VPN on Mac with Natalie
"I chose VPN for my mac because I need to be able to access the full text of articles on different browsers." - Natalie, Environmental ScienceDownload a UCLA VPN
VPN on Windows with Michael
"I chose VPN because I like the security it provides and the control it gives me as a user to manually enable or disable it when I'm browsing online." - Michael, Public AffairsDownload a UCLA VPN
Additional Platforms
For more information:
- UCLA OnLine Proxy ServerA simple browser setting which will automatically divert you to a UCLA logon page when you first access a restricted site.
- Virtual Private Networking (VPN)A program you can download and install, or use the built-in version on many computers or mobile devices. VPN software must be logged on manually before you access a restricted site, but works for all programs on your computer.
Journal Article and Other Databases
Note that some of these databases only index journal articles—they don't actually have the full text. Use the gold UC-eLinks or the Get it at UC button - to do an automated search to find the full text, or search for the journal title in the UC Library Search catalog.
- APA PsycArticles This link opens in a new window
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Full-text articles from journals published by the American Psychological Association, the APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association, and Hogrefe & Huber.
- APA PsycInfo This link opens in a new window
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Abstracts and citations to journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, and dissertations relevant to students, researchers, and professionals working in the psychological, social, behavioral, and health sciences.
- PubMed This link opens in a new window
Citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. Also searches NCBI's integrated molecular biology databases, including nucleotide sequences, protein sequences, 3-D protein structure data, population study data sets, and assemblies of complete genomes in an integrated system. Note: This link uses a special address which turns on Get it at UC. Without that, PubMed does not link to UCLA's online subscriptions.
Example Searches in PubMed:
- EMBASE This link opens in a new window
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Embase provides essential biomedical evidence from evidence-based content, along with deep biomedical indexing and search forms to assist in building search strategies. - AccessNeurology This link opens in a new window
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AccessNeurology from McGraw-Hill Medical offers a new approach to neurology reference, research, and curricular instruction – all in one place. Updated regularly, this comprehensive online neurology resource covers the entire spectrum of neurology from the basics to specialty-specific content.
- 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.
- ERIC (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
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Index to journal articles from 1969 to the present and ERIC documents since 1966 on educational research and practice. Searches combining different fields (e.g., descriptor with title, author or abstract) are possible at this site. Allows access to the full-text of most ERIC documents from 1996-present. Make sure 'ERIC' is checked before performing your search. Available from UC IP addresses only. - CINAHL Complete This link opens in a new window
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Full text for more than 1,300 English-language nursing and allied health journals and publications back to 1937. Includes access to health care books, nursing dissertations, selected conference proceedings, standards of practice, educational software, audiovisuals and book chapters, Evidence-Based Care Sheets, legal cases, clinical innovations, critical paths, drug records, research instruments and clinical trials. - ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window
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Index to doctoral dissertations from 1637 to the present, with abstracts since 1980. A number of master's theses are also indexed, with abstracts since 1988. Many are available for download in pdf format. UCLA has access to all full text dissertations in the database. Non-UCLA users may use Dissertations Express to purchase digital or print copies of individual dissertations.
Database Tutorials
Review video, audio, and slideshow tutorials to learn to search databases.
Finding Full Text
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.