*Get Started with Research*

From the library's homepage, click on the "Articles" tab. This searches the library's EBSCO databases. You can also click on some of our other major databases, such as JSTOR, Proquest, or ScienceDirect. 

To find articles at the library, you need to use databases.  Databases are organized collections of resources (articles, ebooks, music, videos, images, datasets, etc.) that are structured to make the information accessible to users.  Databases can be interdisciplinary, containing resources on many subjects and fields of study, or they can be subject-specific with resources that are especially useful for particular disciplines.  

To access the library databases available at McKillop Library, see the A-Z Databases list for an alphabetical listing of over 190 databases available to the Salve community.  

To view databases by subject, click on the "All Subjects" menu, select the subject you want, and click "search."  See below.

Basic Searching

The most basic way to begin searching for articles is to place your search statement (see Creating Search Statements) in the first box.  If you were interested in exploring how attitudes towards tattoos have evolved in America, you could start out by search "tattoo AND America." 

Advanced Searching

In addition to basic searching, you can also use advanced search features to create a more precise search.  You can use different Boolean operators to build your search string.  You can also utilize the "Select a Field" option to search by a range of fields including author, title, and journal name.

 

*Note: All pictured examples of database searching on this page are from Academic Search Complete, an interdisciplinary database that is managed by EBSCOhost.  Other databases will likely have similar features, but they will look a little different.

Like the library catalog, many databases will provide subject terms for specific resources. Subject terms are standardized words or phrases that describe the main idea of the source you are looking at.  These terms are hyperlinked, so you can select them to bring back a new result list with other books and articles that share the subject term.  You should note any especially helpful subject terms as you conduct your research (as well as which database or search tool you found them in!).  

Google Scholar is a great tool for certain type of research questions that require journal articles. If you have a Google account you have a Google Scholar account. You can link this account to Salve's library to have your Google Scholar results directly link to the full-text of articles Salve subscribes to.

Steps:

1. Sign into your Google account

2. Go to Google Scholar settings: https://scholar.google.com/scholar_preferences

3. Select “library links,” enter “Salve Regina” check “Salve Regina University Library – Find @ Salve,” and click Save.

4. Go to https://scholar.google.com/  and search your article title.

5. In the results, you'll see a "Find @ Salve" link to the right of the article. 

Google Scholar does not include all of Salve’s article subscriptions in its results. If you don’t find your article there, search using the library’s journals button.