Begin Your Search
Start at the Research Databases, Online Encyclopedias, and Dictionaries webpage to get a list of research database titles. These are aranged by subject. Once you select the database you want to use, click on the database title to take you to the search screen. Each database has a search box that allows you to enter in your search terms.
Once you have submitted your search you will get a results page with a list of citations.
Citation
Citations give you the information you need to locate an item. Citations of articles often include the author, title, magazine or journal name, page numbers and publication information.
Here is an example of an article citation:
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Author(s): Rowland-Poplawski, Jean Title: A Wedge in the Door: Coeducational Pioneers of Women's Education at the University of Michigan Source: American History Journal 2 no. 1 (1999): p.106-112. |
Remember - this will not be the way you cite your information in a bibliography. Consult our citing sources page for how to do this.
Abstract
The abstract of an article is a brief summary of its contents. Abstracts can save you time by helping you identify the best articles on your topic.
Here is an example of an abstract of the article:
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Chronicles the efforts during 1870-80 of a few pioneer female college students, feminists, and politicians who successfully forced the University of Michigan Board of Regents to admit women, thereby paving the way for other women to attend the college. |
Full text
The complete electronic text of an article is called the full text. Many of our databases are full text, meaning that you can access the complete article directly off your screen from anywhere you have Internet access. Databases allow you to print, email, and save the article.
Some databases do not provide photographs or charts that are part of the article. Other databases display the full text as PDF files, also called page images. These images contain the article complete with its accompanying images.
Self Test
