Finding journal articles via the Library Catalogue

During your studies you may come across a journal article citation and want to access the full-text article. The easiest way to locate the article is to search for the title using the Library Catalogue.

Identifying the title of the journal

As a general rule journal articles are not listed in the Library Catalogue, the journal title is. You therefore need to identify the title of the journal from the journal article citation.

Note: Occasionally you will see a journal article in the Library Catalogue. These articles are collected to support individual courses and are part of Course Resources Online. 

Searching for the journal title

Perform a Journal Title Search in the Library Catalogue to search for the journal title.

Accessing the journal article

If the Library holds the journal, it will be available online, in print or sometimes in both. Whatever the format, you need to see if the specific volume and issue containing your journal article is available.

    Accessing journal articles online

    To access the online journal, click on the title with [electronic resource] appearing    
    after it.

    Then, click on the link beside View online here:

    A new window provides a list of options for retrieving full-text articles. 

    Check the date on your citation and choose a database that includes the relevant date
    range:

    If the relevant date range isn't available via a database, check the availability of a print
    copy.
 

    Accessing journal articles in print

    Once you have searched for the journal title in the Library Catalogue, the entry not
    followed by [electronic resource] will be for print copies.

    Click on this link and then Holdings to see if the library holds a copy of the relevant
    volume and issue number. 

    Locate the journal on the shelves using the call number.

    If you are a Distance student you may be able to order a photocopy of the journal  
    article.

When the journal article isn't available

If the Library does not have access to the journal article, consider these options:
 

• Perform an Internet search for the journal title. Many e-journals provide at least one free article per issue. Conducting a phrase search in Google is usually effective
   
• Your Subject Area Guide may provide assistance on finding journal articles
   
• Contact the Library for further assistance