Research Help

• Use Library databases to locate articles in journals, magazines, and newspapers
• Use Subject Guides to determine which subject-specific database you should use
• Search for keywords and phrases that describe your topic. A keyword search finds more records, but not all will be relevant.
• To retrieve more relevant records, search for Subjects Terms. Subject Terms are designated words consistently used to describe a topic (instead of sometimes using different synonyms). Subject Terms are only applied if they are a main idea of the article.
• Use AND between search terms to retrieve records containing all your search terms
• Use OR between search terms to retrieve records containing one ore more of your search terms
• Use the Search Options, Refine Results, Filters, or Limiter features to narrow results and retrieve more relevant results
• Still stuck? Schedule an appointment with a librarian to learn more about finding journal articles!

Wondering if the library has access to the full text of an article? Follow these steps when searching databases:

1. Look for "PDF Full Tex" or "HTML Full Text". Full text as a PDF means that the article looks exactly as it did in the original print publication (including pictures and illustrations), and is available to open, download, or save. Full text as HTML means that the entire text of the article is available, but the text is no longer formatted like the original article (the article may also be lacking relevant images).
   
2. Use the "Check for Full Text" link within databases. This tool utilizes our OCLC Journal A-Z list to help you determine if the article is available in full text in another database.
   
3. Us the "Search for Open Access" link within databases. This tool searches online to see if the journal article is freely available in an open access source.
   
4. If the article is not available through any of these methods, look for the "Request this item through interlibrary loan" link. This will transfer the article's citation information into a request form. Complete the form with your contact information and submit.
   

If you've tried all of these tips and still cannot find an article's full text, please complete an Interlibrary Loan Request by filling out this form.

What are permanent links?

A permanent link is a URL that links to a specific record within a database. Permanent links give a specific web address to each item record, allowing records to be bookmarked by searchers, emailed to librarians for help, or linked to from other websites. 

Use permanent links, sometimes called permalinks, in place of the URL from your browser's address bar. The browser bar address is frequently a "session" URL that will expire after a short amount of time. Permalinks do not expire like that. Use permanent links to access journal articles, eBooks, and other digital resources again at a later time or in your works cited/references/bibliography.

What is a proxy prefix?

The proxy prefix https://sagu.idm.oclc.org/login?url= allows SAGU students, faculty, and staff to access subscription databases from off campus. In order to use a permanent link from off campus, make sure the proxy prefix is at the beginning of the permanent link. Many of our databases are set to automatically include the proxy prefix, but you should double-check to make sure. For example: https://sagu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=ehost&db=a9h&AN=86209619.

Note: If you encounter a link that begins with https://ezproxy.sagu.edu, the link will no longer function. Please replace "ezproxy.sagu.edu" with "sagu.idm.oclc.org" and the link should function as expected. 

EBSCO

ProQuest

JSTOR

Gale

EBSCO offers a mobile app that allows you to easily search all of the library's EBSCOhost databases simultaneously. After downloading the app, search for our university. You will be prompted to enter your Lionmail username/password. 

You can create a free EBSCO account to save articles for later or for easy access from another device.

Please note: eBooks and auto-generated citations are not available from this app. 

Need more help?