How to Find Journal Articles

Contents:

Identify Relevant Articles
Get the Full Text
Ordering Articles not found at UCB
Need Help?

Scientists and engineers publish much of their research as articles within scholarly journals. These journals use a peer-review process to insure their quality: each article must be approved by a group of experts before it is published. In order to find these journal articles, you should use the following two-step process:

Identify relevant articles.
1. Search article databases.
2. Examine references in articles and books.
Get the full text.
1. Use UC-eLinks.
2. Search Melvyl.

Step 1. Identify Relevant Articles

Choose an Article Database:
The library provides access to numerous article databases, covering a wide range of subjects. The key to efficient library research is choosing an article database appropriate for your topic and assignment. Access our article databases for engineering on the Article Databases page.

Use the following questions to help you choose an appropriate article database for your search:

What subject or discipline covers your topic? Is it multidisciplinary or specialized?
Do you need basic sources, professional/trade information, or scholarly research?
Do you need articles written for a general, a novice, or a specialist audience?

The following article databases are usually the best starting points for engineering research:

Selected Article Databases:	Years Covered	Engineering Strengths	Default Search	Truncation Symbol
Applied Science & Technology Full Text Covers trade journals and magazines in all fields of engineering and applied science	1983 - present	all	adjacent	*
Compendex Covers scholarly journals and conferences in all fields of engineering	1884 - present	BioE, CEE, IEOR, ME, NE	all	*
INSPEC Covers scholarly journals and conferences in electrical engineering, computer science, physics, and related fields	1969 - present	EECS, IEOR, MSE, NE	adjacent	* or $
Web of Science Covers the core scholarly journals in all fields of science and engineering	1900 - present	all	all	*

If you need research published prior to the online coverage of these article databases, use the print equivalents available in the Engineering Library. Ask a librarian for assistance.

Search for Relevant Articles:

After you choose an article database, you need to search it for relevant articles. Here are some tips to help you:

Search for keywords first, then use subjects or descriptors for more precise searching.
Use truncation to find variant endings, including singular and plural forms.
Use boolean operators to combine keywords:
- AND to find all your keywords and phrases.
- OR to find at least one of your keywords or phrases.
- NOT to exclude a keyword or phrase.
If you find too many articles, narrow your search:
- Search using more specific keywords.
- Use AND to add keywords to your search.
- Limit your search by language, publication date, publication type, or treatment.
If you find too few articles, broaden your search:
- Search using less specific keywords.
- Use OR to add synonyms to your search.

Return to top

Step 2. Get the Full Text

After you identify a relevant article, you need to see if UCB owns the journal in which it appears.

Use UC-eLinks
In many article databases, you can use UC-eLinks in order to:

Link directly to the full text online when available through library subscription.
Check Melvyl to see if UCB has it.
Request it if UCB does not own it.

Search Melvyl
In some cases, you will need to search for the journal title yourself in Melvyl. This is also the most efficient method for finding articles that you have identified by examining references in other articles and books.

Choose Journal Title as your search type, then enter the journal title as your search.
- Change the Words as Phrase option to Yes if you are searching an exact phrase.
View your search results, looking for the record that matches your journal.
Click into the Details/Locations to locate the UCB call number and location.
- If we have online access, a link will be provided.

Note: If you have an abbreviated title, choose Journal Title (exact) as your search type and search on the abbreviation without truncation. If this does not work, ask a librarian for assistance.

Return to top

Ordering Articles not found at UCB

Current UCB faculty, staff and students can request articles from journals that are not available in the UCB Libraries. Use the Request service in UC-eLinks, or consult our guide on Borrowing Materials from Other Libraries for other options.

Return to top

Need Help?

Stop by the Engineering Library Reference Desk to ask a librarian for help or send us your question online through our Ask Us form.

Return to top