How to Do Library Research

A. Make sure you have the complete title of the journal. If all you have is an abbreviation from a print index, look at the front of the index for the abbreviations key. For science databases with abbreviations, check the keys to journal abbreviations (various titles available in Reference) to find the full title of the journal. Otherwise, ask at the Help Desk for help.

B. Select "Journal Titles" from the Library home page "Find" drop down menu.

C. Use Journal Title or "Browse Journals by Title"  to see if there is full text version of the article available from a CSU database or owned electronic journal. Minimum information necessary is journal name or ISSN; adding date/year enhances search results.

Put as much information as you have into the boxes; a useful amount of information to get to an article is the journal title, date, volume, and start page. However, in some cases  will take you to a journal's page or to a database page and you have to find the article within that journal or database.

This is what the Citation Linker, called Find Journals looks like:

Type in exact title of the journal/magazine and press enter (or Submit button).

Verify the location of the specific volume/years you want . The reason for this is that the same journal could be in more than one of the following places:

• Current Journals (current two years for most journals),
• Bound Journals (bound volumes),
• Storage (request volume by pressing Request and following the instructions: your ID number is your student/faculty/staff number),
• Microtext (Microform collection), and/or
• Reference, or another Library building such as ATMOS or VET.

CSU journals are arranged in call number order so be sure to write the call number down along with the location of the specific volume you need. Check to see if volumes in MORGAN are "AVAILABLE" because they can be checked out. (Checked out volumes will have "DUE 00-00-00.")

E. See staff at the Help Desk or a College Liaison librarian if having difficulties.

Note: if CSU doesn't own a journal and there is a specific article you need, request the article electronically through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). ILL is done electronically from the Libraries Home Web Page via Interlibrary Loan and from within the FindIt@CSU Find Journals screens.