Guides & Tutorials

How To FIND ARTICLES in Journals, Newspapers, etc.

First, use an INDEX (DATABASE)

Hundreds are available online through library licensing agreements, covering every topic imaginable. At Old Dominion University's Perry Library you may go to the Reference Desk to request assistance or call 757-683-4178.

For access to these resources, ODU students and faculty may use the Databases page. Note: many--but not all--of the databases provide access to the full text of some articles.

Next, click on the library webpage link to: Journals, magazines & newspapers

Assuming the database you searched did not provide the full text of the article(s), then you should go back to the library 's main web page and click on the link to: Journals, magazines & newspapers. Here, search by title, entering the exact name of the periodical--not the article title. You may also search by the broad subject of the journal; e.g., chemistry.

If you click on "Old Dominion University Print Holdings," you will get fuller information from the library catalog about those issues in hard copy..

Last, find the issues you need

If the Journals, magazines & newspapers list indicates that the article you wanted is available online, get the full text by clicking on the links offered. If only the print version is held, you can get it from the library shelves. Distance learners may request a copy through the Interlibrary Loan Service.

If the article is not available at the Old Dominion University Libraries either in print or electronically, ODU faculty, students and staff may request it through the Interlibrary Loan Service.

For those on campus, the current periodicals section on 2nd floor is arranged alphabetically by title. Back issues are mostly bound and arranged by call number on the 2nd floor shelves. Some titles are available on microfiche or microfilm. Also, the Hofheimer Art Library and the Government Publications area (in Perry Library) have separate periodicals collections. The location code given in the online catalog indicates where the issues are kept.

If the Perry Library does not have the periodical you need, you could also search the WorldCat database to see if libraries convenient to where you live or work might have it.

Ask at the Reference Desk (757-683-4178) if you need assistance. If you prefer to use email, from the library's home page at http://www.lib.odu.edu, click on Ask a Librarian.