Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Developing Tomorrow's Leaders
Library

Locating Journal Articles

Have a citation? Watch the video on how to locate the article.

Step 1: Figuring out which article you want

If you already have a citation...

If all you have is a topic...

  • You can locate journal articles on your topic using one of the many databases available through North Hall Library.
  • If the article you find has the full text available, print out the article or email it to yourself and you are done.

  • If the article isn't available in full text, click on the link that says "Check MU Availability", which should tell you where else the article can be found in the Library's resources. If there is no such link, then take note of the citation information (author, article title, journal title, date, volume and page numbers) and proceed to Step 2.

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Step 2: Finding the journal you need

How to tell if a journal is available from North Hall Library (online, in print, or on microfilm): 

  1. Mouse over "Find Articles" at the top of any Library webpage and select "Journals" from the drop-down menu.
  2. Type all or part of the journal title into the search box and click on "search". (Remember to check your spelling!)
  3. If the journal title is found, check the date ranges. If you find a date range that matches your article, click on the appropriate link. You may be asked to enter your 18-digit number. This is the barcode number on the back of your student ID card. (See Step 3 for Instructions on navigating individual databases.)
  4. If the journal was not found when you searched the Journals List, you will receive a message that says "No titles match your search". You may then request the article through interlibrary loan instead.

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Step 3: Finding your chosen article in a journal

If the journal was located in EBSCOhost (Academic Search, Business Source, Health Source, Newspaper Source, etc.):

  1. After you have entered the database, you are presented with a list of each volume.
  2. If you know the year, volume, and issue:
    1. Click on the correct year.
    2. Click on the correct volume and issue number.
    3. Browse through the list of articles for that issue and click on either the PDF Full Text or HTML Full Text for your article.
  3. If you don't know the year, volume, and issue:
    1. Click on "Search within this publication".
    2. In the search box after the title of the journal, add AND [title of article] then click search.
    3. Locate your article in the list of results and click on either the PDF Full Text or HTML Full Text.

If the journal was located in LexisNexis:

  1. After you have entered the database, you are presented with a search screen.
  2. Enter the title of the article.
  3. Where it says "Specify date", select the appropriate date range for your article.
  4. Locate your article in the list of results and click on the title to access the text.

If the journal was located in the North Hall Library:

  1. This means that the Library has the journal physically available in print or microfilm.
  2. Click on the link and you will view the MU Library Catalog (PILOT) record for the journal. Look for the location and call number for the date you are interested in.
  3. If you need help finding the article in the Library, ask a librarian.(Students enrolled in distance education courses can have library-owned materials mailed to them.)

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