STEP 1:  Select an appropriate database.

Databases point you to where you can find an article on your subject. Some include abstracts (summaries of the articles). Others, such as EBSCOhost and Lexis-Nexis, provide some full-text articles online. Traditional indexes are available online through Cambridge Indexes and ProQuest, or on paper in the Reference Department. Full-text databases are available from our Library Databases page. They can be accessed from the library's homepage by clicking Find Journal Articles, etc. then Databases.

For Magazines (Popular/General Interest): Use EBSCOhost--Academic Search Premier

For Journals (Scholarly/Professional): Use subject-specific databases that provide full-text articles online, such as Sociological Abstracts,  MLA Bibliography, and PsycINFO. JSTOR and Project Muse cover all fields with scholarly articles.

For Newspapers: Many newspapers have their own index, such as New York Times Index, Wall Street Journal Index, and Times-Picayune Index. These indexes are located in the Reference Department. Lexis-Nexis provides full-text newspaper articles online.

STEP 2:  Use the database to locate articles related to your topic.

Think of several words or phrases under which your topic might be listed. You will use these words in your search. For specific help on how to do a search, find a help link within the database you are searching, or you may ask at the Reference Desk.

STEP 3: Record/print the information.

When you find a reference to an article important to your research, note all information from the citation (author, title, name of journal, publication date, and page numbers). If there is a link to Full Text, you should be able to print the entire article from a computer. However, there may be only a citation or an abstract that summarizes the article. In those cases, check the abstract, article title, journal title, and subject headings to help you decide if the article is really what you want.

For example, the following citation is taken from Biological Abstracts (Online version via EBSCOhost):

Title:  Does soccer ball heading cause retinal bleeding?(1) Author(s): Reed-William-F; Feldman-Kenneth-W {a}; Weiss-Avery-H; Tencer-Alan-F (2)                      Source: Archives-of-Pediatrics-and-Adolescent-Medicine.(3) [print] April, 2002; 156 (4): 337-340.(5) Publication Year: 2002 (6) Abstract: Objectives: To define forces of youth soccer ball heading (headers) and determine whether heading causes retinal hemorrhage. (7) Major Concepts: Ophthalmology- (Human-Medicine, Medical-Sciences);(Human-Medicine, Medical-Sciences);Sports-Medicine (Allied-Medical-Sciences) (8)

If that search is unsuccessful or the database does not contain the issue you need, you can still search for the journal in paper.

STEP 4: Locate the article in paper at the McNeese Library.

Find out what journals or magazines are available in the library by using the online catalog or check the Journals Holdings List which indicates specific volumes and years for each periodical title the library owns. Newspapers, magazines, and journals are shelved on the 2nd Floor in the Serials Department. They are shelved alphabetically according to title. Current issues are to your right as you exit the elevator or stairs, and back issues are to your left.