Find a journal article

LibrarySearch is usually the best place to start when you need journal articles. It searches across much of Abertay’s journal content and often provides direct links to full text.

Sign in with your Abertay account for the most complete access options.

You can search by:

• article title
• keywords or topic
• author name
• DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

Use the filters on the results page to narrow your results, for example by:

• full text available
• peer-reviewed journals
• publication date

Limiting your search to available full text can exclude relevant articles. If you need a wider search, remove that limit and use the full-text access guidance to explore access options.

The peer-review filter can help you narrow your results, but check what kind of item you have found. It does not assess an article’s quality or suitability for your assessment. See Critically evaluating journal articles for guidance.

Use this approach when you already have an article reference. If the article is on your module reading list, try that link first. Otherwise, search LibrarySearch using the article title or DOI.

What to do: 

• Enter the article title into LibrarySearch
• If you have one, enter the DOI — this is often the most reliable way to find the exact article
• You can also search by author name combined with keywords

What to look for: 

• Check that the title, authors and publication year match the reference you have.

• A Download PDF, View article, or similar full-text link

If you cannot find the article or access its full text, see Get the full text of an article.

Use this approach when you are researching a subject or question.

Start with keywords: 

Think about the main concepts in your topic and choose a few key terms.

For example:

• instead of typing a full question, use keywords like
  climate change policy Scotland

Improve your search: 

• Try different combinations of keywords
• Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases (e.g. "climate change")
• Combine terms to narrow your results

Refine your results: 

Use filters in LibrarySearch to:

• limit to peer-reviewed journals
• Use date limits when they fit your question or assessment requirements.
• narrow by subject area

For a topic search, you may also need a subject database. Its coverage, subject terms and search controls may help you find material that a broad search misses, even when some of its content appears in LibrarySearch.

Use your subject guide to choose relevant databases, or see Search and discovery tools for other discovery routes. For help planning your terms and refining a search, see Search effectively.

If you find a useful article elsewhere, search for its title or DOI in LibrarySearch to check access. If you cannot open it, see Get the full text of an article.

Use these strategies to improve your search results:

• Start broad, then narrow your search
• Try alternative keywords if your results are too limited
• Check the references in useful articles to find more sources
• Use LibrarySearch filters to focus on the most relevant material