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Research: Getting Started

Find Articles from a Database

Find articles by searching the MATC Library databases. If you are off-campus, you will be prompted to enter your school email address and password, (which is the same password you use for Blackboard) to confirm that you are an MATC student. Click the A-Z button for a full list of all the Library's databases.

Go to A-Z List

Finding Articles - The Basics

The best way to find articles is to use one of the article databases the library subscribes to.

What is an article database?

Article databases work a lot like a search engine (Google or Bing), but instead of searching for websites, databases search for articles and information about articles.

What information can be found using a database?

Article databases can include summaries and citations for articles, as well as full text articles.  Because articles found in databases are electronic, they can be saved, emailed, and printed.

Searching for Articles - Tips

Choosing a Database

Use the "Search Everything" tab on the library's homepage to search for articles from most of the library's databases at once. Think of this is a one-stop search. 

If you know what database you would like to search, select it from the alphabetical list of databases.

Search Tips

  • Use short, findable phrases or single words
  • Connect keywords with AND or OR, or separate keywords into different lines (using advanced search mode)
  • The results list often has way to limit searches by date, publication type, full-text, etc. (see below)
  • Try different combinations of keywords 

 

Limiters

Another way to control your search is by using limiters. Limiters are usually listed in a drop down menu or as check boxes and let you restrict your search by certain criteria. Some of the most useful ways to limit a search are by:

Full Text

Some databases will give you the option to limit your search results only to articles that are full text in that database. This can actually hurt your research, causing you to miss important citations that can be found elsewhere in full text. When you first begin searching, it is better to leave the full text limiter unchecked.
 

Year

Search for "intelligence tests" for the years 2020-2022 for the most recent research, or for Iraq before 1991 for articles that predate the Persian Gulf War.

 

Article or Document Type

You may want to look for articles that are specifically: peer reviewed, or case studies,or book reviews, or interviews, etc. Each database will have its own list of types, so read them carefully. Also be aware that databases will include items beyond articles, like book chapters and government documents.

 

Journal Name

You can limit a search to just articles from a specific journal. Look for a field labeled Source, or Publication, or Journal Name where you can type in the name of a journal.
 

For more information see our How to Find a Journal Article guide.

 

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