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Need to know the difference between a scholarly journal and a popular magazine? Watch this short video on iTunesU by Leslie Mathews, our former User Education Librarian.

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Finding Articles in Periodicals

When you don't have a citation to a specific article, but you do want to find articles on a subject, by a specific author or authors, or with a known article title, you need to use one or more periodical indexes. But how do you know which periodical index to use?

Determine what kind of periodicals you want. Do you want

• scholarly journals?
• newspapers and substantive news sources?
• popular magazines?
• all three kinds?

To learn more about the differences among scholarly journals, newspapers, and popular magazines, see Scholarly vs. Popular.

• A good place to begin is EBSCO Host or Proquest , databases in GALILEO. EBSCO Host contains all three kinds of articles, including many full text articles.
• For scholarly journals, use the subject databases available on GALILEO. For example, use MLA for literary criticism or ERIC for educational articles.
• For newspaper articles, use Newspaper Source or Lexis-Nexis .

Wondering where to find these periodicals?

Periodicals (current) - First Floor
Current issues of all titles listed with this location are shelved in the main reading room on the first floor, across from Circulation.

Periodicals (bound) - Ground Floor
If bound volumes are listed with this location, they are shelved on the ground floor behind the elevator. [Note: "bound" can also indicate loose issues in file boxes intershelved with the bound volumes.]

Online - WWW
Periodicals with this designation are accessible online. A hot link is provided near the top of the page for titles to which we subscribe online. If you are off-campus, you will have to authenticate yourself as a valid ASC user in order to access the material.

Microfilm - Ground Floor or
Microfiche - Ground Floor
All microforms are located on the ground floor, in metal cabinets near the spiral staircase. Should you need assistance locating a microform or using the viewing/copying equipment, a service desk is at the same location, or you may watch a short video tutorial created by an ASC alumna.

Science Reading Rooms (Science Center 203 & 303)
Current issues of periodicals in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences are located in the Science Center. Room 203 houses the biology titles, while Room 303 houses chemistry and physics titles. ASC students, faculty and staff may use them at these locations or remove them very briefly for photocopying. Please note that all physical back volumes of these titles, whether bound or microfilm, are located in McCain Library.

Still unsure? Check out this floor plan or ask a librarian