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Finding Useful Journals

Another strategy is to search within a specific journal that publishes a lot of information about your topic. If you find an especially helpful article, note the title of the journal it was published in and search for it in UW Libraries Search. If we have it, you follow the links to search for more articles on your topic from that publication.

You can also try searching within the journals below.

Using Articles

Why for finding specific information on your topic
Where   articles can be found in databases and in print--in the form of journals, magazines, trade publications, newspapers. To find articles on our website, you can use UW Libraries search and the article databases, research guides,and electronic journals tabs. 
How

begin by narrowing your search using boolean operators, key terms, and concept mapping

What does "peer-review" mean?

Peer-reviewed articles (also know as refereed) go through a process where they are analyzed by experts in a field before publication.

  • articles are examined to evaluate the quality of research
  • reviewers decide if the article adds to the content of the field

Articles can be scholarly (written and published for an academic audience), yet not go through the peer-review process.

Step 1:  Check the peer review status of the JOURNAL.

Search for your title in Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory.

When you find your journal, look for a "referee shirt" symbol.  The symbol will appear next to any journal title that is peer reviewed and/or refereed (interchangeable terms).

Step 2:  If the JOURNAL is peer reviewed, then assess the ARTICLE.

Is it a full research article?  If your article is a short news brief, an editorial, a letter to the editor, or a re-print of a conference proceeding, it is not peer reviewed.

Developing Keywords

There are several different approaches to organizing your research topic prior to searching for a literature review, but the most popular by far is the development of a set of essential keywords.

Keywords are short words and phrases that, when combined, describe more complex ideas and topics. For instance, the following keywords might be used to describe general research on the various effects of climate change of South American rainforests:

  • climate change
  • South America
  • rainforests
  • effects

Begin by creating a list of 3-5 "core" keywords based on the major concepts behind your research topic. Once you have generated this initial list extend it by including: 

  • Broader or narrower terms
  • Synonyms for terms
  • Related terms

Below is a textual map that will help to organize the keywords relative to your research topic.

Getting your Article

In most databases, if the full text of the article is not readily available, you will see a Check for Full Text button. 

Clicking on the button will do one of the following:

a) take you to the article - look for PDF full text,
b) take you to the catalog - click on the link next to Content Available
c) link you to Interlibrary Loan so you can request a copy of the article.

There are several ways go about finding an article via the UW Libraries website. However, the process is easiest when you have the article's citation handy -- which identifies the article's full title, journal, and author name. 

 

Start by searching the article title in quotes in UW Libraries Search. 

 

View the article by choosing “Access Options” and select one of the listed databases.

 

Once in the database look for Adobe PDF icon OR UW Libraries Full Text icon to access the full text.

  • If searching with the full article title doesn't work, try searching with the journal title instead. 

Show Me 

Learn More

1. Click use the libraries and choose Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery Service from the dropdown menu on the UW Libraries home page

2. Click Interlibrary Loan, Log in > W and enter your NetId and password

3. Click a New Request option based on the type of resource you need.

Interlibrary Loan, New Requests<

NOTE: To request a journal article, click on Request a Scan

4. Fill in all required fields for your request.

5. Click Submit Request

NOTE: You will receive an email with a link to your requested materials when they are available.

 

Show Me IconWatch: How do I request materials using Interlibrary Loan?

Using Google Scholar

Google Scholar

Google Scholar searches across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites. These resources can be very useful, but keep in mind not all of them are peer-reviewed.

How to access UW Restricted materials in Google Scholar:

  1. From the Google Scholar homepage, open the menu in the upper left hand corner of the screen.
  2. Open the Settings menu and click the "Library links" option on the left side of the screen.
  3. Using the search box, search on "University of Washington" to reveal the access link labeled "University of Washington - Full Text @ UW." Check the box next to this option, then click "save."

Tip: If you don't see the "University of Washington - Full Text @ UW" link on the first page of results, click the ">" icon to see more results. ​

Learn More

  • Last Updated: Apr 8, 2024 12:56 PM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/tacoma/psych
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Subjects: Psychology