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T GIS 502 Introduction to Geospatial Technology - Thatcher: Journals & Databases

Databases vs. Journals

What is the difference between databases and journals? Can I get scholarly or peer reviewed literature in each of them?

Journals

Journals are scholarly publications (like magazines or newspapers) that publish research on a specific topic. Some journals are peer reviewed or refereed, which means that the editorial process includes a process where other subject experts review articles before they are published. As a graduate student, it is helpful to begin to identify which journals are leaders in your area of study and interest. There are some recommendations to get started on the right.

Databases

Databases are tools licensed by libraries to help you search within hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of academic journals all at once. Databases index each article with keywords and other metadata so that you can do some very precise and specific searching. Databases are helpful for searching on a specific research question. Below are some recommendations to get started.

 

Databases

The University of Washington Libraries has hundreds of databases. Here are a few that I recommend starting with.

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. 

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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?

Featured urban studies journals

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. ​

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  • Last Updated: Jan 2, 2025 2:34 PM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/tgis502
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