Chinese Studies: CAJ User Guide

This guide is intended as an additional resource for students and other UW library patrons who want to use the China Academic Journals database (中国学术期刊数据库).  

Below are instructions for two search options:

• Quick Search: This is the simplest option. However, it has fewer opportunities for refining results.
• Basic Search: A slightly more complex option that allows users to refine results from the outset. 

China Academic Journals automatically searches in China Academic Journals Full-text Database (for both Quick Search and Basic Search). This option is ideal for most student purposes. However, for users interested in exploring Further Options, instructions are provided at the bottom of this page.

To use Quick Search, simply enter a search term.

Under the “1. Input the Content Search Range:”

Click on the [+] sign to see all options.

In the source category drop-down menu there are three options, the “core journals” option is the one that is most appropriate  humanities and social science students. Using this option will limit search results to higher quality sources. 

Under the “2. Input the Content Features of Target Documents:”

From dropdown menu:

• Subject: Searches by general subject category.
• Article title: Searches for articles with searched term in title.
• Keywords: Searches for matches with keywords that have been chosen by author of article.
• Abstract: Searches for matches with terms used in the abstract.
• Full-text: Searches entire article for search term entered.
• Reference: Searches citations for keyword entered.

 From option in dropdown menu in upper righthand corner:

• China Academic Literature Database: The most inclusive search option. Searches vast array of material varying in quality. Users will almost certainly need to further refine results after initial search.
• China Academic Journals Full-text Database: One of the most comprehensive search options. Supports cross-language searches so that results can be shown in English as well.
• Century Journals Projects: Covers the most important academic journals published in China. It includes more material than the China Academic Journals Full-text Database.
• Century Journals Social Science: A subset of the Century Journals Project focused on the social sciences.
• China Doctoral Dissertation Full-Text Database (basic search option): Allows users to search dissertations written in China. By using the “input the content search range” option at the top of the basic search box users can further narrow results. The China Masters’ Thesis Full-Text Database option works the same way.
• Chinese Proceedings of Conference Full-text Database: A collection of the proceedings of domestic and international conferences by societies, associations, universities, institutions and governments.
• China Core Newspapers Full Text Database: Searches recent news coverage from top publications.
• China Yearbooks Full-text Database: A yearbook search engine that allows users to search by keyword, industry, or location (see bar on far lefthand side of the screen for latter two options).
• China Statistical Yearbook Database: Statistical yearbooks from 1980s-the present covering wide variety of topics. Users can choose among and then search within a wide variety of (topical) yearbooks.
• China Legal Knowledge Integrated Database: Users can search by paper name, case name, or law title. Users can also conduct general keyword searches.