Searching for Articles
You can find articles from academic journals both on the library shelf (just search for the journal name in the catalog to find the call number and location of the volume you need) or in online databases. KU Libraries subscribes to more than 350 different databases with access to thousands of academic journals. You can choose the Recommended Databases tab for a list of the databases that are useful for most English 102 assignments. This page contains information on finding articles as well as links to citation information, KU Libraries' "Ask a Librarian" instant messenger, and KU Libraries' locations and hours.
Databases vs. the Internet
Library databases or the Internet provide different kinds of sources for research.
- Library databases contain journal, newspaper, and magazine articles and other published sources.
- The Libraries pay for access to this information not usually available for free in a Google search.
- Free Web sources may or may not contain reliable information.
- For help determining whether Internet information is reliable, visit here.
Scholarly journals vs. popular magazines
Scholarly, academic, peer-reviewed journals
- Written by experts in the field
- Contain bibliographies
- Contain field-specific jargon
Popular magazines
- Written by journalists
- Typically don’t contain citations
- Written in everyday language
Database Searching
Research Help
We can help with your research questions -- contact us by chat, phone, email, text or at a Research Help desk.
About
This page contains information exploring how to successfully locate articles using library databases as well as links to citation information, KU Libraries' "Ask a Librarian" instant messenger, and KU Libraries' locations and hours.