CCOM 3250: Article search

Need Help?

Ask us!


Report access issues here →

About these databases

Multi-disciplinary vs. subject-specific databases: advantages and disadvantages 

Multi-disciplinary:

  • Broad subject coverage, good for topics that don't fit neatly into one specific subject
  • Good for initial exploration, but you must rely more on keyword searching 
  • Searches at the lowest common denominator for all the databases/subjects covered
  • Require more skill in creating a search strategy, and awareness of interface limits

Subject-specific:

  • Often allow more complex, sophisticated search strategies, strategies that may be specific to that database
  • Often have better-defined controlled vocabulary (aka subject headings!)
  • Only provide subject-specific coverage. For topics that don't fit neatly into one subject area, can require repeating searches in several different databases for complete coverage.

Multi-disciplinary databases

Business Databases

Psychology Databases

Getting the Articles

Here's a short video showing how Find it @ MU works. (About 4 minutes long.)

Two common ways to find out if the Libraries have access to the articles you need:

1) You are searching in an article database, but it doesn't have the full-text:  

Click on  Findit@MU button in the article citation. Another window / tab opens with two possible options:

  • Links indicating Find it @MU may have located one or more sources for full text of the article. Click on the links and follow the trail to the article. 
  • Links to search MARQCAT by the journal title or its ISSN number. The journal may be available in print or electronically through a source not searchable by Find it @MU.

2) You already have a specific citation and aren't currently searching in a database:

  • Search for the journal title in MARQCAT, the library catalog;
  • Do not search the title or author of the article, MARQCAT doesn't contain article level information.

The MARQCAT record will indicate what years we have in print and/or online, providing call number locations for the print and links to the e-journal.  Once at the e-journal, navigate to the volume, issue and page that you need.

Questions:

Didn't find the article/journal using Find it @MU or MARQCAT?  Request the article through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) by clicking on the link at the bottom of the Find it @MU window or tab.  Learn more about ILL here.

Ever wonder why the full-text isn't there?  Watch this short video about the Business of Information.