How to find articles
Step 6 - Locate articles you selected
Does the library have the article you need? Is it available online?
In many databases, you will be able to view the complete text of an article by following the link that appears together with the citation. The link may be marked as "PDF full text" or "HTML full text".
When there are no direct links to the complete article in the database, look for the "Find it! @ Concordia" button, which can save you a lot of time. "Find it! @ Concordia" will try to locate an electronic copy of the article you are looking for.
However, if you do not find a match for your article, you can check the Sofia Discovery tool, to determine if the Library has the particular volume and issue of the journal in which the article is published (either in electronic or in print format).
For example, you have the following citation:
Nogué, J., & Villanova, J. L. (2002). Spanish colonialism in Morocco and the Sociedad Geográfica de Madrid, 1876-1956. Journal of Historical Geography, 28(1), 1-20.
On the Advanced Search screen, select the Title Search Index, and enter the name of the journal. At the bottom of the Advanced Search screen, in the Format drop-down menu, select Journal/Magazine. Journals may be in print or electronic format. Make sure to look at the subscription years to see if they cover the years for which your article was published.
If you have a citation for an article, another option to see if it is available online is to use the article search in the Sofia Discovery tool.
What if the article is not available at Concordia?
- Try searching Google or Google Scholar by using the significant words or a phrase from the title of the article combined with the last name of the author. You may also try searching for the title of the journal using quotations. This will often lead to the publisher's Web site. Browse the site to see if the article you need is freely available. Some publishers allow access to older articles without subscription.
- You can also submit an interlibrary loan request using Sofia.
- If you prefer to go to another library that has a printed version of your article and photocopy it yourself, a list of local libraries with links to their catalogues is available on the Library Web site.
