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Articles: Finding Full Text

Option 1: Summon

How it works

Search Summon for the article title. If Oberlin has access, you should get a direct link to the article.

When it's useful

This is a great option for anyone who values speed, isn't sure what a "journals," "volumes," and "issues" are, and doesn't mind if every once in a while it gives you an incorrect answer (Summon can lag behind updates made to individual library databases by as much as a week). 

What's an article title? 

In most major citation styles, the article title will fall near the beginning of a citation, often designated with quotation marks. An article title will almost never be in italics. Learn more about commonly used citation styles

 

Option 2: Journal Finder

How it works

  1. Search the Journal Finder for the journal title (or newspaper or magazine title). 
  2. Review which platforms have access to that journal for which dates, pick a platform that has the needed date.
  3. Use the date, volume, and issue information in the citation to navigate to the right issue of the journal. 
  4. Browse that issue to find your article. 

When it's useful

This is a great option if you value accuracy over speed, feel comfortable reading academic citations for articles, and know what volumes and issues are. It's also very useful for troubleshooting when linking from Summon gets weird. 

What's a journal title? 

The title of the larger container an article is published in (e.g. ABA journal of affordable housing & community development law). In most citation styles, the journal title will be italics. Learn more about identifying article titles in commonly used citation styles

What are volumes and issues? 

Volumes and issues are groups of articles published at the same time and given identifying numbers (e.g. Volume 5, Issue 2). Typically all of the articles in an issue will be released on the same day and several issues released throughout a year go into one volume. Learn more about identifying volumes and issues in commonly used citation styles

Caveats for newspaper articles

1. If the article is current, check the Major Papers guide to see if Oberlin has a subscription to the current website for that paper. 

2. If the article is historical, check the OhioLink catalog to see if you can request that microfilm of the relevant paper be delivered to Oberlin. 

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