Reading Scholarly Articles
How To Read A Scholarly Article
Read The Abstract
The abstract will give you a general understanding of the article. Also, pay attention to the authors and their titles.
Read The Conclusion
The conclusion will summarize the author's findings including ways of improving the research.
Read The Introduction
The introduction will set up the layout of the article and the main argument of the article.
Tip #1: Highlight important ideas.
Read The First And Last Sentence Of Each Paragraph
The first and last sentence of each paragraph will give you a brief understanding of the discussion.
Tip #2: Take notes on the margins.
Read The Rest Of The Article
After getting a general idea of the article, read the entire article to get a full picture of the author's argument.
Tip #3: Repeat steps one and two.
Research Databases
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Music Index Online This link opens in a new window Music Index Online covers topics concerned with every aspect of the classical and popular world of music. Dates of coverage: 1979-present.
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RILM Full Text This link opens in a new window Comprehensive music bibliography providing international coverage of music literature. Dates of coverage: 1775 to the present.
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RIPM Jazz Periodicals This link opens in a new window RIPM Jazz Periodicals is a collection of 105 American full-text jazz journals and magazines published. Developed in collaboration with the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University and partner libraries, RIPM Jazz Periodicals is an essential documentary resource that chronicles American jazz culture as seen through the eyes of its contemporaries. (Dates of coverage: 1914-2000)
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Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Multidisciplinary - good for nearly all subjects. Scholarly and trade journals, popular magazines, newspapers, conference proceedings, book reviews, and more.
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JSTOR This link opens in a new windowScholarly journal archive for the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences; current issues (usually the last 2-5 years) are not digitized by JSTOR and may be obtained elsewhere.
Video: Finding Journal Articles using Music Index & RILM
Newspaper Databases
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Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
Full-text coverage of newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic, minority, and native press in America. Dates of Coverage: 1959 to date
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Factiva This link opens in a new window
Full-text global news sources, including newspapers, newswires, television and radio transcripts, numerous regional and industry publications, and images from Reuters, along with financial data including business ratios. Content comes from ~160 countries in 22 languages. Only 3 Oberlin users at one time.
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Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
A wide range of news, political, legal, and business information from thousands of sources, mostly full text. Includes newspapers, magazines, wire services, federal and state court opinions, federal and state statutes, federal regulations, and SEC filings. News information is updated daily and wire services several times daily.
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Newspaper Source This link opens in a new window
Newspaper Source provides full text for hundreds of national, regional (U.S.), and international newspapers, as well as full-text television, radio, and news transcripts.