Research Basics: How to Find Articles

Periodicals are publications which are issued at regular intervals, such as journals, magazines, and newspapers.

To help you identify different periodicals, refer to the Types of Periodicals guide.

Depending on the database you are using, articles may be displayed in different formats:

• Index: Includes only the article citation (i.e., author, title, date, etc.). Neither a summary, nor the full-text of the article are available.
• Abstract: Includes the citation and a summary of the article's content. It does not include the full-text article.
• Full-text: Includes the citation and full-text article. This may be in HTML, .pdf, or both formats.

Article databases provide you with 24-7 access to magazine, journal and newspaper articles. To help you identify the most appropriate database for your research topic:

• consult the Database A-Z  guide and use the pull down menu to limit your search by subject, and/or
• see if there is a Research Guide on your topic. Relevant databases are listed on the Articles tab.

Posted with permission from North Carolina State University Libraries.

For a complete listing of publications available at the Tri-County College Library, visit our Publication Finder. You can search by subject areas (i.e., majors) or by title. Even if you don't know the entire title, you can still search by the words you do know.