Research Guides: Speech: Interpersonal Communication: Find Scholarly Articles

Find Articles: Research Databases

For the best success start with a library database or use library e-resources in conjunction with Google Scholar.

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Research across all subject areas from more than 9,000 full text journals; over 13,800 indexed & abstracted journals. You can limit your search results to scholarly (peer-reviewed) journals. Selected PDF content dating back as far as 1887. Updated daily.
Science Direct This link opens in a new window
Access to 2,500 SCHOLARLY JOURNALS in science, technology, and medicine. Also includes content in the social sciences.
Coverage: 1995 to present
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection This link opens in a new window
This database covers information concerning topics in emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational & experimental methods. Access to over 500 full-text journals.

Keywords vs. Subject Terms

What's the difference between using KEYWORDS and SUBJECT TERMS?

Choosing the right words when searching can help or hinder the quality and quantity of results you get. Be flexible with the terminology you use.

Keyword searching uses natural (familiar) language; it’s a good way to begin your search; more flexible, yet sometimes search results are irrelevant
[Examples: car, baby, doctor, dog]
Subject searching uses a “controlled vocabulary”…very standardized terminology; it looks for your search terms only in specialized fields; less flexible, however more results are relevant to your topic
[Examples: automobile, infant, physician, canine]

What is a library database? [01:56]

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Popular Magazines vs. Scholarly Journals

POPULAR MAGAZINES	SCHOLARLY JOURNALS
Its purpose is to inform or entertain	Its aim is to report on scholarly research
Articles typically short in length	Longer articles with in-depth analysis
Written by a reporter, journalist, or staff writer	Written by a scholarly expert or specialist (credentials provided)
Articles are reviewed by editorial staff	Articles are peer-reviewed & critically evaluated by scholars
Little or no references are included as support	Sources are always cited in a formal bibliography
Slick & attractive in appearance with advertisements & glossy photos	Very structured format: abstract, methodology, literature review, results, conclusion. No frills.
Examples: People, National Geographic, Reader's Digest	Examples: Young Children, New England Journal of Medicine, Harvard Business Review

Google Scholar [00:56]

What is Google Scholar and how can it help me find academic journal articles?

-- "Google Scholar provides a simple way to BROADLY search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites."

Content coverage in Google Scholar appears strong in the science and technology subjects, and weak in the humanities.

Students should be aware that Google Scholar provides very limited access to full text articles from specific disciplines. If you only find a citation (or abstract) for the article you are interested in, you can search one of the library's databases for the full text using the citation information you found.

And if your article is not available from any HCC library database, see a Reference Librarian to find out if it can be obtained from the UH Manoa's Hamilton Library. Students are encouraged to make use of resources (electronic & print) offered primarily through Honolulu Community College's library.

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