Searching for Known Articles
When searching for a known journal article using the article's title, author, and other publication information, you may need to consult several search tools. For articles you cannot locate using university resources, consider placing an interlibrary loan request.
- Google Scholar Vanderbilt Login This link opens in a new windowUse this link to seamlessly access VU resources via Google Scholar both on and off campus.
You can also adjust your Google Scholar settings to display the Vanderbilt Findit@VU link to appear in search results and allow for access from on or off-campus. Access Google Scholar settings by visiting this page (https://scholar.google.com/scholar_settings).
Click library links on the left hand menu. in the search box, search for Vanderbilt and select: “Vanderbilt University Library – Findit@VU” (with uppercase F), Click Save.
- Library Catalog Article SearchThe library catalog is not just for books; it is also a centralized search point for journal articles from the leading resource for law journal articles, HeinOnline, and a host of other academic databases.
NOTE: Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg do NOT provide library catalog records for journal articles, so articles that are available on those databases will NOT appear in catalog search results.
- Search for Journals by TitleBecause not all articles are well indexed by the catalog or Google Scholar, you may wish to first locate a journal by publication title in the catalog, determining the scope of coverage in electronic (or print) formats at Vanderbilt. If your publication issue/date is available electronically then you can select the applicable database from the catalog and browse to your article from the table of contents.
Searching for Articles by Subject or Keywords
When you want to search for a topic, you can search using words you think of that describe your concept - this is called Keyword Searching. You can also search using words that the database uses to index and describe your topic - this is called Subject Searching. You can think of subject searching as being similar to using the index in the back of a book to find exactly what you are looking for.
What is keyword searching?
Keyword searching uses any words you can think of that best describe your topic. Keyword searches will be broad: title, source and contents of each item will be searched for your keyword(s). This is the reason your searches may retrieve too many, too few, or completely irrelevant items. That is why using this method is a good way to start your research process. A keyword search can be the first step on the way to finding subject headings appropriate to your topic and using them to get more relevant results.
What is subject searching?
Subject searching uses subject headings that come from a predetermined list of possible terms and reflect the content of the item. Most academic libraries use Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) for Subject Search of their online catalogs. A subject search is more specific than a keyword search: it looks in only one field of each record - the subject field. Many databases use subject headings that are unique to that particular database. This controlled vocabulary allows for consistency of terms across the database. For example, Medline database uses MeSH - medical subject headings and CINAHL database also has its own unique headings. These subject headings can be found in the database's thesaurus. In the thesaurus subjects are often listed with broader, narrower, or related subjects. Using the database's thesaurus will help you identify the most effective search terms.
Research Tip
Use both keyword searching AND subject searching to get better results:
- Start your search with keyword searching; use your own words that best describe your topic.
- After getting results, focus on the most relevant record(s), and among subject headings, presented in them; choose the most suitable subject headings for your topic. In some databases subject headings can also be called "terms" or "descriptors".
- Now is the time to turn to subject headings for your further search.
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