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The University of Massachusetts Amherst

International Student Library Guide

Tips on getting the most out of the UMass Libraries.

How to get full text articles

UMLinks

When searching for articles, look for the UMLinks button. It will find the full text of your article online if it's available through the libraries. Or, it will search the library catalog for you to see if we have your article in print--or let you request it via Interlibrary Loan.

Ways to Find Articles

There are several ways in which to find journal articles:

  • You can search by database name or by database subject 
  • If you have some of the article information (journal title, article title, author, volume, year, etc., use the "Citation Linker" from the library homepage
  • You can search Ejournals
  • You can search in the Library Catalog by journal title

All of the above should be accessed from the Library Home Page.

If you are off campus you will need to go though the Library Home Page and be authenticated using your NetID.

Peer-reviewed or Scholarly Journals

Easy ways to find out if a particular journal is peer reviewed (or scholarly or refereed):

  • If you're searching for articles in certain databases, you can limit your search to peer-reviewed sources by checking a box on the search screen. For some databases, you may have to use "Advanced Search" to do this.
  • If you're using an e-journal, find the "About this journal" link on the journal's page.If you're looking at a print journal, look at the editorial statement or instructions to authors (usually in the first few pages of the journal or at the end) for references to the peer-review process.
  • Another way is to look up the journal in Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory to find out whether the journal is peer reviewed. If Ulrichsweb says the journal is "refereed", it's peer reviewed. Look for Ulrichsweb in the Libraries' database collection.

Ask a Librarian!

Contact Information

Du Bois Library Research Services
Phone 413-545-2623

Sciences and Engineering Library Reference
Phone 413-545-6741