1. Begin at the Library's homepage (linked above).
You can also start at the myMillikin page. Look for the "Academics" section on the right and then click on "Library Databases."
2. Click on the Search Databases button under "Find Articles, Audio & Video."
3. You can access the databases by name or by subject.
4. Unless you have a specific database in mind, think about what you are researching. Your topic is part of what subjects? Click on the subject(s) for your topic.
5. You will then see a listing of database in that subject area. Click on one of them to begin searching. Keep in mind that different database will return different results, even in the same subject area, so make sure to try more than one!
6. Each database is a little different, but they all have some things in common.
7. Every database has a box where you can type in the words for your search. Most database have multiple boxes. Try putting each of your search concepts in a separate box.
8. After you have conducted your search you will see a list of results.
9. In most databases you will be presented with options for narrowing down your results. These limits may include date, format type, subject, age, geographic location, etc.
10. When you find an article that looks interesting, click on the title to find out more about it.
11. The abstract is a short summary of the article. The subject terms are what the article is about and can be clicked on to find more articles on the same subject.
Staley Library provides access to over 80 databases, how do you choose the best one?
From the Staley Library Databases List use the "Databases by Subject" links to find a database that offers resources in your subject area or the area that you are researching. If you aren't sure which subject area to choose, feel free to start with our multi-disciplinary databases.
Below is a sample of library databases that may be helpful to you for your research assignment.
So, you have found an article in a library database that looks interesting and now you want to read the entire article? Here's how you do it.
1. After clicking on the title in the results list, look through the record for a link that says PDF Full Text, HTML Full Text or View PDF. Any of these options will show you the entire article, which you can then download.
HTML Full Text is only the text of the article, while the PDF Full Text contains all of the charts, graphs, and images in the original article.
A great way to save your article for later is to use the email option. You can email the article to any email address and in most databases you can send an APA or MLA style citation as well.
2. If there is no link to the full text article, look for the Find It! link.
3. After you click on Find It!, you will be taken into Millikin Library Discovery and will be presented with different options for getting the full text of the article.
Option #1: Electronic Full Text
Sometimes articles will be available electronically in another database. Look under "View Online" for Full text availability and then a database name. Click on the link and you'll be taken to the database or website where you can access the full text.
Option #2: Check Print Availability
Sometimes the library owns the journal in print or microfilm. If so, you'll see this information in the "Get It" section of the page. You'll need to check the years of the journal that the library owns and if it covers the year of the article that you are looking for. If so, you can photocopy or scan the article.
Option #3: Request through Interlibrary Loan
If the library does not have electronic access to the article and does not own it in print, then you can request a copy through Interlibrary Loan.
You will need to be logged into Millikin Library Discovery to see the Request through Interlibrary Loan link in the "How to get it" part of the page.
Click the link that says Request through Interlibrary Loan. This will open a new window (you may need to login with your myMillikin username and password). Check to make sure that the request information looks correct and then click "Submit Request."
You will receive an email when your article is available electronically in your ILLiad account (typically in 2-3 business days).