Biology: Find Articles

There are a number of electronic resources you can use for research in your area. The databases on this page are some of the more useful ones.  You can also search for a specific journal using the search box below. If you cannot find what you need, please contact the Subject Specialist.

Access is granted through the same credentials you use for MyJSU.  When you select any of our electronic resources, databases or journals, you will be routed to MyJSU.

It is important to note that users will still be verified through the Library's system, so if there is a problem with your record in the Library’s System, you will be prompted to contact us at 256.782.5758 or 1-800-231-5291.

Start with these databases to locate articles

To find articles on a topic, you will need to search in databases that index the articles in various journals. Depending on your topic, you may want to start with the following:

• To find an individual article when you already have a citation, use the default GEM Finder search on the Library’s homepage. Start by searching by Title from the drop-down selections.
• To find an online journal, click on the radio button for Journal Title List on the Library's homepage to conduct a search using Publication Finder. You can then choose the year, volume, and issue of the journal if it is available.
• If a journal is not available, you can request an article from another library through Interlibrary Loan, if you are eligible.
• Found your article? Check the subject headings/keywords for search terms and look at the references used by the author(s)
• Need to find the article again? One method is to export the reference to RefWorks, which saves the URL
• Find background information on your topic in references like AccessScience.
• Look for articles marked Review Articles in databases.
• Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)
• Make a list or a worksheet with searches/keywords that worked, and which databases you used.