Where is the Article?
will lead you to the full-text of articles.
Integrated into many databases, Find@BU will help you get the article in one of three ways:
- If BU has online access, provider links appear in the Find Online section of a BU Libraries Search record.
- If BU has the print journal, the library and the call number appear in the record. Go to the library and scan the article for free, using our easy self-service scanners.
- If the record indicates we do not have it, sign-in to BU Libraries Search, and a link will lead to our interlibrary loan request form.
Featured Database: LGBTQ+ Source
This database provides scholarly and popular LGBTQ+ publications in full text, plus historically important primary sources, including monographs, magazines and newspapers. It also includes a specialized thesaurus containing thousands of terms relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.
Most Comprehensive Article Databases
- BU Libraries Search (BULS) This link opens in a new window BU Libraries Search provides a single place to search for a wide variety of academic material provided by the library. The material covered by the search includes books, journals, scores, video and audio recordings, and other physical items held by the library. The search also covers ebooks and ejournals owned by the library, as well as online material provided by the library from a variety of sources.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new window Google Scholar provides access to academic literature from many disciplines. The sources include articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions and come from diverse places including academic publishers, online repositories and other websites.
More Databases
- APA PsycINFO This link opens in a new window PsycInfo provides access to journal articles, books and book chapters, and dissertations that cover the scholarly literature in the psychological, social, behavioral, and health sciences. It includes material of relevance to psychologists and professionals in related fields such as psychiatry, management, business, education, social science, neuroscience, law, medicine, and social work. Date coverage: 1894-
- Black Abolitionist Papers This link opens in a new window This collection searches a unique set of primary sources from African Americans actively involved in the movement to end slavery in the United States between 1830 and 1865. The content includes letters, speeches, editorials, articles, sermons, and essays from libraries and archives in England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and the United States. Supported by the Boston University Humanities Library Endowed Fund.
- Child Care and Early Education Research Connections This link opens in a new window This continuously updated database includes full text for many peer-reviewed research articles, data sets, books, reports, instruments, and government documents. The collected items are relevant to early education and child care research and policy, and bibliographic information is available for many well known series such as the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS). Date coverage is generally from 1960+.
- Child Development & Adolescent Studies This link opens in a new window This database includes books, book chapters, journal articles, dissertations and theses, and technical reports related to the growth and development of children through the age of 21. Date coverage: 1927-
- Contemporary Women's Issues This link opens in a new window Contemporary Women's Issues provides full-text access to international information on women in over 190 countries. Indexes journals and books, as well as "gray literature" - newsletters, NGO research reports, fact sheets, and other ephemeral literature from research institutes and grassroots organizations. Date coverage: 1992 - present.
- Education Database This link opens in a new window Education Database provides access to a large number of academic publications, including many articles in full text. The coverage spans all levels of education and is particularly strong in the topics of special education, educational administration, early childhood education, and higher education. Date coverage: 1988 - present.
- Education Full Text This link opens in a new window Education Full Text provides records for research articles and other scholarly materials, some available in full text, covering all levels from early childhood to higher education. Subject coverage includes special education, teaching methods, leadership, global education and much more. Date coverage: full text 1996 - present; abstracts 1983 - present.
- ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) This link opens in a new window ERIC is a collection of journal articles, association reports, conference papers, government documents, books and other materials on education-related topics. Some items are available in full text. This database is particularly useful for public policy, curriculum studies, administration, and youth literature. Date coverage: 1960s - present with some earlier items.
- Exploring Race in Society This link opens in a new window This research database covers issues related to race in society today. Essays, articles, reports and other reliable sources provide an in-depth look at the history of race and provide critical context for learning more about topics associated with race, ethnicity, diversity and inclusiveness.
- HistoryMakers: African American Video Oral History Collection This link opens in a new window HistoryMakers is a collection of video oral history interviews with historically significant African Americans. Transcripts are included with the interviews.
- Kanopy This link opens in a new window Kanopy is a provider of documentaries, training films, and theatrical releases available as streaming video. Clips from the videos can be embedded in presentations or shown in class. Films in the Boston University Libraries catalog are licensed to Boston University for educational and research use only, for BU students, faculty, and staff.
- LGBTQ+ Source This link opens in a new window This database provides scholarly and popular LGBTQ+ publications in full text, plus historically important primary sources, including monographs, magazines and newspapers. It also includes a specialized thesaurus containing thousands of terms relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.
- NAACP Papers (ProQuest History Vault) This link opens in a new window The NAACP Papers collections contains internal memos, legal briefings, and direct action summaries from national, legal, and branch offices throughout the country. It charts the work of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and delivers a first-hand view into crucial issues of the struggle for civil rights.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) This link opens in a new window This database contains indexing and abstracts of American doctoral dissertations accepted at accredited institutions since 1861 and a selection from other countries. Masters theses are included selectively. Date coverage: full text 1997 - present; abstracts 1980 - present; indexing 1861 - present.
- Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection This link opens in a new window This database includes the full text of articles from more than 500 journals. It covers a broad range of topics related to psychology and the behavioral sciences including observational and experimental methods, child and adolescent psychology, and many areas of counseling. Date coverage: 1945-
- Women's Studies International This link opens in a new window Women's Studies International indexes women's studies, women's issues and gender-focused journal and magazine articles, books and book chapters, dissertations and reports worldwide. Date coverage: 1972 - present.
Search Tips
Consider what database to use! There is no single most important database - not even Google. Be aware of differences such as the size of the database and if it uses a "controlled vocabulary".
- BU Libraries Search and Google Scholar - advanced algorithms with advantages/disadvantages
- other smaller databases available through BU / PsycINFO (curation), Education Full Text
Search Tips
- How to select effective search terms: see the Living Language Guide
a. common search tips (truncate with *, use "" for phrase search, {grouping with synonyms})
b. effective terms (methodology vs "study", "participants", author/experts, etc.)
Tip: Try Forward Searching
Have you found a great article and want to see more like it?
Try forward searching - also known as "cited reference searching". This allows you to see if a particular article has been cited in more recent research. This is an excellent way to:
- See if an article has been influential in the field. If an article has been cited many times, this can mean that it has had a strong impact on a given area of research.
- Check to make sure you are getting the most current information. An author who has cited an article that you have found may provide you with more up-to-date information.
- Find additional information on your topic.
These are two tools for forward searching:
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new window Google Scholar provides access to academic literature from many disciplines. The sources include articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions and come from diverse places including academic publishers, online repositories and other websites.
- Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) This link opens in a new window Social Sciences Citation Index, accessed via Web of Science, provides comprehensive data on bibliographic and citation information. This database allows a researcher to identify which later articles have cited any particular earlier article, or have cited the articles of any particular author, or have been cited most frequently. Searches notable and significant journals across more than 50 disciplines. Date coverage: 1965 - present.
Librarian
Interlibrary Loan
Our interlibrary loan service allows current BU faculty, staff, and students to request materials we don't have. Books generally take 1-3 weeks to arrive; articles are generally delivered electronically within 1-2 days.