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Nursing Research Guide

A guide for research in nursing and health sciences.

Finding Articles

Finding Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

When it comes to searching for scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, you have 3 main options

  1. OneSearch - use the library's discovery tool on the library homepage to find articles (as well as books and other library resources). 

  2. Recommended Databases - search one or more of these individually to focus your results. Each database provides access to different journals.

  3. Google Scholar - cast a wide net and search for articles across the web; just remember to change your settings so that you get access to the full text!

Try more than one of the options above. No one is better than another, but they may yield different results. Each is described in detail below. 

OneSearch

OneSearch logo

1. Start on the library homepage, and in the OneSearch box, enter the keywords for your topic and click Articles. 
Hint: Keep your keywords simple and avoid any unnecessary language (e.g. and, the, of, about, effects, influence, etc...). A quick search on Wikipedia can often help you find search terms that you can use to look for articles. Make a list of synonyms and related terms and use those in your search. 

2. The next page will display your results.  On the left side of the screen, click the option for Peer Reviewed Journals.  Articles with full text will display an "online full text available" link.  Articles without full text can be requested through Interlibrary Loan. 

Recommended Databases

Below is a list of databases for research in nursing and related disciplines.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar logo

Google Scholar is a great tool for finding scholarly content, including journal articles. Google Scholar crawls the table of contents of scholarly publications and links to the full text when available. In order to get access to more articles in full text, be sure to change your settings to include content that the Cal Poly Humboldt Library has purchased for you to access. Otherwise, unless an article is Open Access, you will likely be asked to purchase the article. 

1. First, click on the "Settings" link in Google Scholar

2. Then, click on "Library Links." 

3. Next, search for "Cal Poly Humboldt" and check the box next to "Cal Poly Humboldt - Find It @ Humboldt" and click "Save." 

4. Now, when you do a search in Google Scholar, you will see an extra link either below or to the right of the article citation (you may need to click on "More" to see it). 

5. The Find it @ Humboldt link will tell you where to access the full text if we have it or will link you to interlibrary loan to request it (may take up to 2 weeks, but most arrive much quicker). Keep in mind that most of the library's articles are available electronically through the databases but there are some that are in print or microfilm. Stop by the Research Help Desk on the first floor of the library if you need help finding these articles.

Getting the Full Text

If you find an article citation in a library database and can't locate the PDF or HTML full text, try clicking on the "Find It @ HSU" button. 

This will link to a page that will tell you if the articles is available in full text in another database. If not, you'll see a link to our interlibrary loan service.

More about interlibrary loan

Interlibrary Loan

Didn't Find What You Were Looking For? Request It From Another Library. 

Interlibrary Loan, or ILL, allows you to access items from around the world that can't be found at the Cal Poly Humboldt Library or are currently not available. Place a request and you'll be notified via email when the item is available. 

The first time you use interlibrary loan, you may be required to register. Go to the Resource Sharing Request form to get started.

Citing Your Sources

Citing Your Sources: Research Guide for most citation styles used at HSU.

Online Skillshops: Canvas tutorials that include topics such as APA and MLA citation and Zotero citation management.