Tips
Tip:
What's a DOI?
Many citation styles now require that a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) be included in your citation, if available. To see if a journal article has been assigned a DOI, you can look it up on CrossRef or Ask a Librarian.
Tip:
Looking for materials from U.S. government sources?
Enter your search terms into the library catalog and use the Advanced Search to limit your Material Type to Government Document. For additional support, see Finding Government Information.
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Need a book we don't own?
Use interlibrary services to request books, articles, and more from other libraries.
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Need the PDF/full-text?
Use Article Linker to search for full-text across all databases. If the article isn't available, choose Request via ILLiad or use interlibrary services to request a copy from another library.
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Using Google Scholar?
Sync your Google account with USU. This will get you past paywalls for articles USU subscribes to by having you login with your A# and password.
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Need strategies for reading academic journal articles?
Use this reading guide from the library to help you understand the major sections of academic articles and develop strategies for quickly understanding them. Or check out the handout linked below for more details.
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Which citation organizer should you choose?
Watch this video that highlights the pros and cons of each citation organizer in order to choose the software that best fits your needs!
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Need help synthesizing your research?
This guide can help you incorporate the research you've found from other authors into your paper by synthesizing it with your own voice!
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Need to find a specific journal?
You can search for a specific journal on the library website. If you need help finding specific journals check out our FAQ on this topic.
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Need to get caught up on a topic?
Try CQ Researcher! It provides in-depth coverage, including pro-con arguments, of the important issues of the day.
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Struggling to find or identify peer-reviewed/scholarly articles?
Read our guide on peer-review to learn how to identify scholarly vs. popular sources and find the right type of information to suit your needs.
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Medline vs. PubMed
Medline is a subset of the publicly available Pubmed database. Medline contains articles from a set of carefully reviewed publications.
Tip:
The Merrill-Cazier Library at USU subscribes to Lean Library, a browser plug-in that alerts you when online content is available through the library while you are doing your research both on and off-campus. Lean Library works no matter how you do your research.
Questions?
