Find Articles
- Academic Search UltimateThis is a multidisciplinary collection of articles from scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers and other sources.
- ScopusDatabase of peer-reviewed journal articles. Full text is not included, but Article Linker provides access to full-text articles when available.
Tip:
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.
- Wildlife and Ecology Studies WorldwideThis database includes a global perspective on wild mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
- Agricultural & Environmental Science DatabaseThis database includes the AGRICOLA, TOXLINE, ESPM (Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) databases and provides full-text titles from around the world, including scholarly journals, trade and industry journals, magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, and government publications.
- JSTORMultidisciplinary journal collection, including the social sciences, humanities, and sciences.
- Google ScholarMultidisciplinary scholarly search engine. Covers peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts, and articles from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities, and other scholarly organizations. Includes links to USU resources when on campus.
Tip:
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.
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.
Predatory Publishing
Academics can be under a lot of pressure to publish. In response, a trend called predatory publishing has arisen- these publishers do what they can to exploit the hard work of researchers. You can read some more information in this predatory publishing guide from Iowa State.
- Consult The Directory of Open Access Journals to verify the credibility of open access journals
- Consult Ulrich's Periodicals Directory to learn more about the publications you are citing
- Ulrich's Periodicals DirectoryDirectory of journals, magazines, newsletters, zines, newspapers, etc. Coverage is international in scope.
Reading the Scientific Literature
Reading a scientific paper isn't like reading a book. Hint: Don't try to read it straight through from beginning to end!
Here are some tips to help you become skilled:
How to Read a Scientific Paper - Infographic from Elsevier
How to Read a Scientific Article by Mary Purugganan, Ph.D. and Jan Hewitt, Ph.D., Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication at Rice University
How to Read a Scientific Paper - Minimally modified from John W. Little and Roy Parker at the University of Arizona (which is no longer retrievable). This version is from a Biology course from by taught by Professor Devoto Fall 2011 at Wesleyan University.
How to read and understand a scientific paper: a guide for non-scientists
Help for Statewide Campus/Online Students
As a USU Statewide or Online student, you can access all of the library's databases, articles, and e-books from home or anywhere with Internet. To access library resources from the USU Libraries website, a research guide (like this!), or your Canvas course, you will be prompted to enter your A number and password. For more information on how to order physical books, get research help, and other time-saving tips, visit the Library Services for Statewide and Online Users website.
