Library Hours: 7:30am to 12:00am
Eastern Michigan University Library
Basic Article Search
Introduction
There are three different ways in which you can search for articles from the EMU Library homepage. This tutorial introduces you to all of these options. If you would like to skip directly to a particular topic, click a link below.
- Finding Articles Using the "Articles & More" tab
- Finding Articles Using the "Databases" tab
- Finding Articles Using the "Journals by Title" tab
Finding Articles Using the "Articles & More" tab
Searching
By default, the "Articles & More" tab should be active when you navigate to the library's homepage. If not, simply click it to begin your search.
Type your search terms, or keywords, into the search box and click the "Search" button. If you need assistance in developing keywords, please see the Research 101 tutorial or consult a librarian.
Limiting
The results page is composed of two main sections—a shaded area with options to limit your search and the actual results. To limit to articles, go to the "Content Type" limiter in the shaded area on the left of the screen and select the box next to the "Journal Article" limiter. The page will refresh and display only articles found in the library's collection.
If you would like to further limit to scholarly publications, go to the "Refine Your Search" limiter in the shaded area on the left of the screen and select the box next to the "Limit to Articles from scholarly publications, including peer-review." Once again, the page will refresh and display your modified results.
Further limiting is possible by selecting or de-selecting different criteria, or facets, in the shaded column at the left. Simply click a box directly to the left of a term. If there is a check mark in the box, it is selected.
Clicking the "more options" link at the bottom of the list will bring up a pop-up screen that allows you to select items to include as well as those you wish to exclude. There are sorting options in the upper right corner of this box that allow you to organize the list either alphabetically or according to the number of results.
Results
By default, items are sorted according to relevance. If you would like to change the sort order, use the drop-down menu in the shaded region at the top of the results.
Sometimes, Summon will suggest particular databases in which to continue your search. This information will appear highlighted at the top of the results list. Clicking the database's name will transport you out of Summon and to the particular database.
Icons found in the results indicate the format of the item—e.g. book, journal article, etc.—and full-text availability.
Hovering over a title will open a pop-up, which includes more detailed information about the item.
Click the title to locate the article in the EMU Library's holdings. For articles, this will usually open a FindText+ window. For more information on how to use FindText+, see the Using FindText+ tutorial.
Finding Articles Using the "Databases" tab
Sometimes, you may find that you need to search a particular database for articles. To navigate to the database, begin by clicking the "Databases" tab. From this tab, you can either search for databases by name or by subject area.
Searching for databases by name
If you know the name of your desired database, click on the appropriate letter and scroll through the results until you find it. To navigate to the database, simply click on its name.
Often, the library has various informational tools designed to assist you with your searches in a particular database. To access these tools, look for "Search Instruction" information and follow the link.
Searching for databases by subject area
If you do not know the name of your desired database, you can also search by subject area. Choose a subject category from the drop-down menu and click the "Go" button.
The results page is split into various categories. At the top of the page, you will find the recommended databases for beginning your search. To navigate to a database, simply click on its name.
Often, the library has various informational tools designed to assist you with your searches in a particular database. To access these tools, look for the "Search Instruction" information and follow the link.
