Finding Periodical Articles

What are Periodicals?	Periodicals are publications that contain a number of articles on various subjects by different authors AND are published at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.) Magazines, journals, and newspapers are different types of periodicals.
Where are the magazines and journals?	Magazines and journals are shelved on the Main Floor of Ramsey Library. Latest issues: On current periodicals shelves Near the Research Support Desk on the main floor Arranged by call number May be available in electronic format (Perform a Periodical Title search in the Library Catalog.) Older issues: Bound volumes Main floor Arranged by call number Microfilm/microfiche Main floor Arranged alphabetically by title of journal Electronic access through online subscriptions (Perform a Periodical Title search in the Library Catalog.)
Where are the newspapers?	On the Main Floor: Most recent issue is on the Newspaper rack Issues for past 2-3 months are on the Newspaper shelves Past issues on microfilm are in the Microforms area Many recent newspapers are available in full text through databases such as Lexis-Nexis and InfoTrac Custom Newpapers. See Electronic Resources: Newspapers for more information.
What periodicals does Ramsey Library have?	Search by Periodical Title in the Library Catalog: Select Periodical Title from the search menu and type the title in the search box. If UNCA, ASU, or WCU has the periodical, there will be a record in the library catalog. Examine the full record to see which volumes and issues are held at one or more of the the libraries, and in what format: bound, microform, or electronic access. If recent issues are held, there will be a link to Latest received, a screen with detailed information on issues received since the title was last bound or archived in microform. If one or more of the libraries has electronic access to the periodical, this will be indicated by a link to the Electronic version or an option to View Web Version. Search by Keyword or Subject If you don't know the exact title, use a Keyword or Subject search. If your search retrieves too many titles, click Limit/Sort to display Limit options. Limit by words in the subject; type periodicals, then click the submit button to find items matching your search.
What if an article is in a periodical that Ramsey Library doesn't have?	ABC Express Use the online catalog to locate holdings information. In the online catalog, search by Periodical title. Display the full record and look for holdings information in a table or "box." To see which recent issues have been received, click Latest received. If WCU or ASU holds the periodical, request it online via ABC Express. There is no cost you should have it in a few days. The ABC Express schedule is available at the Circulation or Research Support Desk. If you have questions regarding the ABC Express service, please call or come by the Research Support Desk (251-6111). Interlibrary Loan If a periodical is not at UNCA, WCU, or ASU, ask at the Research Support Desk about getting a copy of the article you need through Interlibrary Loan. This takes two weeks or more and there is a charge (usually just the cost of photocopying the article).
How do you find articles on a specific subject?	Use Indexes Periodical indexes allow you to look up a subject and see a list of articles relating to that subject. The library catalog does not index periodical articles; it tells you which titles and volumes we have.
Where are the indexes?	Electronic Indexes and Print Indexes Electronic Indexes are accessed from the Ramsey Library home page. Select Electronic Resources for general information, or By Subject to see a list of categories. Click on the link to the index you want to use. It is now possible for UNCA users to access periodical indexes from off-campus. Print Indexes are located in the Index Area near the Research Support Desk on the main floor.
What kind of indexes are there?	General Indexes InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP and EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier are good for finding magazine and journal articles on a wide variety of current, general interest subjects. All three offer some full-text or full-image periodical articles. Subject Indexes Indexes that focus on specific subjects list more scholarly journals than general indexes. Some examples of subject indexes are: Humanities Full-Text BIOSIS EconLit Historical Abstracts International Index to Music Periodicals PsycINFO (Psychological Abstracts) Newspaper Indexes Search for newspaper articles in one of these Web-based indexes: Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe (Wire Services and most major newpapers are offered in full-text. Indexes the Asheville Citizen-Times and other regional newspapers. InfoTrac Custom Newspapers EBSCOhost Newspaper Source The library also has the printed New York Times index back to 1851.
Newspaper citations	Important: Citations in newspaper indexes will look different than journal citations. Neither authors nor exact article titles may be given. In addition to the date and the page number, you may also find references to the section of the newspaper and the column number on the page.
What are abstracts?	Abstracts are short summaries of articles that some indexes include. These indexes often include the word "abstracts" in their name (Historical Abstracts), but not always (PsycINFO, InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP, MLA Bibliography). An index with abstracts usually permits you to toggle between a brief title display and a full record display. Read instructions on the screen to see where to click or which key(s) to press. To use a print index with abstracts, look in the subject index to get abstract numbers; then find the matching numbers in the citation list. Here is an example from the printed version of America: History and Life. If you look under "adolescents" in the annual subject index for volume 28, 1991, you will find this entry (note the bolded entry number): Adolescents. Adults. Attitudes. Courtship. 1950's. 6924a If you then look in volume 28A for abstract number 6924 you will see the following citation plus abstract: 28:6924 Bailey, Beth. REBELS WITHOUT A CAUSE? TEENAGERS IN THE 50'S. History Today [Great Britain] 1990 40 (Feb): 25-31. The older generation attacked the 1950's teenage custom of "steady" dating of one partner at a time because they believed it worked against the development of aggressive competitive attitudes, which the depression and World War II had convinced them were crucial for survival. H.T. Blethen