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Introduction   |   Library Home Page   |   Finding Books   |   Finding Journal Articles
Oxford English Dictionary   |   Locating the Item in the Library   |   Refworks

Finding an Article on the Web
How about "going on the Web"? Is there a web site for Harper's Magazine? Let's go to google.com and type in harper's. The first site returned is the Web site for Harper's Magazine. You won't be able to find the 1989 article online at this site, because Harper's does not provide online access to its back issues on its site. So now what?

You need to know whether Yale owns this magazine and, furthermore, whether we own this particular issue. So where do you go? ORBIS! The Academic Search citation provides a YALE LINKS icon to Orbis Check Yale holdings, which looks promising. Try this out.

Finding a Journal in Orbis
The Academic Search citation provides a link to Orbis through Check Yale Holdings. Try this.

You'll find 4 entries in Orbis for Harper's or Harper's Magazine. Since our citation carried the title, Harper's Magazine, look at the third entry (the date, 1913, is the date the publication began publication). This can't be the title we're looking for since the Extent information indicates this title ceased publication in 1976, and our article was published in 1989. The Continued by: information tells us that the magazine changed title in 1976 to Harper's, so we need to return to the index screen in Orbis and select the first entry. All of this is typical, unfortunately, when dealing with serials -- they tend to change title and size and place and frequency of publication. Looking at the record for number one, notice the two sections. Above the line is information about the serial in its ideal state: its title, place of publication, starting date, and so on. Below the line is Yale-specific information: where it is, what its call number is, and a link to the details of our holdings. This is an important distinction: a serial may have begun publication in 1898, but Yale may have issues only from 1960 forward.

LOCATION: SML, Franke Periodical Reading Room (Non-Circulating)
CALL NUMBER: AP2 H37 (LC)
NOTES: Current issues in SML Periodical Room. (Section 9)
CURRENT ISSUES: v. 312, no. 1868-1871 (Jan.-May2006 )

LIBRARY HAS: v.1:no.1(1850)-v.285:no.1711(1992:Dec.),
v.286:no.1713(1993:Feb.)-v.310:no.1861(2005)
v.311:no.1862(2005:Jul.)-v.311:1867(2005:Dec.)

An important distinction here is the one between current issues and bound volumes(Library has). The holdings screen always gives you the location and call number of the bound volumes (the serial's permanent home), and the location of the current issues if that is different NOTES. Then it lists the current issues CURRENT ISSUES and the bound volumes LIBRARY HAS. Finally it tells you whether any volume is checked out STATUS.

So, does Yale have the issue with the article we're looking for? Where is it found?

Try looking for one more journal in Orbis. Several of the citations you found in Academic Search were to articles in the Winter 1998 issue of Texas Studies in Literature and Language. In Orbis, you'll see an entry for Texas Studies in Literature and Language Online, but online issues are only available as far back as Spring 2001. For the Winter 1998 issue, you'll need to read the copy available in printed form in the Sterling Stacks.
For more help, see the How to Find a Journal Article at Yale page.

Finding an Article in a Newspaper
The process for finding a newspaper article is basically the same as that for finding a journal article: first identify it then locate it, either online or physically in the library. Most newspapers have not been indexed consistently, or at all. The New York Times index goes back to 1851. A few other U. S. newspapers are indexed and available full text online from ProQuest Historical Newspaper Databases. There are printed indexes for other papers, but those generally do not go back further than the 1960s or 1970s. These printed indexes are located in the Starr Main Reference Room (the New York Times Index volumes since 1945 are in the Microtext Reading Room). Once you identify an article using a printed index, you need to check Orbis to see whether we own the back issues of the newspaper; in most cases the back issues are to be found in microfilm, shelved in the Microform Reading Room, where staff can help you find the reel you want and show you how to use the microform readers.

For more current newspapers, there are some online options. Use the News Resources web site to find databases providing the full text of US and international newspapers and periodicals, including the New York Times. Many newspapers maintain web sites for at least the current day's issue, and often maintain archives for some earlier years. The web page for the Newspaper and Microtext Reading Room provides links to some of the major sites. http://www.library.yale.edu/rsc/nmrr
For more help, see the How to Find Journal Articles.