LibGuides: Writing 131 (Ruiz): Databases & Search Tips

Primary Publications: Finding Journals and Impact Factors

The Impact Factor is a measure of the frequency with which the "average article" in a journal has been cited in a given period of time. It is one way scholars measure the relative importance of a journal within its field.

e-Journal Finder
Locate psychology journals owned by UC Merced and other UC campuses.
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Search broad subject area (psychology), or subdisciplines (child psychology, neuropsychology, cognitive science, addictions, social psychology, autism, schizophrenia, etc.
Journal Citation Reports (Database)
JCR allows you to search for Impact Factors for academic journals.
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For psychology journals, select JCR Social Science Edition > Submit. Select a category from the drop-down menu, i.e. Psychology, Educational > View Journal Data > Submit to see impact factor for journals.
Ulrich's
Profiles consumer and trade magazines, academic and scholarly publications, monographic series, newsletters, and electronic publication on all subjects.
Eigenfactor
Generates a concept map that helps to identify the Top 10 journals in general subject fields.
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Use advanced search to search for known journal or select a JCR (Journal Citation Report) Subject Category. Go to mapping > interactive browser.

Key Scholars

Google Scholar
Use Google Scholar to find authors whose research has been highly cited. Do a key word search on your topic and note that highly cited articles appear high in the list.
Web of Science
Use Web of Science to find scholars who have published widely in a particular discipline, or who have written articles that are highly cited.

Enter search terms, e.g. autism AND (immunization OR vaccination)
Sort by First Author - A to Z. Browse articles to find authors who have published multiple times in that research area.
Resort by Times Cited - highest to lowest to find authors whose papers have been highly cited.

General Databases

The following are general databases to use for your research. For a complete list of databases, please see our Databases by Subject webpage.

Academic Search Complete (EBSCO)
A multidisciplinary database with full text content in the arts, social sciences, humanities and sciences.
Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Provides access to multiple science and social science databases: Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1975 - present), Social Sciences Citation Index (1956 - present), Science Citation Index (1900 - present), Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science (1990 - present), and Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Social Science & Humanities (1990 - present). Also includes Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI).
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Search by subject or browse full text of more than 500 scholarly journals in social sciences, humanities, and sciences, to their earliest issues. Many titles extend as far back as late 19th or early 20th centuries; most recent 3-5 years not included.
Project Muse This link opens in a new window
Full-text versions of scholarly journals and books from university presses and scholarly societies. Focused on the humanities and social sciences.
ScienceDirect/SciVerse This link opens in a new window
(coverage varies according to journal title) Includes abstracts, tables of contents, and full text of articles from journals as well as a few book selections. Content includes the sciences, technology, medicine and social sciences.
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
A search engine providing access to both freely available and subscription based resources including articles, theses, books, preprints, abstracts, conference proceedings and technical .

Find a Known Item

Some Strategies

1. Use the UC Library Search quick search box on the library home page.

2. Look for the article title in Google Scholar. Try the title OR UC-eLinks hyperlink.

3. Look for the article title in UC Library Search. Look for the Download PDF link under the article record to go directly to the article or use the form to make a request for an unavailable article.

4. Look for the journal title. Select the e-Journals tab on the library home page. See if the journal is available. Is the date you need available?

5. You may be able to find it in a major database IF it belongs to a specific subject area.

Try it Out: Do we have these articles?

Citation #1

Levinson, Rosalie Berger. "Gender-Based Affirmative Action And Reverse Gender Bias: Beyond Gratz, Parents Involved, And Ricci." Harvard Journal Of Law & Gender 34.1 (2011): 1-36.

Citation #2

Altman, Ellen, and Patricia Promis. "Affirmative Action: Opportunity Or Obstacle." College & Research Libraries 55.1 (1994): 11.

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Writing 131 (Ruiz): Databases & Search Tips

Primary Publications: Finding Journals and Impact Factors

Key Scholars

Access Library Resources from Off Campus

General Databases

Find a Known Item

Accessing Full-Text