{"id":695,"date":"2023-01-20T14:27:15","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T14:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essayguidance.com\/?p=695"},"modified":"2023-06-16T15:43:16","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T15:43:16","slug":"scholarly-articles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/scholarly-articles\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Ways to find Scholarly Articles for Free"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"724\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Scholarly-Articles-For-Free-1024x724.jpg\" alt=\"Scholarly Articles For Free\" class=\"wp-image-19415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Scholarly-Articles-For-Free-1024x724.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Scholarly-Articles-For-Free-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Scholarly-Articles-For-Free-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Scholarly-Articles-For-Free.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\"><strong>If you want to become a top student you will need to know how to find scholarly articles for your essays. If you don\u2019t use scholarly articles you will never get top grades.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, it is not hard to find academic sources online for free if you know where to look. The problem is, no one taught you where to look!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, I will outline nine tips on how to find scholarly articles for free online. Tip Number 5 will change your life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we get started, here&#8217;s a summary of the 9 points I&#8217;ll discuss in this article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#one\">Browse your Course Website for Assigned Readings<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Point2\">Check Your teacher\u2019s Lecture Slides<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Point3\">Your University\u2019s Online Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Point4\">Your University\u2019s Physical Library<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Point5\">Google Scholar<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Point6\">Google Books<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Point8\">Assigned Readings from Previous Subjects<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Point9\">ResearchGate.net and Academia.edu<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is a Scholarly Article?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. A peer-reviewed journal article <\/strong>is usually a 4000-8000 word article published in an academic journal. Journal articles are considered the best sources for essays because they:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Have been blind peer reviewed. This means that two experts who don\u2019t know the author read the article and critiqued it;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have been written by an expert;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are generally written by the person who conducted the original research. This means it\u2019s information straight from the original source.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. A textbook (ebooks included) <\/strong>is also a respected scholarly text that you can cite in your essays. Teachers love to see that you\u2019re reading and citing textbooks. I recommend reading textbooks because they:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are written by experts;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have been professionally edited;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are widely respected in their field;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Are written for students, meaning they\u2019re easier to read than journal articles!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why are Scholarly Articles so Important in your Essay?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/referencing\/\">top students reference<\/a> only scholarly articles 95% of\nthe time. That\u2019s because they know how to play the essay writing game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we look at the secret strategies for finding the best sources to reference in your essay, let\u2019s pause for a minute to look at some of the rules of this essay-writing game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One important rule to remember is that markers don\u2019t read the sources that you reference. They very rarely actually look up where you found the scholarly articles or check to see if they\u2019re real. They don\u2019t have the time. Frankly, they also don\u2019t really care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So here\u2019s something important to remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Graders want to know that you have accessed the best sources, according to the rules of <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/how-to-write-an-essay-plan\/\">essay writing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do they do this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The person grading your paper will scan through your essay and your reference list to make sure all your sources are from textbooks or peer reviewed journal articles. They\u2019ll be looking for red flags like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>URLs to blogs or dot-com websites;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sources older than about 15 years;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sources not written in your college\u2019s\nreferencing format;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Not enough sources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I strongly recommend quickly reading our posts on <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/bad-sources\/\">seven terrible sources<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/best-sources\/\">seven impressive sources <\/a>you should be referencing in your essays before reading on. I\u2019ll proceed with the assumption that you have read those posts and already know what a quality reference is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at some places you can go to access those top sources to push your marks up and ensure you ace your next essay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"one\">9 Ways to Find Scholarly Articles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"one\">1. Browse your Course Website for Assigned Readings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You should always reference all relevant set readings in your essay as a starting point. The set readings, often called \u2018recommended\u2019 or \u2018assigned\u2019 readings are usually provided on your course homepage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jump onto your course homepage (usually on Blackboard, Canvas or Moodle \u2013 whichever Learning Management system your university uses). Then, have a scan around for your set or recommended readings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All these readings that your teacher provides for you are\nessential to reference. Your teacher has most likely put a lot of effort into\nfinding sources that they think are the best quality ones around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are also sources that you know your teacher has read.\nThis means that they are likely to have informed your teacher\u2019s thinking on the\ntopic. The teacher is therefore likely looking for this information in your\nwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Referencing set readings also indicates to your teacher that you have been paying attention. You\u2019ve taken the course seriously and read the content that they advised. It\u2019s a signal to your teacher that you are a \u2018good\u2019 student. You want them to think you\u2019re a top student before they\u2019ve even read your assignment in order to get the best marks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At every university I\u2019ve ever worked at, the Library has\nmade certain that all my recommended readings are easily and freely available\nto all students \u2013 so you shouldn\u2019t have a problem accessing the assigned\nreadings online, instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll leave one quick caveat here: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"content-box-grey\">Don\u2019t <em>only <\/em>reference your set or recommended readings. You should start with the recommended readings but then <em><a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/best-sources\/\"><font color=\"blue\">go beyond them<\/font><\/a><\/em> to show that you\u2019re a top student. The next tips give some suggestions for what to cite next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Point2\">2. Check Your teacher\u2019s Lecture Slides<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The teacher will likely have provided <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/quotes\/\">quotes<\/a> on their lecture slides. Don\u2019t use the quotes but farm those sources. If your teacher has quoted someone, it means that this author has influenced their thinking. If you can find a way to reference that person they\u2019ve quoted, you\u2019ll get some extra marks. There is also often a list of references on the last page of your teacher\u2019s lecture slides. Here\u2019s an example of a really common \u2018final slide\u2019 of a teacher\u2019s lecture: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"343\" height=\"259\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image.png\" alt=\"example of a lecture slide\" class=\"wp-image-700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image.png 343w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-300x227.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 343px) 100vw, 343px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out those sources and see if you can reference a few\nof them. Again, if they\u2019re good enough for your teacher to reference, they\u2019re\ngood enough for you to reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Something to keep in mind is that your teacher will often try to withhold the lecture slides from you. They do this to try to force you to attend the lecture. I always advise students to follow these steps when trying to access lecture slides:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If the lecture slides are posted online, download them immediately and store them on the computer. You don\u2019t want your teacher to remove your access to them at a whim partway through your course;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take plenty of <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/how-to-take-lecture-notes\/\">lecture notes<\/a>. We\u2019ve provided some advice on how top students take lecture notes that you might want to check out.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you can\u2019t find the lecture slides, you can\ntry emailing your teacher to request the lecture slides. Your email needs to be\nstrategic to get what you\nwant. Feel free to download and use our free email template to get your teacher to send you lecture\nslides.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have found the sources your teacher used, search\nfor them using your university\u2019s online library (Step 3) or Google Scholar\n(Step 5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Point3\">3. Your University\u2019s Online Library<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\">University online libraries are a must for finding academic sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>University libraries have rapidly improved in the last decade as universities try to digitise their content. Universities that offer distance and online courses are especially good at providing eBooks and online journal articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re best off trying the online library catalogue before going into the library yourself. There\u2019s no point in making a trip all the way to campus when you can do the research from the comfort of your own home. Check for eBooks and journal articles only \u2013 I\u2019ll keep repeating it. Textbooks (eBooks included) and journal articles are the only two sources you want to look out for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your university\u2019s online library is the ideal place to look for articles and books because everything in the catalogue has been checked by the library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The journals that the university subscribes to were selected by your teachers. There won\u2019t be blogs or wikis there \u2013 just good, pre-approved academic sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t know where your university\u2019s online library catalogue is located, just google it! Just for the exercise, I tried to find a random university\u2019s online library catalogue. It took me literally ten seconds. I typed into Google: \u201cNorthern Iowa University Library Search\u201d: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"292\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-1.png\" alt=\"screenshot of a google search\" class=\"wp-image-797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-1.png 601w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-1-300x146.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As suspected the first link took me straight to the university\u2019s online library catalogue search:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"140\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-2.png\" alt=\"screenshot of a university library online search page\" class=\"wp-image-799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-2.png 601w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-2-300x70.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You should make sure you\u2019re logged on using your University Student ID to get free access to all the sources that pop up when searching for keywords on your topic. Most university libraries will let you know if you will have access to the scholarly article you\u2019re looking for by providing a comment reading either \u2018full text available or \u2018online access\u2019: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"602\" height=\"371\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-3.png\" alt=\"screenshot of library online catalogue search results demonstrating that some books are accessible online\" class=\"wp-image-800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-3.png 602w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-3-300x185.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Point4\">4. Your University\u2019s Physical Library<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Look, I know this isn\u2019t an online source. But I would be\nnegligent not to recommend your university\u2019s most underused resource: its\nlibrary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve checked the university\u2019s online library, it\u2019s worth taking a moment between classes to go into the on-campus library to find hard-copy books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The one biggest benefit of textbooks is that they were written with students in mind. You will find that journal articles are harder to read than textbooks. Textbooks give clear, accessible overviews of key topics. They also usually do a great job of summarising tough ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve been set a difficult topic to write on and the journal articles are doing your head in, go get a textbook on your topic. Make sure you go to your library early on. Textbooks linked to your topic will go fast. If you manage to get your hands on a copy, photocopy the relevant pages that you think you will need to use for your essay before returning it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Point5\">5. Google Scholar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank god for Google Scholar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not to be confused with regular old google, google scholar\n(scholar.google.com) provides access to the best journal articles online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google Scholar makes it easier than ever to bypass journals\u2019 paywalls. The rules changed for archiving journal articles in the past five years, enabling authors to store their publications on their open-access university research databases. Google scholar\u2019s search engine looks through all of these databases and provides direct links to millions of these scholarly articles <strong>for free<\/strong>. Up until 5 years ago, it would have cost you money for most of these articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that even if you\u2019ve searched your university database you should <em>always<\/em> search Google Scholar as well. You\u2019ll find a much wider range of relevant articles. When searching through google scholar, use topic keywords to find scholarly articles relevant to your topic. Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve been asked to write an essay on theories of nursing. You Can simply type nursing theory into Google Scholar: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-4.png\" alt=\"screenshot of google scholar search bar with the text nursing theory written in the search bar\" class=\"wp-image-803\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p> Once you\u2019ve clicked search, I recommend refining your search to articles within the past ten years. This will ensure the scholarly articles you gather will pass the test when your teacher looks to see whether you selected up-to-date, relevant articles: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"207\" height=\"241\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-5.png\" alt=\"screenshot of a custom search range entered into the google scholar customize toolbar\" class=\"wp-image-805\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p> Once you\u2019ve refined the search, you can start looking through for articles that are relevant to you. You will find that about half of the sources will still be hidden behind paywalls. Try to stick to the sources that have a [pdf], [doc] or [html] link provided in the top-right corner. These are the scholarly articles you\u2019re most likely to have instant, free, online access to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"188\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-6.png\" alt=\"screenshot of full-text availability on a google scholar search\" class=\"wp-image-807\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-6.png 601w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-6-300x94.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another thing that makes Google Scholar superior to most university catalogues is that <strong>Google Scholar searches for keywords in both the title <em>and <\/em>abstract of the paper<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most university databases do not search for keywords in the abstract, only the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means your google scholar search will usually render both more specific results for you, as well as simply more results for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the above image, for example, neither of the scholarly sources that Google Scholar found has the phrase \u201cnursing theory\u201d in the title. However, you can see that both mention \u201cnursing theory\u201d or \u201cnursing\u201d and \u201ctheory\u201d separately in the blurb below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chances are these are two relevant sources that you\u2019d never have found on your university library database. (Note, for example, that in the University of Northern Iowa database search in Tip 1, only sources that had the exact phrase \u201cnursing theory\u201d in the title popped up).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What if the links don\u2019t work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes even Google Scholar can\u2019t find free access to scholarly articles for you. There\u2019s still some hope, though!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If an article looks really useful but you don\u2019t have access to Google Scholar, copy the article\u2019s title and search for it on your university\u2019s online database. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your university might have institutional access. However, as noted above, your original search in your university database may just not have been specific enough for their clunky old system because the exact keywords weren\u2019t in the title. So, try copying the exact title into your university database \u2013 it may have access to that source you were after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are tons more tricks you can do with Google Scholar. It can help you accurately cite sources, follow \u2018As Cited In\u2019 paths to access relevant sources you\u2019d never have found otherwise, and help you narrow down your search terms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To become an expert at using Google Scholar, I recommend reading my blog post: <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/google-scholar\/\">How to Use Google Scholar like a Pro<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Point6\">6. Google Books<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again, thank god for Google! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google books (books.google.com) gives \u2018previews\u2019 of tens of millions of books. More than once, I\u2019ve not had access to a book through my university library but google books have saved the day. Search for books in google books using keywords, just like Google Scholar:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-7.png\" alt=\"screenshot of the google books search bar\" class=\"wp-image-811\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again, you\u2019ll see that books pop up that your\nuniversity database wouldn\u2019t have found. The first two sources for \u2018Nursing\nTheory\u2019 read \u2018Nursing Theories\u2019. Many university databases are too old and\nclunky to realise the words \u2018theory\u2019 and \u2018theories\u2019 are interchangeable for a\nbook search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, here\u2019s the really neat thing: you can begin to read most of the books online for free! Google has a \u2018book preview\u2019 option that allows you to read a certain percentage of books without the need to download them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To know which books you\u2019ll have instant access to, look out for the peeled-over bottom right-hand corner of book covers in the thumbnails. I\u2019ve circled them in red below. You can see that two of the first three sources are available to preview instantly! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"459\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-8.png\" alt=\"screenshot of a google books results page showing some book preview options\" class=\"wp-image-812\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-8.png 601w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-8-300x229.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Click on the book\u2019s image to receive a book preview. You\ncould start browsing through the book instantly to see whether it\u2019s got any\npearls of wisdom you can put in your assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>However, Google Books still has another amazing trick up its sleeve.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When in the book preview, you can use the search bar on the right-hand side to search for keywords. If you know that you want to write a paragraph on one nursing theory \u2013 say, \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/social-cognitive-theory-examples\/\">social cognitive theory<\/a>\u2019 \u2013 you can type this key phrase in the search bar and Google Books will take you right to the place you need to go: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"255\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-9.png\" alt=\"screenshot of a google books preview\" class=\"wp-image-813\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-9.png 601w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-9-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Google Books has just saved you a ton of time searching through the textbook. Plus, it looks like you can actually access all of Pages 18 and 19 where the relevant content you need information in is found. If the link to the page number is in blue, click it and go straight to the relevant page in the book: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"330\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-10.png\" alt=\"screenshot of a google books preview with the term social cognitive theory highlighted on the page\" class=\"wp-image-816\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-10.png 601w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-10-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you still didn\u2019t find the information you were after on\nPages 18 or 19, keep toggling through the \u2018Previous\u2019 and \u2018Next\u2019 buttons\nhighlighted in red above to see every time Social Cognitive Theory is mentioned\nin the whole book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google books can save you a trip to the library and is great for finding scholarly sources when you\u2019re cramming to finish an essay overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is this too good to\nbe true?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest downside of Google books is that you can only sample some pages from most books. That means that you might find that your information is cut-off part-way through reading or blocked entirely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nonetheless, Google books can be a lifesaver for finding good-quality information for your essays. Most importantly, Google books provide access to <em>books<\/em>, which is one of the two most high-quality sources teachers look for when marking your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Point8\">7. Assigned Readings from Previous Subjects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Readings from previous subjects are a great source for\nproviding academic references.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I was teaching an undergraduate Bachelor of Education, all first-year students took a compulsory Introduction to Teach subject. In this subject, three very useful introductory books were provided that could be referenced in just about every subsequent subject throughout the degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The top students recognised the value of these books and\nreferenced them regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, you should make a habit of always downloading and\nsaving set readings from every subject you take into folders on your computer.\nI have a folder that contains all set readings for every course I\u2019ve ever taken\nand taught. It has over 350 journal articles that act as my own personal\ndatabase of sources. I can use my computer\u2019s search function to type in\nkeywords and find articles that are readily available for me to cite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you make a habit of saving useful articles in a folder on\nyour computer, you\u2019re five steps ahead of all your classmates when it comes\ntime to finding good quality journal articles that you can reference for your\nessays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ResesarchGate.net and Academia.edu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Research Gate and Academia.edu are two places where\nacademics store their articles. These websites are like Linkedin for academics.\nMost actively publishing academics will store their articles on these websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can go onto these two websites, <strong>set up an account for free<\/strong>, and start downloading journal articles,\nbook chapters and even entire books from those websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My personal preference is for the research gate. Research gate seems to be less pushy about coercing you into buying a premium subscription, and I\u2019ve never felt I needed to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research Gate also has the option to privately send a message to authors to <strong>ask them to send you a copy<\/strong>. If you can\u2019t find a source that you really want to cite anywhere else, try using Research Gate to drop the author an email. To conduct a search for papers, simply create your free account then conduct a search through the search bar at the top of the screen: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"255\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-15.png\" alt=\"screenshot of the research gate search bar\" class=\"wp-image-827\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-15.png 601w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-15-300x127.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve pressed \u2018enter\u2019, you\u2019ll need to switch to the \u2018Publications\u2019 tab to see search results: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"601\" height=\"497\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-16.png\" alt=\"screenshot of a request full text option on the research gate website\" class=\"wp-image-828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-16.png 601w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-16-300x248.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, you can see that you can browse different articles and read their abstracts just like any other article search. But, with the click of a button, you can also request the full-text article from the author. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The author will then get an email and approve or decline the\nrequest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a secret way a lot of professors find academic\narticles, but it\u2019s really useful (and free!) for students as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I use Research Gate and have all 20+ of my academic peer-reviewed articles and book chapters privately stored there. Academics and students around the world regularly send me a request for my articles. I can send the article\u2019s final manuscript draft to them at the click of a button. I always send the article \u2013 why wouldn\u2019t I!?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Research Gate is great for authors because they become aware that real people are reading their work, and it\u2019s good for you because you get access to otherwise unobtainable sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The one downside of this method is that the articles don\u2019t come to you instantly. It might take 24 \u2013 48 hours for the author to check their emails and send off the full-text copy for you. So, I don\u2019t recommend using the \u2018Request full-text option if you\u2019re on a really tight deadline. Nevertheless, there is often the option to instantly access the full-text article, which makes this website worth using no matter what.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summing Up: How to Find Scholarly Articles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using scholarly sources is essential for getting top marks. You should always aim to use peer-reviewed journal articles and textbooks as your core sources for all essays. To learn how to read these texts effectively, I&#8217;d recommend reading up on <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/text-features-examples\/\">how to use text features<\/a> to navigate texts effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This post is a part of a series on finding sources for your essays. The other posts that might be of use are below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/google-scholar\/\">How to use Google Scholar (Like a Pro!)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/bad-sources\/\">Bad Sources to Avoid in Essays<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/best-sources\/\">Great Sources to use in Essays<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you want top makrs in your essays you will need to know how to find scholarly articles. This post will show you nine great ways to find them. Tip 5 will completely change how you write essays!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-study-skills"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Chris Drew (PhD)","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-e1555335549426.jpg",350,350,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-768x768.jpg",768,768,true],"large":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-1024x1024.jpg",1024,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-e1555335549426.jpg",350,350,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-e1555335549426.jpg",350,350,false],"authorship-box-avatar":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-e1555335549426.jpg",150,150,false],"authorship-box-related":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-e1555335549426.jpg",70,70,false],"authorship-post-flat":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-e1555335549426.jpg",70,70,false],"authorship-post-cards":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-e1555335549426.jpg",189,189,false],"authorship-post-thumbs":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/how-to-find-scholarly-articles-e1555335549426.jpg",100,100,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Chris Drew (PhD)","author_link":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/author\/chris-drew-phd\/"},"uagb_comment_info":140,"uagb_excerpt":"If you want top makrs in your essays you will need to know how to find scholarly articles. This post will show you nine great ways to find them. Tip 5 will completely change how you write essays!","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=695"}],"version-history":[{"count":84,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27016,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/695\/revisions\/27016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}