Why Doesn't the Database include the Full Text of My Article?

Whether or not a database has the full text of an article has nothing to do with the quality of the article.  Database vendors with more money can buy the rights to more full text articles.  Those rights can be revoked by the publisher, so full text articles may disappear from a database.  While it may be more convenient to limit yourself to full text articles, you could be seriously compromising the quality of your research.  Sometimes the best information is not available in full text online (and some databases never offer any full text).

Getting the Full Text When the Database Doesn't Have It

If you find an article in a database that doesn't offer the full text, you will need to find out if the library has another way to access the full text, either digitally or in print.  Use the following steps:

1. Go to MARQCAT
2. Do a title search on the name of the magazine or journal you need.
3. Select the full record of your title from the results list.  The full record will give you holdings and location information.

Searching the Databases for Full Text

If you want to retrive only full-text articles while using a database, there are three things to keep in mind.

1. As explained above, some databases never include any full text.  Other databases offer full text for only some articles but not others.  Databases often use an icon to indicate if the full text of an article is available.  Before you begin your search, notice whether this is true for the database you are using.

2. When the full text is available, there are several possibilities for how it will be displayed.  Articles that are listed in a database as full text, text with graphics, or page image will all offer the full text.

3. Many databases allow you to modify your search by selecting full text as a search option.  If it is available, you can use this option to limit your results to full text only.