Many of the citations for journal articles you find are not available online in full-text format through the specific database you are using. However, this does not necessarily mean that it is not online in full-text elsewhere.

f there is an "SFX" icon displayed within the article citation record, click on it. An automomatic search of CMU library holdings for the journal will be generated. Sometimes, the full-text of the journal article will be found through another database and the text of the article will be displayed in a new browser window. Other times, the CMU Libraries' holdings of the print journal found in CAMEO will be displayed in a new browser menu with location information.

Lastly, you should always try a periodical title search in CAMEO to double-check that we do not own the journal (electronically or non-electronically) before submitting an interlibrary loan request for the journal article. Read more about how SFX works here:
http://www.library.cmu.edu/Research/Genref/SFXfaq.html

Evaluating the Literature

Questions to ask about the source:
Who is the author? Is the author considered an authority?
What is the author’s affiliation?

Which journal published the article? Is it peer reviewed?
When was the article published?

Questions to ask yourself:
Is the information relevant to my research?
Do I have an opinion about the subject? Have I found adequate information to support my opinions?
Am I also including evidence of opposing viewpoints?

The Publication Cycle

While scholarly journal articles and books may not be quite as current as other sources due to the lengthier research and publication progress, the months or years of analysis from experts in the filed will bolster your arguments. Refer to this thorough description of the academic publishing process for further explanation, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_publishing

On the other end of the spectrum, news and policy-oriented blogs grow more abundant every day. Looking to some of these resources, especially to tap into other resources, can be helpful and provide yet another perspective. While it is important to evaluate every source you use, evaluation of information produced without any formal system of checks and balances is even more critical. See:
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
-and-
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Evaluation.html

Here are a few examples of the many types of sources you might use for your research in this class:

• Statistics from government agency web sites ( U.S. and foreign)
• Publications or statistics from United Nations’ agencies
• Publications from nongovernmental organizations
• Current news articles
• Information from the World Bank or IMF, if applicable
• Magazine articles
• Scholarly journal articles
• Books and reference books
  

Style Guides and Citation Formats

• Style Guides
  • Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001)
    REF-1 BF76.7 .P83 2001

  • The Psychologist's Companion (1993)
    REF-1 BF76.8 .S73 1993

  • The Psychology Student Writer's Manual (1999)
    REF-1 BF76.8 .P736 1999

  • Chicago Manual of Style (2003)
    REF-1 PE1408 .C5 15TH 2003

  • Merriam-Webster's Manual for Writers & Editors (1998)
    REF-1 PN147 .M49 1998

  • APA-Style Helper 3.0 (Price: $35-$40)
    The APA-Style Helper is a software program designed for writers in the behavioral and social sciences who need to produce manuscripts and documents written according to APA style. The program helps with formating references, citations, headings, and more. The APA-Style Helper walks you through your paper as you create it, and the online wizard gives you step-by-step instructions on where to insert key sections for each type of paper or report. APA-Style Helper 3.0 conforms to the fifth (2001) edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

• Citation Formats
  • Print
    • Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001)
      REF-1 BF76.7 .P83 2001

  • Electronic
    • Citing Digital and Print Resources
      This is part of the Virtual Reference Shelf available through the library home page.

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