Finding Articles
The library has different research tools to help you find journal articles:
- Databases - Library databases will help you find articles on a particular subject or topic. Select a database that contains the type of articles you are looking for (e.g. environmental studies, news, biology, biography), and begin with a keyword search to narrow in on your specific topic.
Find more information about articles, databases, and the Journals List below. Click here for our tutorial on choosing search terms.
Getting the Articles
If you find an article in a database:
Look for a link to the pdf or HTML version of the article. If there isn't one, click on the "Get It!" button to see if we have access.
Tutorial: How to Use the Get It! Button
Finding a specific article:
If we don't have access to an article in our collection, then you can place an order for it through ILLIAD.
The first time you use ILLIAD, you will need to set up an account.
Once you have an account, just click the "ILLIAD" link in the "Get it!" button and log in. The request form will be automatically populated with the citation information for the article. Just hit "submit" and wait for your article to arrive. Articles often arrive in the same day, but sometimes take a few days. Be sure to plan ahead!
Evaluating Sources
It is important to evaluate the credibility of a source before you use it for your research. This evaluating sources guide will help you ask the right questions in order to determine if a source is the best one to use.
The quick reference guide and video below will help you to identify scholarly sources, specifically.
Sustainability Databases
These databases are particularly relevant for sustainability. Click here for tips on choosing a database.
- CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online) This link opens in a new windowAccess research, analysis, and scholarship on international politics and related fields, including security studies, global finance, diplomatic practice, humanitarian law, global governance, development studies, and environmental studies. This collection includes working papers, policy briefs, scholarly journal articles, ebooks, and videos. The Economist Intelligence Unit supplies comprehensive country surveys, including in-depth political and economic data and detailed maps. Coverage: 1996 to present. Full text.
- Energy Citations Database This link opens in a new windowAccess scientific and technical information (STI) emanating from United States Department of Energy (DOE) funded research and development on energy and energy-related topics. Coverage: 1940 to present. Some full text.
- Environment Complete This link opens in a new windowAccess articles covering agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, renewable energy sources, natural resources, marine & freshwater science, geography, pollution & waste management, environmental technology, environmental law, public policy, social impacts, urban planning, and more. Coverage: 20th century to present. Some full text.
- Green EnergyThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provides access to over 30,000 technical reports and over 2,000 patents from R&D projects that pertain to renewable energy resources and energy conservation.
- Green FILE This link opens in a new windowSearch scholarly and general interest titles, as well as government documents and reports on the connection between the environment and agriculture, education, law, health and technology. Coverage: varies. Some full text.
- Environmental Studies (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new windowAccess news, overviews, videos, commentaries, primary source documents and statistics related to the interdisciplinary study of sustainability and the environment. This collection includes research areas such as energy systems, healthcare, food, climate change, population, and economic development. Coverage: varies. Some full text.
- JSTOR Sustainability This link opens in a new window
Access journals, ebooks, and research reports on environmental stresses and their impact on society. Research spans the biological sciences, business & economics, ecology, environmental sciences, law, public health, urban studies, and more. Coverage: historic and current. Full text.
- National Geographic Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Access high-quality photojournalism and cartography, and in-depth coverage of cultures, nature, science, technology and the environment in this official journal of the National Geographic Society. Each page and photograph in this collection is fully searchable. Coverage: 1888-2015, contains primary sources. Full text.
- PsycINFO This link opens in a new window
Search a comprehensive index to international psychology literature in journals, books, book chapters, dissertations, and conference proceedings. Coverage: 1800s to present. Citations only.
Locating Articles
Basic process for finding articles
If you find an article that looks interesting check to see if there is a link to the pdf or HTML version of the article by the citation. If not, then click the "Get It!" button to see if we have access to it either electronically or in print.
Requesting articles we do not own
If we have neither print nor electronic access to an article in our collection, then you can place an order for it through ILLIAD.
You will have to set up account the first time you order an article but once you have done this once you can use this same account each time you want an article.
Once you have an account set up then you can just click the "ILLIAD" link in the "Get it!" button and log into your account and the request form will be automatically populated with the citation information for your desired article so you only need to submit the request.
(If you do not have a journal citation, but instead have a topic, use one of our databases to locate citations).
Journals About Sustainability Topics
While many articles of interest may be published in journals that do not specifically focus on sustainability, here are some journals in our collection that do focus on this topic:
