Searching in Scout
- ScoutScout simultaneously searches the library catalog, databases of scholarly work, electronic collections, images, streaming media, and much more.
This video is an introduction to basic search functions in Scout, the University of Alabama Libraries' all-in-one discovery tool. Topics include what SCOUT searches, searching for keywords, navigating the results page, interpreting short and long records, saving searches and records, downloading resources, and using limiters to refine results.
This video covers some advanced search functions and concepts in Scout, UA Libraries' all-in-one discovery tool. Topic include search fields, boolean operators, controlled vocabulary, subject terms, search modes, smarttext searching, limiters, and using search history.
Multidisciplinary Databases
Use the main website's search and Scout (found top-left under "research tools") to simultaneously search multiple database and catalogs for articles, books, and more. For more broad searching, try the following databases.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Images of the full text of many scholarly titles in a range of subject areas, including literature, biological sciences, economics, finance, and statistics. Search the archive or pull up a specific article.
- Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Project MUSE provides full-text access scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences. The database is a collaboration between Johns Hopkins University and other university presses and not-for-profit publishers. Also included are the UPCC collections in Asian and Pacific Studies, and Poetry, Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Google Scholar is a freely available scholarly search engine that allows you to search across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles – from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.
Subject Databases
- PubMed This link opens in a new window
PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, provides access to MEDLINE citations back to the mid-1960's and additional life science journals. It also includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources.
- CINAHL Ultimate This link opens in a new window
CINAHL Ultimate is a comprehensive database for nursing and allied health research, offering full text for journals, quick lessons, care sheets, CEU modules, and research instruments.
- Business Source Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Business Source Ultimate gives access to full-text business journals, covering current trends, historical data, and global perspectives from 1886 to present. It includes essential journals like Harvard Business Review and Forbes.
- Business: Insights (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Formerly known as Business Insights: Essentials, this database offers current competitive intelligence on companies, career and investment opportunities. It includes company histories, rankings, brand/product info, Investext, CDA Investment Insider, HR Law Case Digest, and association contact information.
- ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
Information source for scientific, medical, and technical research, and also includes social science and humanities topics. Contains articles on topics such as chemistry, mathematics, computer and materials science, and medicine, and links to journal titles and articles that have been accepted for publication but not yet in print. Users also have access to Medline, a web search engine, and information on available jobs for scientists.
- Biological Abstracts This link opens in a new windowCovers journal literature in the life sciences including general biology, cell biology, genetics, zoology, botany, microbiology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, ecology and more.
- America: History & Life with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Provides historical and cultural coverage of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Includes information abstracted from journals published worldwide.
- Historical Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Covers the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 to the present.
- MLA International Bibliography with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Consists of bibliographic records pertaining to literature, language, linguistics, and folklore, and includes coverage from 1963 to the present. Provides access to scholarly research in journals and series, and covers relevant monographs, working papers, proceedings, bibliographies, and other formats.
- Gale Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
Gale Literature Resource Center offers a wide range of literary resources for researchers to support their own responses, analysis, and thesis statements. It includes primary works, analysis, biographical information, criticism, and reviews that promote interdisciplinary approaches and critical thinking.
Evaluating Journals
Want to know if the journal you're looking at is influential? Check out these advanced resources for comprehensive data on literature, science, and social science journals.
- Journal Citation Reports This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive resource that allows users to evaluate and compare journals using citation data drawn from scholarly and technical journals. It is the only source of citation data on journals, and includes virtually all areas of science, technology, and social sciences.
- Ulrichsweb: Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory This link opens in a new windowUlrich's International Periodicals Directory provides data on regularly published and irregularly issued serials since 1979. This reference provides purchasing and contact information (conventional and electronic) for publishers in various countries.
- Cabell's Directory of Publishing Opportunities This link opens in a new window
Cabell's offers publishing data on journals to help users looking to publish their work. Information includes contact details and websites of journals for reference. Links to guidelines and submission info, Journalytics, and Predatory Reports are provided.
Research Help
A quick run-down of the research and reference services we provide and how to use the Libraries website to get help when you need it. Covers how to find your librarian, ask a question online, schedule a research consultation, find tutorials and find our research guides.