Introduction
Many of your instructors will require you to use scholarly or peer reviewed sources in your research. Peer review is a process scholarly writing goes through prior to publication in which subject matter experts review and make suggestions for revision to ensure that the research meets rigorous standards for the field. Peer reviewed research can come in the form of books or articles. Use the tools below to find scholarly sources. Learn more about peer review on the Evaluating Sources tab.
Articles
- ScoutSince Scout searches most of the databases UA Libraries subscribes to, as well as our journal subscriptions, it's a great place to start your search for scholarly sources.
To search for scholarly articles in Scout, be sure to select the "Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals" or "Academic Journals" limiter in the menus on the left side of the page.
Each of these limiters will get you slightly different results, so it is helpful to try each one separately.
Scholarly articles will be indicated in Scout with the icon on the below right.
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Using Scout: Video Tutorials
- Google ScholarUse this link to access Google Scholar through University of Alabama Libraries, which will ensure you have access to items paid for by UA Libraries subscriptions. This page also provides information on setting up your preferences and search tips for using Google Scholar.
UA Libraries subscribes to approximately 600 databases that provide access to sources not available on the open web, including historical and archival material, video, audio, images, and scholarship in all disciplines. Scout searches many, but not all, of those databases. Since Scout returns so many results, it can often be useful to search in specific databases for more targeted search results, especially as you begin to do more advanced research.
The databases linked below are some of the most commonly used; check out the Newspapers and Magazines and Finding Primary Sources tabs for more databases, visit the library or ask a librarian if you need more help!
- 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.
- Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
This database contains US and non-US news sources; legal materials: cases, statutes, law journals and other secondary law resources; and company and financial information on millions of United States and international companies and executives.
- Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Web of Science (formerly Web of Knowledge) offers a wide range of interdisciplinary content. Also included: prominent journals and conference proceedings, Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1985-present); Science Citation Index (1955-present); and Social Sciences Citation Index (1900-present).
- Statista This link opens in a new window
Statista is a statistics portal to the world of data and facts from thousands of sources onto a single platform. Categorized into subject sectors, Statista provides patrons with direct access to relevant quantitative facts on finance, media & marketing, politics, telecommunications, sports & recreation and many more areas of interest. Sources of information include market researchers, trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases. Statistical data can be downloaded directly into PowerPoint, Excel, and JPG formats.
Books
- ScoutThe main search tool for UA Libraries, Scout allows you to search across the library catalog and many databases, including a large collection of print books and ebooks.
To search for books in Scout, be sure to select the "Print Books" or "eBooks" limiter on the left side of the results page.
The video below gives a brief walkthrough of how to find a print book in Scout and locate it in the stacks.
- Libraries CatalogSearch the traditional catalog to find print, ebook, music, sound recordings, video, video, and more in the Libraries' collections. The catalog is useful tool to help find specific items in the collection, rather than broad searching.
UA Libraries has a large collection of ebooks, searchable in Scout or the catalog. The video below walks through the process for accessing and downloading ebooks to read on your device.
- Ebooks @ The University of AlabamaThis guide includes detailed information about ebook collections at UA Libraries and links to software to read them on your devices.
If you found a citation for a book that UA Libraries doesn't have in our collection, you can request it via Interlibrary Loan. The video below walks you through the process.