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FYS MUS01: How to Write One Song; Lyrics, Lives, & Listening: Find Articles

This is a guide specifically created for the FYS MUS01: How to Write One Song; Lyrics, Lives, & Listening course & annotated bibliography assignment.

When and Where Can I Access Databases?

Databases are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can use them on or off campus. If you are using them from off campus you will be prompted to put in your SU username and password (the same one you use for Gull Net, MyClasses, or an SU computer).

Recommended Multi-Subject Databases

Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Academic Search Ultimate offers access to an unprecedented collection of resources including journals, magazines, reports, books, and videos. Many are peer-reviewed and full-text. Subjects range from astronomy to zoology.
JSTOR (including ARTSTOR) This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to a broad range of resources about the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, including primary sources, images, articles, and books. Does not contain the most recent journal articles.

Use SURF to Find Articles

In addition to searching in databases, you can also search for articles directly through SURF. You can use the filters to the left of your results list to sort by information pertinent to your search.

Did you know you can also search for journal names in SURF? Make sure you have changed your search to "All" or just "Journals" if you're looking for a specific title!

Article Databases: By Subject and A-Z List

Databases A-Z List

Search by subject or alphabetical. Explore this list to see what subject-specific databases might be relevant in your research.

Google Scholar as a Research Tool

Google Scholar is essentially a searchable index of scholarly works. The set of information that it searches (the "Academic Internet") is not contextualized according to topics or subjects but basically looks through everything it has access to.

This means that you, the researcher, need to provide the context for your search! A good way to do that is to be generous with choosing key words and developing your search terms. Use as many as you need in order to get a set of results that appeals to your topic.

Some pro tips when using Google Scholar:

If the author's name is highlighted, you can click the link for more information, including other articles they wrote and what topics are their expertise.
If you click "cited by" under the citation result, you will get a new list of articles that cite it. This is helpful so that you can see how other authors have utilized an article you might also use.
Remember to use caution when using a platform like this, because it does have some limitations that can effect you as the researcher. One important thing to be mindful of is that not all sources have been verified for accuracy by Scholar, so be sure you are scrutinizing the information you use and where it came from.