The default search for UC Library Search is to look through all of the databases included in the resource, which includes the UC-wide library catalog, hundreds of databases, special collections, archives, media, and many other types of information.
You will be able to access the full text content that the Library pays for if you sign in with your Calnet credentials.
To limit your search results to articles, one option is to choose to show only Peer-reviewed journals. You can also select from a list of Resource Types.
Browse all UC Berkeley Library databases or browse all African American Studies databases. Find a narrower selection of article databases on the African American Studies Guide.
Once you've searched an index to find articles, you may need to use Get it at UC 
to link to a PDF or html file if the full text is not immediately available. Each database is a bit different, but a good rule of thumb is:
Google Scholar is an easy way to do interdisciplinary research, and with some settings changes can become even more useful. You need a Google account to use these features.
Do your search in Google Scholar. Look in the left sidebar for the Create Alert link next to the envelope icon, and click it. New items will be sent to your email account as they are found by Google.
Open Scholar. Click on the menu icon 
in the upper left corner and then the gear icon
to reach the settings page. On the next screen, choose Library Links from the left-hand menu. In the search box, type the word Berkeley. Choose University of California, Berkeley - Get it at UC, and Open Worldcat Search.
Do a Google Scholar search. Click on the "Cited by" link under a citation and select the "Search within articles citing..." checkbox.