If you're not finding relevant results for your topic in the databases listed above, try searching databases by Subject Specialty. The Berkeley Libraries subscribe to hundreds of article databases organized by Subject and Format. Here are a few examples:
Start Your Search brings back results from the library catalog OskiCat, articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers indexed through databases (some but not all), and online encyclopedias and dictionaries like Oxford University Press.
How can you filter through the results? Here is an illustrated example:
Use this library tutorial to find sources for your research project.
Understanding Scholarly Sources (from NCSU Libraries)
Google Scholar is an easy way to do interdisciplinary research, and with some settings changes can become even more useful. You need a bMail or Google account to use some of these features. To make Google display links to full text of articles that Berkeley subscribes to: Open Scholar and click on Settings. Under Library Links, enter the word "Berkeley" and click search (if you are connected to the internet via the campus, Google Scholar will have the correct boxes selected for you). In the list of options that appears, check the boxes for anything University of California, Berkeley.
Is there one search box I can use to search all databases to find articles on my topic?
The Start your search tool on the Library homepage will search many library-licensed article databases as well as OskiCat and other important library collections. It doesn’t include everything though, and we encourage more advanced researchers to use the subject-specific databases that best represent their research topic.
Can’t I search for articles in OskiCat?
No. OskiCat, the UC Berkeley library catalog cannot find articles in journals. You can search for journal titles in OskiCat, and you will find whether we have access to a journal in print on the shelves or online, but OskiCat has no information regarding the articles that are published inside of those journals.
Can’t I search for articles in Melvyl?
Yes, you can find some articles in Melvyl, which also contains records for books and other materials in all of the UC Libraries. Unfortunately, Melvyl only contains a fraction of the article content that we license at UC Berkeley and if you rely solely on Melvyl for your research you will will miss out on a lot of important article content. Indeed, some of the most important databases for research in specific disciplines are not available via Melvyl.
Why can’t I just Google articles or use JSTOR?
The article databases available to you in the library provide many more scholarly articles than you can find via Google. JSTOR is also limited in the number of journals it covers, and in most cases does not include recently published issues. The bottom line? Search scholarly article databases to compile an excellent bibliography.
If I can’t find the information I need, who can help me?
We can help you locate all of the information you need. Stop at the reference desk in person at most libraries on campus or take a look at our other Research Help options, including 24/7 chat.