To locate articles on a topic, use a business article database (also known as a “periodical index”). There are several different articles databases that can be used to do research on a business topic. This guide will provide you with pointers on which database to choose and on key steps to follow when engaging in business research using articles from journals, magazines or newspapers.

1. Different kinds of articles: scholarly, trade, and popular
2. Selecting an appropriate articles database
3. The savvy searcher’s arsenal: Tips for more effective results
4. Getting your hands on the full-text of the article
5. How to identify a peer-reviewed article

1. Different kinds of articles

2. Selecting an appropriate articles database

The database you choose depends on your topic and the type of article you need, i.e. trade, scholarly, popular or newspaper articles.

To help simplify the process of engaging in business articles research and to guide you in making a good decision on which database(s) to use, the table below is designed to help

3. The savvy searcher’s arsenal: Tips for more effective results

All the main articles databases for business, e.g., Proquest Business, Business Source Premier and Factiva offer basic and advanced search functionality.

A successful researcher knows how to construct good searches and that means being familiar with some search strategy fundamentals. To save you time and give you a more rewarding and successful experience when searching these databases here are a couple of tips for savvy searching.

Here are some tips to help you out.

4. Getting your hands on the full-text of the journal article

The full-text of the article retrieved using the selected business articles database is often available electronically within the database. Typically the article may be printed, saved to disk, or e-mailed (look for instructions in the help screens of the index you are using).

Sometimes the full-text of the article will not be available, as in the case of this article, where only a citation and abstract is offered in Business Source Premier:

Click on ” Find it @ York” to determine if this article can be obtained in hardcopy or electronically from another source. A pop-up box will appear telling you if the article is available electronically via other library articles databases (where this is the case, links are provided, as in the example below). You will also see an option to check the YULcatalogue to see if the article is available in hardcopy.

Note that in rare cases you may find that York University Libraries do not have the article you need. Where this happens, you may wish to request this article from another library using RACER services. Please check the RACER web site for more information.

5.How to identify a peer-reviewed article

In some cases a research assignment will require you to use peer-reviewed or refereed business articles. This means articles are reviewed by experts or scholars in the field to which the article pertains.

Not all journals go through the peer-review process. The following are suggestions for determining if a journal is peer-reviewed /refereed or not.

1. Limit your database search to peer-reviewed journalsSome articles databases will allow you to do this, e.g., Proquest Business (limit to peer-reviewed articles) or Business Source Premier (limit to academic articles found amongst the “Publication Type” drop down menu). This is NOT a 100% guarantee that the journal in question is actually peer-reviewed. Try one or more of the options described below to double-check that the journal is peer-reviewed.
2. Search Ulrich’s International Periodical Directory. Ulrich’s provides useful information about all types of periodicals (scholarly and trade journals, popular magazines, newspapers, etc.) and can be used to determine if a journal is peer-reviewed. To search this tool, use the search box in the middle of the library homepage. Type Ulrich’s into the search box and change the Keyword box to Periodical Title and click go.
   

   Click on the Online Access link (“Click to access this resource”) to get into Ulrich’s.

   

   Look up your journal, in this case, Academy of Management Journal. Type the journal title into the search box and press enter, or click on the green magnifying glass icon to search.

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   From your results, choose the journal you are looking for to get more information. Note that the black icon (a referee’s shirt) indicates that this is a refereed or peer-reviewed journal.

   

3. Check the journal: Check the web-site for the journal by searching the journal name in Google. Look for instructions to authors. Observe whether there is a review policy or an editorial board and whether authors are required to submit multiple copies of their manuscripts. If yes, these are good indicators that the journal is peer-reviewed/refereed. If you have a print/paper copy of the journal take a look at the first couple of pages or the last few pages of information about the journal. Some journals will state that they are “peer-reviewed” or “refereed”. Look at the contributor or author information. Once again, observe whether there is a review policy or an editorial board and whether authors are required to submit multiple copies of their manuscripts.

Created by Sophie Bury, Business Librarian. December 2011.