FAQ: How do I find a specific article?

Frequently heard at the Reference Desk:

“My professor said I could get this article at the library, but I don’t know how to find it”.

“This article is listed on Blackboard, but the link is broken. Can you help me get it?”

“I found a reference to this article in a book I’m using for my research. Can you help me track it down?”

Finding an article when you know the name of the journal, magazine, or newspaper in which it appears is as easy as one, two, three!  Follow these steps:

  1. Go to the library’s home page and click on the Journal Finder tab.
  2. Enter the name of the journal, magazine or newspaper in the search box and click [search]. The Journal Finder will tell you if the full-text is available, the database it can be found in, and the dates for which it is available. It will also tell you if the library has a subscription to the print journal.
  3. Click on the appropriate link to search for the article in that database.

What if the article isn’t available in any database or in print at the library?

Don’t worry, the library can obtain a PDF copy of the article for you, for free, and usually within three days! Request a copy of the article you need via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Login to ILLiad with your Bentley username and password, click the link for “Request New Item – Article”, then complete and submit the form.

What if I’m not sure I have the right information, or that I am looking it up correctly?

It’s not unusual to have an incomplete or incorrect citation. Don’t give up! Reference librarians are happy to help you decode mysterious citations and locate articles. Contact the Reference Desk for help.

Find answers to more library FAQs in AskUs, the library’s FAQ database.