Full-Text Journal Articles: How to Track Them From a Citation: The OPAC also Helps Track Journals

Although the Online Catalog (OPAC) is most often associated with our book collection, any journal that we own in ANY format should be listed in the OPAC.   The OPAC is a good place to check for a journal if you want to know ALL of your access options.  Some serials, for example, are still available only in physical format, that is, as a paper journal or newspaper.  The OPAC (but NOT the eJournal Locator) would give you holdings information on these publications.  Others have only recent issues in online form, but we might own older volumes in paper or microform.  So, don't ignore the OPAC when checking for journal article access, especially when the journal issue you need is older.

You can easily get to the OPAC from a link to the full version on the Sawyer Library homepage.  Or you may use the quick search box options listed under the full version.    

Let's go to the full version of the OPAC and change the search from Keyword to Title.

We'll check again for Foreign Affairs as a journal title.  There is actually so much information in this record that I truncated the bottom of the screen:

Note that besides the many online options, we actually still get the paper journal.  Paper journals are still a good option for browsing if you simply need to choose any article or when you are brainstorming for a research topic.  At times, paper copies are received more quickly than the online issues load, as well.  So, if you check the database and the most recent issue is not there, double-check the OPAC to see if paper is an option.

For online, the linked listings in the OPAC mimic what you find in the eJournal Locator.  Simply click an appropriate link and follow the steps discussed on the previous tabbed page.

In some cases, if you look up a journal in the eJournal Locator, there will be no indication of an online journal because access is not available through any of our databases.  Still, the OPAC record may indicate what paper or microform we own AND it may provide a link to fulltext access on the web.  Here's an example of such a record:

And here is an example of an OPAC record that shows that our holdings in physical formats often go further back than online.

Again, if you are tracking an older reference, ALWAYS check the OPAC if you do not find the year you need in the eJournal Locator!

The OPAC can be a bit confusing, since when you search for a title, you might see multiple records.  (And it can be especially tricky if the journal publisher is also the publisher of books!)

Here's an example of that challenge.  When I search for the simple title, New York Times, I get 48 records!  But when I scan the results list, I can spot an entry that indicates both electronic content and the availability of the resource in multiple Library locations.

These are clues that I might have found the right record for our periodical holdings that include online access.

Since most library users prefer online access, it is absolutely fine to start with a search in the eJournal Locator, but don't forget to use the OPAC as a doublecheck.

And if you have any questions about this process, check in with a Librarian.