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Finding the full text of an article can be tricky if you haven't done it before. The process for accessing a full article is a little different in each database. This video provides an overview of how to access the full text articles in the recommended databases, as well as what to do when you can't access the full text.
Sometimes you will discover an interesting article while you're reading another article or book. This section contains tips on how how to locate the PDF of an article by using its citation information.
Sometimes, you may not find the full text of an article in the database where you’re searching. This doesn’t mean the library doesn’t have it. Before trying other options, always try searching for the article in TWUniversal first.
You can sometimes find articles for free online when the library doesn't have it. Google Scholar is one of the best places to look to see if it's free online.
Sometimes the PDF will be a pre-print version of the article before it was officially published. But you will still be able to get the general information that’s in the official published version.
Sometimes you won’t find a free version of the article through Google Scholar. Oddly enough, about half the time you can’t find it there, you can find it in plain old Google!
Sometimes you won’t find your article this way, either. That’s when it’s time to move on to the final option: Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
When you have tried all other options to get the full text article you need, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). We will ask other universities if they have the article. One university will agree to send it to us, and then we will send it to you once it’s available.
This service does not cost you anything to use if you’re a current student, faculty, or staff member of TWU. Most of your article requests will be virtually sent to you within 1-2 business days.
There are two ways to make an ILL request:
If you don’t remember where you discovered the article, or if you can’t find its record in a database, you can request the article manually.
Tip: If the article has anything to do with the human body, you can probably find its record in the PubMed database to use the automatically filled form.
To manually request an article through ILLiad:
Fill out the request form manually. To ensure we get you the correct article, and to speed up the process of finding it, be sure to include ALL article citation information in the form:
Journal title
Volume number
Issue number
Year of publication
Inclusive pages (i.e. page range)
Article authors
Article title
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Submit Request” button.