Research Guides: Systematic Reviews: How-To: Finding Full-Text Articles

Finding Full-Text Articles

Before making a request for full-text articles through interlibrary loan, please complete these steps below to search for the full-text articles. If you are working with individuals from other institutions, please ensure that they check their library collections as well.

Prior to checking the sources below, be sure to run the full-text finder in EndNote (or other citation management tool, like Zotero). If you are working with a librarian on a review, this step may be completed for you.

Steps to Find Full-Text Articles

There are many ways to connect to the full-text. Below are three options, ranked by ease and efficiency.

Engine Orange This link opens in a new window
1. Copy the title of the article and paste it into the search box.
2. Locate the full-text links.

Usually, Engine Orange works really well. If not, you can try these additional options.

Citation Databases (e.g., PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, etc.)
If your article was found in a citation database, use that database to try to connect to the full text of the article.
1. Search for the article title.
2. If the article is found, click the PDF Full Text or the "Full Text Finder" button.
E-Journal Holdings
1. Search for the name of the journal; then, browse the results to determine if the library subscribes to the year (volume / issue) that you need.
2. If the library has the year/volume/issue you need, click the link to locate the article.

If you have multi-institutional team members, have them search Google Scholar as well, along with their own institution libraries.

Google Scholar
1. Use this custom link - OR -
2. Make sure your Google Scholar is connected to SHSU, as this will give you the Full Text @ SHSU button. To do this: In Google Scholar > Settings > Library links > Search for SHSU > Check all that apply and Save.
3. If you are retrieving too many results, try putting the article title in quotes and / or adding the author last name.
Google
For difficult to find citations, try regular Google.
1. Use the same techniques of putting the title in quotes and adding author information if needed.

If you find the article citation in a database, placing an interlibrary loan request is incredibly fast and easy with these steps:

Find the article citation in a database: If you aren't already in a citation database, go back to PubMed or other citation database such as Web of Science to look up the article. Why? Because our "Request through Interlibrary Loan" link will fill out the ILL form for you with all the article information – this saves you time and ensures greater citation accuracy.
Click the Interlibrary Loan link: Once you locate the article in a citation database, click the Request through Interlibrary Loan link.
Log in with your SHSU username and password: This will take you to the ILL form. The article information will be filled into the form automatically. Scroll to the bottom and click submit. If there are copyright or other fees associated with your article request, we will contact you first.

If you can't find the citation in a database, you can still place an interlibrary loan request manually. Follow the steps below:

ILLiad Interlibrary Loan System
First, log in with your SHSU username and password.
Next, in the left hand menu, click New Request > Article/Chapter
Finally, fill out the required fields; please take care to ensure accuracy as incorrect citations may cause your order to be delayed or cancelled.

Questions about Interlibrary Loan? All interlibrary loan questions should be directed to the Interlibrary Services Office, 936-294-1616, or lib_ill@shsu.edu.