Getting Started
When starting research on your chosen topic, you can do a keyword search in the Research & Discover quick search bar on the library homepage. This will provide you with resources from across our library catalog, e-journals, and databases. You can refine your search results using the limiters on the left side of the results page.
Alternatively, you can visit scientific journals and databases directly. This approach is useful if you're not quite sure what you want to research yet, and you'd like to browse a curated selection of science articles.
Choosing Articles
Don't cite an article you don't understand.
The purpose of citing articles in your work is to provide evidence supporting the points you make in your argument. How can you make sure your argument is sound if you don't know whether your premises are true? You can't.
Allow your audience to meet you at your level of understanding. Find articles that clearly relate to the points you are making in your paper or presentation.
Journals
Scientific American
Scientific American is the world's premier magazine of scientific discovery and technological innovation for the general public. You can search the archive by keyword, title, author, or date. You can also browse by issue.
Science
Science is a leading outlet for scientific news, commentary, and cutting-edge research. You can browse by issue.
Nature
Nature is a weekly international journal publishing the finest peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology. You can search the archive by keyword, title, author, or date. You can also browse by issue.
How to Read a Scientific Article
Illustration by James Baxter for Arizona State University.
When browsing articles, don't try to read them from beginning to end. The most effective way to read an academic article is to start by reading the abstract, then the keywords (if listed), then the conclusion. Once you've done this, you can evaluate whether it contains information that will be relevant to your argument. If you've determined that it does, then you can go back and read the article from the beginning to see how the authors got to their conclusions.
Read these two resources to learn how to efficiently read a scientific article:
Journals & Databases
The library provides access to over 30 math & science databases and over 1,000 scientific journals.
Journals are publications in which academics share their research and findings. Databases can contain journals, articles from those journals, and more. Below are some best bets:
- Nature Journals Online (Springer Nature Journals) This link opens in a new windowAccess to nature.com and 91 full text science journals including Nature and Scientific American.
- Scientific American Archive This link opens in a new windowScientific American is the world's premier magazine of scientific discovery and technological innovation for the general public. Read issues of Scientific American magazine online from January 2012 to the present. You can search the archive by keyword, title, author, or date. You can also browse by issue.
- Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new windowAcademic Search Premiere offers a collection of full-text journals indexed in Web of Science or Scopus, In addition, it includes peer-reviewed full text articles for STEM research.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowJSTOR provides access to millions of academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in areas such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science, general science, mathematics, physics, technology, statistics and sustainability.
- GreenFILE This link opens in a new windowGreenFILE focuses on the relationship between human beings and the environment.
Requesting Articles
Hit a paywall? Find something we don't have? Don't pay for it!
We can get articles and books for you from other institutions. Learn more about our Interlibrary Loan services.