Journals and Periodicals – Tips & Tricks for Periodical Research
When searching for relevant periodical literature, keep the following tips and tricks in mind:
Subject Headings
- Be sure to check the subject headings under which relevant articles are categorized. Using these subject headings, you are likely to find other useful articles that may not have been caught by your keyword search.
- Moreover, the subject headings themselves may provide excellent keyword ideas.
Search Within the Results
- A keyword search will often yield an unmanageable amount of results. Try narrowing these results by searching within the results.This will also help you develop effective search strategies and become familiar with Boolean logic.
Get to Know the Indexes and Databases
- Every periodical database is different. You should take the time to learn how to navigate and fully exploit these resources. Doing so will help you develop more efficient search strategies. Consult the Help pages for each database for more information about how it works.
Read the Abstracts
- Read the article's abstract wherever possible. This will give you a quick indication of the scope and content of the article, helping you to quickly decide whether the article will, in fact, be useful or not.
The 
Icon
- The "afficher!/get it!” icon is your best friend in many situations. It can save you hours spent locating a printed copy of a particular periodical by providing a link to the electronic version of the journal.
- However, don't get discouraged if the article is not available online in full-text format. The most recent – and often, the most relevant – articles are not available electronically until quite some time after their printed publication.
- Always be prepared to track down the printed periodical using the article's citation. Remember, the Brian Dickson Law Library's printed periodical collection is found on the 5th floor in the FTX Periodicals section.
Full-Text Searching
- A great feature of full-text articles (and e-books) in PDF format is the ability to search the entire document for words or phrases. You can do this by pressing Ctrl+F, or Command+F for Mac users.
- This is a great way to scan lengthy articles for pertinent sections or passages.
Search by Author
- Searching for periodical literature written by a particular legal expert can be a very helpful strategy in certain contexts.
- Typically, legal scholars have a particular area of focus or interest. So, if you've located a great article written by a particular author, try searching for more articles written by that author. Chances are that he or she has written several articles on a similar or related topic.
Date of Publication
- Pay careful attention to the date of publication of an article. Generally speaking, older articles are not as up-to-date on the law as recent articles.
- This is especially relevant when you are researching an emerging or changing area of the law.
- As a general rule, try to keep your journal articles as recent as possible.
Factors to Keep in Mind
- Coverage: Does the article focus on your research topic and cover it thoroughly?
- Currency: Is the article fairly recent so that its research and analysis are still current?
- Credibility: Is the journal peer-reviewed? Is it written by a reputable author? Is the article published in a well-respected periodical?
- Quality of Research & Analysis: Do the footnotes provide sufficient authority for the author's propositions?
- Persuasiveness: Are the arguments logical and convincing?