Library Guides: Biological Anthropology Library Guide: Find Articles

Scholarly Engagement Librarian

She/Her/Hers

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Contact:

Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Knowledge Lab, 2nd Floor
Tulane University
7001 Freret Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70118

(504) 247-1820

Subjects: African Studies, Africana Studies, Anthropology, Asian Studies, History, Jewish Studies, Political Science

Intro

No two databases have the same contents, search terms, and algorithms. Below are some best bets for Biological Anthropology. Test and compare more than one to do a thorough information search!

Group activity

With your group, decide on a practice research topic and identify keywords and operators you want to use to find information on that topic. Don't forget to use AND/OR and ""
Each group member picks a different database from the list below to search. When you each pull up the results, compare them. How do they differ in number and relevance for the topic? How might you need to adjust your search to find relevant articles? What benefits and drawbacks does each database offer? Prepare to report back to the class.

Library Search

To look for scholarly articles (rather than articles from a newspaper or popular magazine) in Library Search, start with an Advanced Search from Tulane University Libraries' homepage: https://library.tulane.edu/

Next, make sure to select the EVERYTHING button at the top left, and the ARTICLES drop-down as Resource Type (to the right of the search lines):

Many times, you will only want to find articles from peer-reviewed journals. Use the filters in the left-hand column to refine your search to peer-reviewed articles from scholarly journals:

Google Scholar

Google Scholar is a general academic research database that includes scholarly articles, books, and book chapters. As opposed to Google.com, your results will be largely limited to academic contents.

For tips on making the most of Google Scholar, see the two videos below:

On advanced searching in Google, by University of Technology Sydney Library
On how to link your Tulane Library account to Google Scholar, by Tulane University Libraries

PubMed

PubMed This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and eBooks. Click on TU LINK within a record to explore full text options.

Anthropology Databases

Anthropology Plus This link opens in a new window
A compilation of the Anthropological Index Online and Anthropological Literature databases, this resource is an extensive index of bibliographic materials covering the fields of anthropology, archaeology, and related interdisciplinary research.
AnthroSource This link opens in a new window
Produced by the American Anthropological Association (AAA), AnthroSource provides digital access to AAA journals, newsletters, and bulletins including current issues of 15 key peer-reviewed publications such as American Anthropologist, American Ethnologist, Anthropology and Education Quarterly, and Medical Anthropology Quarterly.

Animal Behavior and Primatology Databases

Animal Behavior Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Animal behavior & psychology, such as aggression, learning, foraging and ingestion.
PrimateLit: a bibliographic database for primatology This link opens in a new window
Archive of literature in primatology, 1940-2010. Includes books, articles, reports, dissertations, and conference proceedings. PrimateLit ceased updates as of November 30, 2010.

More General Databases

JSTOR Advanced Search This link opens in a new window
A trusted archive of scholarly journals, primary sources, and books. Content spans many disciplines, primarily in the humanities and social sciences. The most recent 3-5 years of journals are generally not available; this is known as a "moving wall."
Web of Science Core This link opens in a new window
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Interdisciplinary database includes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index, Science Citation Index Expanded, and Social Sciences Citation Index, Journal Citation Reports. Includes citation searching (see how many times a paper has been cited). Coverage: 1976 - present. NOTE: Use your Web of Science/Endnote username and password or create a new username and password to access InCites, Journal Citation Reports, and/or EndNotes from Web of Science.
Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Our broadest, most general full-text database that includes both popular and scholarly periodicals. It covers virtually all academic areas of study, including social sciences, sciences, and humanities.

What If I Can't Get Full Text Access to an Article?

If you find an article you want to access, but hit a paywall or other roadblock, register to use Tulane Libraries' Interlibrary Loan service: ILLiad.

Once you're registered, submit an article request:

You'll receive a PDF of the article by email within 3 business days!

Watch this video for step-by-step instructions: