• Choose the Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed Journal checkbox in each database before you press search.
• Limit your search to full text only if you’re interested in finding articles that are immediately available.

• The use of Boolean Operators is an effective search strategy. Using the words AND or NOT will limit your search results, providing you with fewer hits. Using the word OR will expand your search and provide a greater number of results.

  To see how this works, visit The Boolean Machine.

• Truncation can expand your search results to include information or concepts that you may otherwise overlook. By using a "wildcard" in your search, you may find several variations of the same word or concept.

  For an overview of truncation, visit Owens Library's Truncation page.

In order to access the databases from home you must first be in our system.

To check this:

• Go to the Library's web site www.lib.alasu.edu
• Click on Library Catalog
• Click on the link that says "patron"
• If you can access your patron information, you are in the system. If not,
  you will need to come to the library and fill out a patron update form

To access the databases:

• Go to the Library's web site www.lib.alasu.edu
• Click on Databases
• Select a database from the subject areas or from the alphabetical listing
• The login screen will ask that you:
  1. Enter your Campus ID without hyphens
  1. Enter your LAST NAME in lower case
• Once in the database enter your search terms in the search boxes provided

If you are in our system and unable to login to the databases please send an email to cdavis@alasu.edu or rcurtis@alasu.edu for support.

If you need help using the databases please contact the Reference Desk (334) 229-4110.