Primo: ZSR's Discovery Catalog
- ZSR Library Catalog This link opens in a new window
Start your search in Primo, our discovery catalog. Primo can help you identify books and articles related to your research topic. You can start your search on the library homepage, or go directly into Primo (linked above).
Use keywords that describe your topic. For phrases and names, use quotation marks to keep those words together in your search.
The "everything" search will search for articles, book chapters, encyclopedia entries, books and ebooks, and more that match your keywords.
The "catalog" search will search for books and ebooks, videos, and more that match your keywords.
Use the limiters on the left side to refine your results to specific types of resources, by language, or by availability.
Click "Available Online" to view online articles and ebooks. For physical books, find the call number, which will tell you where in the library the book is located. Ask at the Public Services desk if you need help!
You can also use ZSR Delivers to have books delivered to the smart lockers in the 24/7 room in ZSR for pickup!
Article Databases
Databases allow you to search across many resources at the same time. Some databases include articles from newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals. Others just include scholarly content. Some databases are focused on a particular subject (history, religion, psychology) while others have journals from many different subjects. The topic of your research and the types of materials you need will determine which database is best for your research.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowA full-text database of archived issues of academic journals. Since JSTOR is a backfiles project, a typical coverage range is the beginning of a journal until three or five years ago. Artstor images are now integrated into JSTOR. Supported in part by the Dail Endowment Fund. Coverage: Varies
- Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new windowProvides indexing and abstracts for journal articles, books, and dissertations covering the history of the world from 1450-- except the U.S. and Canada. For similar coverage of the U.S. and Canada, use America History and Life. Access is limited to six simultaneous users. Coverage: 1954-
- Atla Religion Database with AtlaSerials PLUS This link opens in a new windowThe premier database for research in religious studies, the Atla database provides full-text coverage for major international journals, magazines, and professional publications. Multiple religious traditions and related disciplines, such as anthropology, political science, counseling, and history are represented. Coverage: 1818-
Tips for Searching Article Databases
The databases listed here may help you find and get access to newspaper articles, magazines articles, and scholarly journal articles about your topic. But how do you get started?
1. Choose keywords that describe your topic and consider how different authors might describe the same topic. For example: (China OR Chinese) AND jesuit* AND "Giuseppe Castiglione"
2. Use the tools provided by the database to narrow your search by date, document type, and more.
3. Read the abstract or summary of the article to decide if it is relevant to your topic.
4. If the article is relevant, make sure to save it! ZSR recommends saving it to Zotero (which will also help you cite it later in your paper!). You can also email it to yourself or copy the permalink (NOT the link in the browser bar!).
Need help? Ask a librarian!