How do I search EBSCO?

Step 1:

Use the Find Articles search box on the library's home page to search select databases from EBSCO, our largest multi-disciplinary database,  or click on the direct link above the search box.  (If you use the direct link, click Select/deselect all and then Continue.)

Step 2:

EBSCO searches every word of every article, so be very specific with your search terms. For best results, use concrete nouns and Boolean operators like AND, OR, or NOT. Below is a good example.

Step 3:

Read the abstract for a summary of the article and pay attention to the subjects. The subjects tell you what the article is actually about and can be helpful if you need alternative search terms.

Step 4:

To narrow your results, add additional search terms and/or use the Limit To options. Be sure to pay attention to the Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals option if your assignment requires it. You may also just want to limit to full text so you can always read the entire article immediately.

Step 5:

To get to the article, click its title.  If you need to share the article, use the permalink option. This will provide you a stable URL so that you can come back to the article. The option is located on the right side of the screen, under Tools.

Many of the articles you find via EBSCO are available in full text. This means that you can get the whole article, either as a web page (HTML Full Text) or as a PDF document (PDF Full Text). If the article is offered in full text as a web page or a PDF, this information will appear in two places: at the bottom of the abstract in the search results list, or on the left hand side of the article.

The images below shows you the location of the PDF information when you're looking at the results list (first image) or at the article itself (second image). To download the article, click on the PDF Full Text Link and you will be given the choice to open or download the document..

• EBSCO is not the best for literature; try these literature databases instead.
• Some articles are not available through EBSCO to read immediately. If you see Check another database, then you can click on the link to see if the article is available in another database.
• To cite your article, use the Citation Styles Playbook.

Watch this Research Minute video to learn how to search EBSCO.