Library Guide to Finding Articles

OneSearch is a large source of full text articles and can be a great resource whether you are newly researching a topic or have a specific citation. The system ingests records from the library's licensed commercial databases and e-journals, publisher websites, and open access repositories. Users can find citations and full text for millions of articles, as well as book chapters and reference entries.

By default, OneSearch displays results for content that users can get as full text online from the library. Log in with your NetID when prompted to maximize search results and to access account features.

Expand your search by clicking on the toggle Include results with citation only under Refine Results.

Activating this search can sometimes find immediate full text options both inside and beyond the library's collections. When full text is not offered, the system can provide request forms for interlibrary loan services to efficiently obtain the article from another source.

It is recommended you include citation only results if using OneSearch to find more recent scholarship. The library may not have subscriptions to the most current content, particularly as we have cut several major ejournal packages in recent years (such as Springer and Sage in 2021, and Elsevier for 2024).

Tips for looking up citations in OneSearch:

If you have a specific citation in hand, here are some ways to use the system to obtain the material.

• You can paste a citation into the OneSearch search field.
• If you know what journal the article is in, search for the journal title and then search for the article title.
• If you have a DOI or PMID from a citation, use the quick article look-up tool.

The brief record will provide a direct link to a pdf of the article if available. You can also check for availability options by clicking on the article title to access the full record. 

OneSearch records display two types of full text availability:

Online Availability

Full text access from one of the library's licensed sources, including publisher sites and aggregator databases (e.g. Academic Search Complete).

Physical Availability

Indicates if the library owns the print version of the journal in which the article was published. However, the system cannot automatically check the inventory to verify whether the library has the exact issue containing the article. If you would like a print version, check the Library Owns description in the record, browse the available items through the Description drop-down, or scroll through the item records. 

Note: Due to the way items are inventoried in our system, Description may be the most effective for filtering results.

The “No full text” indicator on a record means no online access is found within the library's collections. You will only find "no full text" records in OneSearch by selecting Include results with citation only under Refine Results. Users may also encounter these records when trying to connect to full text from library databases and other resources.

A "no full text" record may present you with these options:

1) An online copy. These pdfs and full text links are pulled in through enrichment services the library has integrated with OneSearch.

2) A physical copy. The library may only have a physical copy of an article, particularly if it has an older publication date. Physical Availability indicates whether the library owns the print version of the journal in which the article was published. It cannot check whether the issue containing the article is in the library's inventory. Browse the items through the Description drop-down or scroll through the item records.

3) If no options are available, place an interlibrary loan request to receive an electronic copy of the article. For your convenience, an interlibrary loan form link displays and pre-populates with details from the record you are coming from. Fulfillment takes 1-4 days.  

FYI, should the library have a physical holding for a journal, the interlibrary loan request option will display a bit differently. Use this route if the library does not offer the volume containing the article you are looking for.

Should the interlibrary loan form fail to display, access the form here and fill it out manually. See Get the item through Interlibrary loan for details about services and timelines.

Many library databases are a source of full text and abstracting information for journal articles, book chapters, and other types of publications. When a database cannot directly provide the full text, most are configured to help users locate full text sources within the library’s collections using link resolver technology. Look for a link labeled “Link to article” in most databases.

If library services can find a pdf in one of our collections or an open access source, a download page will display to you.

Should the library lack the full text of an article, the No full text options will be provided.

Interlibrary loan requests may be submitted from records in OneSearch and library databases if full text is not available.

A blank request form may be accessed from Log onto Illiad. 

Articles are delivered electronically within 1-4 days and are available to the patron 24/7 for 30 days from the date of receipt. They can be viewed, printed, pasted into documents, saved to disk or downloaded to a personal computer.

See Interlibrary Loan Policies for more information about use and timelines for interlibrary loan services.

Tip: Use the search box below if you have a DOI or PMID from a citation. This quick lookup tool allows you to quickly determine if the article is available from a library source and place an interlibrary loan or Article Galaxy Scholar request if we do not have the item.

Article Galaxy Scholar (AGS) is a rapid article delivery service that was added in January 2024, to supplement interlibrary loan services for the Elsevier journals cancelled at that time. AGS provides 24/7, near instant access to articles not owned by the library, in contrast to the 1-4 days it takes for traditional interlibrary loan. Beginning Fall 2024, the library has added additional publishers to the list of content eligible for AGS requests, including Springer, Sage, Oxford University Press, and others. Use the request form detailed in the following instructions to determine if an article is eligible for AGS or if interlibrary loan is the only option.

AGS and interlibrary loan services are provided at no cost to our users. However, AGS costs the library additional fees that average $30 per request. To keep costs manageable, the library encourages users to place requests via interlibrary loan rather than AGS if immediate article access is not needed. To ensure that we can continue to provide AGS as a service, we will closely monitor its usage and make every effort to allocate a sufficient budget to meet patron demands. It is important to note, however, that if our funds for this service are depleted, it may not be possible to restore them until the following fiscal year.

To place an AGS request, find the citation of the article in OneSearch. Citations lacking full text services are findable by selecting "Include results with citation only" under Refine Results.

An article record without a full text match from one of our subscriptions or open access source will display as No full text.

Click on the record to view interlibrary loan and AGS service options described below. ***Log into OneSearch if prompted.

Request from another library - Interlibrary loan service - estimated delivery for articles is 1-4 days.

Check on immediate availability from Article Galaxy Scholar - May not be an option for all titles. Articles cost the library $30 per request on average. Please consider using interlibrary loan instead if a 1-4 day period is acceptable for your needs.

The Article Galaxy Scholar option will open a request form if the content is available from AGS. If it is not, a link to a traditional interlibrary loan request form will be provided.

Example of an article available through AGS

Example of an article NOT available through AGS

To make an AGS request, enter a valid UM email address and click Submit.

Click on the Request PDF button to submit the request.

The article PDF will load in your browser or you can download it at a later time through the confirmation email you receive. Download the article to a location you will be able to access later. The download will only work once before you will get an error message.

Note: You will receive a confirmation email from "Reprints Desk," followed by a second email with a link to the PDF. This link will be valid for 30 days. If you don't receive your article in a timely manner, check your SPAM filter and add "reprintsdesk.com" to your list of permitted senders.

Example of PDF download email:

The document is protected by copyright. You are responsible for complying with all appropriate copyright laws with your use of this article.