LibGuides at USA: AN 470: Bioarchaeology: Articles

How to Find Articles in Databases

A database is a collection of many different academic journals that can all be searched at once. Most academic journals use a peer-review process to review articles for quality before publication.

You search a database by creating a search query. Search queries use search terms and can have Boolean Operators and punctuation. Based off your search query, you will get a list of articles (and other resources) as results.

Watch the Article Evaluation Video to review the appropriateness of a research article with me!

AnthroSource
ScienceDirect
Full-text journals available 1995 to current.
SpringerLink
Full-text access to 1,961 journals, 1997-current. Also contains a collection of over 29,000 electronic books from Springer Publishing for the years 2005 to 2011. Sort your results by date so that the books we have access to will appear first. You can also tell if a book is part of our collection if the square to the left of the title is green.
Wiley Online Library
Access is to 1997 to current. Backfiles available for the Psychology, Business & Management, Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Biophysics, and Earth & Environmental Sciences collections.

Searching for Case Studies - Anthropology

Google Scholar

Before searching Google Scholar, it is highly recommended that you sign into your Jagmail account and link Google Scholar with your USA login. Once you have done this, articles will be linked to the full text if available.

Remember, you can use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) with Google.

You can also use "phrase searching" (words in quotation marks) to keep words together.

What's in a Search?

Databases do not understand questions like Google can.

Databases talk through search queries.

Search queries are combinations of search terms, Boolean Operators, and punctuation.

Search terms
- Break your research question down into individual words or small phrases.
Boolean Operators
- Follow the Boolean Operators page.
Punctuation Marks
- " " - Quotation marks means you want that exact phrase to be searched. Not all databases follow this.
  - "Carnegie Library" - you only get resources that have "Carnegie Library" exactly.
- ? - Truncation/Wildcard symbol. Tells the database to substitute any letter there.
  - bibliograph? = bibliography, bibliographies, bibliographic...
  - read? = read, reading, reader, readmit, readdress...

Recommended Anthropology Journals

American Journal of Biological Anthropology
The American Journal of Biological Anthropology (AJPA) is the official journal of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. As measured by impact factor, the AJBA is among the top journals listed in the anthropology category by the Social Science Citation Index.
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology
The journal is aimed principally towards all those with a professional interest in the study of ancient and historic human and animal bones. This includes archaeologists, bioarchaeologists, anthropologists, human and animal bone specialists, palaeopathologists and medical historians. We also hope to attract and encourage students and others for whom this field is of serious but peripheral interest.
International Journal of Paleopathology
This journal publishes original and significant articles on human and animal (including hominids) disease, based upon the study of physical remains, including osseous, dental, and preserved soft tissues at a range of methodological levels, from direct observation to molecular, chemical, histological and radiographic analysis.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology
This journal devoted to the development of theory and methodology for the systematic and rigorous understanding of the organization, operation, and evolution of human societies. The discipline served by the journal is characterized by its goals and approach, not by geographical or temporal bounds.
Journal of Archaeological Science
This journal is aimed at archaeologists and scientists with particular interests in advancing the development and application of scientific techniques and methodologies to all areas of archaeology. This established monthly journal publishes focus articles, original research papers and major review articles, of wide archaeological significance.