Research Process :: Step by Step

You can begin researching through all of UTA's resources with the Summons Search located at the top of the UTA Library Website. Because there are millions of results, you will want to be sure to use key terms and filters to their fullest extent to get a reasonable set of results!

Library databases provide access to scholarly journal articles, popular magazines, conference proceedings, technical reports, newspaper articles, and more. To identify the most appropriate database for your research topic:

• check to see if there is a "Research by Subject" guide that covers your subject area or topic
• consult the database descriptions on the Library's Database A-Z page

If you need help locating the most relevant database, contact your subject librarian or Research Mav.

Depending on the database you are using, articles may be displayed in different formats:

• Index: Includes only the article’s citation information (e.g. author, title, date, volume, etc.). Neither a summary, nor the full-text of the article are available.
• Abstract: Includes the article’s citation information and a brief summary of the article's content. Abstracts do not include the full-text article.
• Full-text: Includes an electronic copy of the actual article. Depending on the database, the article may be available in HTML format, .pdf format (displays the article as it originally appeared in the magazine with graphics and pictures), or both.

You can use the filters on the left of the search results to select your preferred formats.