Veterinary - Navigating Electronic Resources

• How can I find out if the Library subscribes to a particular journal?

• How can I find the years of access available for a particular journal?

• Why can't I find a particular journal in the Library Catalog or Publication Finder?

• How can I find a particular article on a publisher website?

• The Library Catalog/Publication Finder shows access to a journal, but I can't access the journal?

Use either the Library Catalog or Publication Finder to determine if the Library subscribes to a particular journal. Links to these tools can be found on the homepage of the LSU Veterinary Medicine Library’s website.

Using either tool, conduct a search for the journal you wish to access by typing the title of the journal in the search box. Relevant results will be retrieved.

Depending on the number of publisher access points, there may be one or more publisher links for a journal, and access dates for each publisher link can vary. An open dash following the beginning access date means “through the present”.

Library Catalog

In the Library Catalog, years of access are found in the Electronic Access section of both search results and individual resource records. At the start of each publisher link, access years for the particular publisher link are listed.

Publication Finder (electronic resources)

In the Publication Finder tool, years of access are found in the Full Text Access section of both search results and individual resource records. 

Within a publisher website, you will only be able to view full text content for the years of access listed in the Library Catalog or Publication Finder. If multiple publisher links with different access years are available, be sure to choose a link that covers the year that you need.

If the Library does not have access to a particular journal, the journal will not appear in the Library Catalog or the Publication Finder tool. Follow the suggestions below to make certain the Library does not have access.

• Be sure you are using the correct journal title and have spelled all the search terms correctly.

• If your search returned multiple pages of results, look beyond the early results. You can also use the filter options in both tools to narrow your results.

• If you use an abbreviation to search for a journal title and do not find it in the search results, spell out the full title.

• One word journal titles (e.g. Blood) are easier to find in the Publication Finder tool.

Once you have followed the link to the journal’s website, you can begin to navigate to your desired content. Publisher platforms and interfaces vary so the navigation in each journal may vary slightly.

In many journals, to access a specific article, you will select the year that the article was published, then find the specific volume and number of the issue that contains the article you want and then select that issue. After you have selected the appropriate journal issue, you will then see the contents of that journal. Once you find the article you are looking for, you can select the PDF option to view and download it. Some journal websites may require you to click the article title before giving you download options.

Some journals are arranged by volume rather than year; in those cases, find the specific volume and number of the issue that contains the article you want and then select that issue. After you have selected the appropriate journal issue, you will then see the contents of that journal. Once you find the article you are looking for, you can select the PDF option to view and download it. Some journal websites may require you to click the article title before giving you download options.

Most journals allow you to search within the volumes of the journal to search for articles on a specific topic or to find a specific journal article.

If the Library Catalog / Publication Finder tool shows access to a journal, but you are unable to access content because the link is or the journal website is asking for payment, email the Vet Med Library or call us at 225-578-9800.