Articles are good sources for:
Most of these links will require log-in from off-campus. Use your NetID & password.
To access more science databases, use the drop-down list below:
When you are searching our databases for articles, you need to be able to turn your research question into effective keywords. Watch this quick video for tips on reducing a research question into just a few usable keywords.
The journal impact factor (IF) is a measurement that reflects the frequency an average article from a journal is cited during a particular year. The purpose of the impact factor is to try to compare and gage the relative importance (or impact) of a journal within a particular field. Journals with high impact factors are considered highly influential in the field. This can help researchers decide where they want to publish their articles. The impact factor number is usually calculated annually. Note: there are limitations and conditions that affect rankings and impact factors. You can learn more here.
Journals can also be ranked according to their assigned subject area. Journals can receive a numerical rank and also its quartile distribution. These are based on the impact factor. In our Web of Science database, you can see the "Quartile in Category" number if you click on the journal title. Quartile 1 (Q1) represents the top 25% of the Impact Factor Ranking. Q4 would would be in the bottom 25% of the Impact Factor distribution. See the screen shots below.
