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Library & Cultural Services

Search Skills

Guides to search skills and using library research resources

Finding the full text

The full text is the entire text of a resource.

Sometimes you will only be able to find the citation information or abstract, but not immediately access the full text. This can happen if you are searching within a database or online, such as on Google Scholar. 

Finding the full text from the Library

You may be given a reference, for example for a journal article, that you will want to find. 

A journal article reference should include the following details:

  • author name(s)
  • date
  • title of article
  • title of journal
  • volume and issue
  • page numbers

To find an article through the Library:

  1. Search for the article title using Library search. Don't include any of the other information, such as date or author. 
  2. If we have access to the article, it should show in the results page. You can log in to view it. Use your University of Essex email and password to log in. 
  3. If you're unable to find the article using the title, try searching for the journal title. Don't include any of the other information, such as article title or author. 
  4. Your results will show you whether the Library subscribes to that journal. Check the available dates under the Full Text Access list.
  5. If you have found the journal, including the date of your article, you can log in to view it. Use your University of Essex email and password to log in. 
  6. Once you're logged in to the journal, you can either search for the article by title or browse through to the relevant volume and issue to find it. 

The video below shows you how to access an article through the Library: 

Can't find the full text?

If you can't access the full text from the source you are using, there are a few different options you could try.

  1. If you're using a database, for example JSTOR, and the full text is not available, we may have access to the full text in another database or resource. Search for the article or journal title in Library Search to see if we have it.
  2. Some articles are available in Google Scholar. Remember, you may see something in your results but when you try and access it be asked to pay.
  3. Can’t find an article online? We’ll do our best to get it for you! The interlibrary loans page will give you all the details. 

Full text browser extensions

When browsing online, use browser extensions to help you access the full text!

You can get extensions for your internet browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Firefox) that makes it easier for you to find available digital study materials. We provide access to two browser extensions: LibKey Nomad and Lean Library. For example if you find a journal article online through Google, it can help to show you where you can access the full text. This means less time spent searching and more time studying. Check out our information about full text browser extensions to see how it works and how you can install one!