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Access the Full Text of Articles: Get it at VCU
The VCU Libraries has access to the full text of many resources online, but sometimes, it
is not immediately obvious on how to actually get that full article. Other times, you may
find a citation for an article that VCU does not have online, but can be requested from
another library. This video will show you how to get the full text of the article.
Starting at the VCU Libraries homepage, library.vcu.edu, I’ll click Databases, then choose the second
link, Academic Search Complete, so we can see an example. Although I am using Academic
Search Complete, these rules apply to most other databases available through the VCU
Libraries.
Once in Academic Search Complete, I’ll use the search box in the upper left to search
for Beyonce. I get a rather large list of results, and as I scan through the titles,
I start seeing some that I may want to read. In this database and others, many of the articles
will have links that lead you to the full text of the article as a PDF or in HTML. When
you click these links, you will be taken directly to the article.
But sometimes, there is no PDF or HTML link, only a link or button that says “Get it
at VCU.” Only if you cannot find a PDF for HTML link, click Get it at VCU. This will
bring you back to the VCU Libraries Search, giving you more options for obtaining the
article. Look for a link or tab that says “View Online.”
If you don’t see a link to “View Online” you will see “Find or Request” to request
the material through Interlibrary Loan. Watch our video, Using Interlibrary Loan for help
making requests.
If you do have a link for View Online, it will show you options for getting the article.
Sometimes there is only one link, sometimes there will be multiple - this just means that
the article is available through multiple databases.
Click the first link, in this case, Gale Cengage Literature Resource Center. Often, this link
will make it easy for you to identify the article. On this page, I see a PDF link for
the article, so I can use this to get the full text.
However, the links from the VCU Libraries Search don’t always take you directly to
the article, and you have to do a little more digging. Look for options such as search within
this publication, archive, or past issues. In those cases you need to use the citation
information to find the article.
So when you are searching and need the full text, first look for the PDF or HTML links
- if not, click “Get it at VCU” and follow the links to the article. If you have trouble
getting to the full text of any article, send us a text message at 804-435-5420, or visit
library.vcu.edu/askus for more ways to get help.