Article Finder FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Arthur Lakes Library
Assistance is available
all hours the Library is open.
Phone: (303) 273-3698
Fax: (303) 273-3199
www.mines.edu/library

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Article Finder allows you to enter information about a specific article to find the full text of that article online.
  • Use Article Finder when you have a citation to an article, but you aren't sure where to get the article itself.
Contents
What is Article Finder and what does it do? [back to top]
The Article Finder utility allows you to enter information about a specific article to find the full text of that article online, if available.   Other helpful resources and services are also displayed  The information displayed varies from citation to citation and may include:

  • full text access to the article
  • an automatic search of Catalyst
  • a form for CSM Interlibrary Loan
  • an automatic search of Prospector

You can find links to Article Finder in the following places: the Catalyst Basic Search screen, the Electronic Journal Search page and the Database Search page.  

Article Finder is a part of Gold Rush and a service of The Colorado Alliance   Here is a link to Article Finder if you would like to try it.
Who can use Article Finder? [back to top]
Article Finder is available to current CSM students, staff and faculty and to anyone using a public machine in the Library.
When should I use Article Finder? [back to top]
Use Article Finder when you have a citation to an article, but you aren't sure where to get the article itself.
How much citation information do I need to supply? [back to top]
Each full-text vendor requires different data elements, so there is unfortunately no easy answer to this question. But, in general, the more citation information you can provide the better the chances will be that the article will be found.   You must always include an ISSN.  After ISSN, volume and issue are the most important to include, followed by article title and journal title.  Next, include start page and date if available  The date field requirements vary by vendor:  you can enter a single year ("yyyy"), the month and year ("Mon yyyy"), or the date, month and year (yyyy-mm-dd or mm-dd-yyyy).
Why don't I get a link to full text for my article? [back to top]

Possible reasons include:

  • An online full text version is not available through the Arthur Lakes Library.
  • You have entered insufficient or incorrect citation information.
  • Article Finder linking has not yet been enabled for the journal your article is in. Very recent articles may not yet be loaded on the publisher's web site.

Check Catalyst for other available online or print versions.
Why are there multiple links for full text? [back to top]
In some cases, we get full text for a journal from more than one provider, so if that is the case, you will see multiple links. If one of the provider web sites happens to be temporarily unavailable, you can access the full text from another.
When I click on the link to full text, the article isn't there or I get an error message.  What happened? [back to top]

A full text link might not work because:

  • Article Finder is configured to cast a "wide net" in order to provide as many potentially valid links as possible.  At times it may provide links to publishers or other vendors that CSM patrons can not access.
  • There was a typo or error in the citation. Article Finder uses the citation information to link to the article. If there's incorrect information in the citation, Article Finder won't be able to link properly to the full text. If this is the case, Article Finder may instead link you to the journal publisher's web site and you can search for the article there.
Sometimes when I click on a full text link, I end up at the journal's home page or the table of contents.  Why don't I link directly to the article? [back to top]
Article Finder will get you as close as possible to the article you want. Sometimes, the e-journal won't let us link to a specific article, so Article Finder drops you off at the table of contents or the home page of the journal. You can then navigate the journal's page to get to the article you want.
What if I don't know the journal's ISSN? [back to top]
It is very important to include the ISSN when you fill out the Article Finder form.  If you do not know the ISSN of your journal, fill in the "Journal Title" field with the title of your journal and click the "Lookup ISSN" button. Article Finder will try to find an ISSN for your Journal Title. If it finds just one, cut and past the data into the ISSN form field. If it finds more than one, it will display a list of Journal Titles and their ISSN numbers, allowing you to cut and paste the appropriate number.
What is the difference between Gold Rush Linker and Article Finder? [back to top]
Article Finder is built on the same technology as Gold Rush Linker.  Article citations produced by many of the Library's journal databases will display a link to "Search for Full Text".  In these cases, like Article Finder, Gold Rush Linker provides links from the citation to the full text of that article, if available, and to other helpful resources and services.
How can I get more help? [back to top]
There are a number of ways to get help from a librarian. You can call us at 303-273-3694, use the  Ask a Librarian Online Form, or email .  Also check out our Using Article Finder Example.