Find Articles
Searching Online Databases
University Libraries provides online access to more than 300 databases across numerous fields of study. Databases collect scholarly articles and information, and they can direct you to academic journals available from the Libraries. Searching a relevant database is often your best place to start for items not held in the physical collections. A complete list of databases can be found at the Libraries website. There are also databases specific to Music, Education, and Psychology which can be selected through the subject filter.
Databases for Music Education:
- Academic Search Complete Good database for most research topics and contains lots of full text, peer-reviewed articles. More than 18,000 of the journal titles indexed are peer-reviewed and almost all of the full text is. Provides searchable cited references for more than 1,000 journal titles so you can easily see what sources a given article cites.
- APA PsycInfo APA PsycInfo is a key database in the field of psychology. Includes information of use to psychologists, students, and professionals in related fields such as psychiatry, management, business, education, social science, neuroscience, law, medicine, and social work.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education The Chronicle of Higher Education has the nation's largest newsroom dedicated to covering colleges and universities. As a leader in higher education journalism, we serve our readers with real-time news and deep insights, plus the essential tools, career opportunities, and knowledge to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Full text coverage is from the 1990s to present. Also search current job ads at the Chronicle website.
- Education Index Retrospective: 1929-1983 (H.W. Wilson) Indexes English-language periodicals in education from 1929-1983. Covers subjects such as adult education, arts, athletics, comparative education, continuing education, curriculum, distance learning, educational law, and elementary education. Includes some linked full text.
- ERIC: Education Resource Information Center ERIC, the Education Resource Information Center, is a government platform which provides access to education literature and research. Although this free version is not a full text database, the full text of many ERIC documents is available. Additionally, authors of more than 400,000 documents have granted free access in pdf format. Also see the subscription versions indexed by EBSCOhost and ProQuest which search this same content and provide more access to the full text of articles.
- ERIC (EBSCOhost) ERIC (EBSCOhost) is a key database in the field of education, providing access to bibliographic records of journal and non-journal literature. About one third of the content is accessible in full text from within the database.
- ERIC (ProQuest) ERIC (ProQuest) is a key database in the field of education, providing access to bibliographic records of journal and non-journal literature. About one third of the content is accessible in full text from within the database.
- JSTOR JSTOR allows you to search across approximately 2,000 journal titles from more than 50 disciplines. It contains complete backfiles of scholarly journals starting with the first issues, many of which date back from the 1800s. Although the majority of titles do not have the most recent 3 to 5 years available in full text, there are some which have the current issues available.
- Music Index Music Index is a comprehensive guide to music periodicals and literature featuring digitized content from 1970 to present. This database contains cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts of articles about music, musicians, and the music industry for more than 475 periodicals, as well as book reviews, obituaries, news, and selective coverage for more than 230 periodicals. Music Index includes comprehensive coverage of the music field and every aspect of the classical and popular spheres.
- Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982 Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982 provides indexing to many popular publications of the 20th century, containing all of the content of the original paper volumes.
- RILM Abstracts of Music Literature Often the best place to start music research, RILM Abstracts of Music Literature is a key database in the field of music. This database covers a wide range of subjects areas, including but not limited to, Composition, Music Analysis, Musicology, Dramatic Arts, Dance Studies, Music Pedagogy, Music Therapy, Performance Practice, and Popular Music Studies. Approximately 50,000 new articles are added each year.
- Web of Science Despite its name, Web of Science is a multidisciplinary platform for education, humanities, music, philosophy, psychology, and, of course, the sciences. Search the Web of Science Core Collection which consists of six online indexing databases or one of their regional databases like the Korea Citation Index. Also find the Master Journal List, an invaluable tool to help you find the right journal for your needs across multiple indices hosted on the Web of Science platform. Coverage includes scholarly articles, books, abstracts, citations, and patents.
Many journals can be found in multiple online databases while others are in-print at Bracken Library. Click here for an extensive list of journals about music education, including online and physical locations. You can also download the browser extension LibKey Nomad to eliminate paywalls you might encounter, if you find an article on Google, Wikipedia, or a publisher's website.
Search Tips and Tricks
The following are some tips and tricks you may wish to keep in mind when using databases:
>> Search a Specific Publication Often it is desirable to search within a specific publication, such as the Music Educators Journal (MEJ). On EBSCOhost databases, this can be accomplished by finding the journal itself and clicking "search within this publication." On JSTOR, you can launch an Advanced Search and then find the specific journal under "Journal Filter" to narrow results by discipline or publication.
>> Journal Browse Browse lets you see every article published in a particular journal volume or issue, almost as if you were looking at the print journal from the stacks. Again, find the specific publication, such as the Journal of Research in Music Education (JRME), and click on "All Issues and Articles" (EBSCO) or "All Issues" (JSTOR). Then simply select the year, volume, or issue of interest.
>> Multiple Databases Databases that are subscribed through EBSCOhost may be searched simultaneously. Just start with one database and then click on "Choose Databases" to select more databases. EBSCO databases include RILM Abstracts, Music Index, Academic Search Complete, ERIC, APA PsycInfo, and others.
>> Plan Ahead After finding an article, plan to download a PDF or add a citation to a folder within the database in case your next search does not yield the same results. On EBSCO databases, citations can be added to a folder by creating a personal login and clicking the folder icon to the right of the article title. You can also setup email alerts for new items that match your search criteria by clicking the Share button.
>> Permalinks Finally, it's always best practice to use a permalink within citations. A permalink, also called a DOI or PURL, is different from the regular URL in the search bar. It is a "permanent link" in that every time anyone clicks that link, it should take them back to the same page. A regular URL might change depending on your search criteria. Find the permalink by clicking on the chain icon on EBSCO or OneSearch. On JSTOR, it is the link which includes jstor.org/stable and a set of numbers.
Finding Scholarly Articles in OneSearch
OneSearch is Ball State University Libraries' integrated discovery tool for books, scores, articles, recordings, and other library materials. It also indexes selected online resources and incorporates subscription databases such as Academic Search Complete and JSTOR. Although not specific to music resources, it can also be a valuable tool for locating scholarly articles on a topic. Find OneSearch on its dedicated page or as a simple search box on the University Libraries main page. Follow these steps to find scholarly articles through OneSearch:
1. Enter keywords for your topic into the OneSearch field. Keywords should be as specific as possible without being too specific. Typically you should avoid something as broad as "music." If your first keyword does not succeed, try a synonym or related term. Include numbers such as Opus or BWV when applicable. Press the magnifying glass to run your search.
2. Refine your search by applying filters on the left side of the screen. Check "Scholarly & Peer-Reviewed" to eliminate non-scholarly articles. Adjust Publication Date and set the Language filter to further narrow results. Set the Discipline filter to "music" to eliminate non-music results.
3. Select an item to view access options online or to check physical holdings at Bracken Library. Under View Online, full text availability options will be shown through databases like Academic Search Complete or JSTOR. Locations shows physical holdings. Some articles can be found in-print in Bound Periodicals (2 West) or in Current Periodicals (1 East). These locations are outside of Education, Music and Media on the first and second levels of Bracken Library. Click the arrow to the right for more details.
Interlibrary Loan
Users are encouraged to search for items beyond University Libraries' catalog via RILM Abstracts of Music Literature and WorldCat. Materials not available in print or online may be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Please allow up to seven days for electronic delivery and up to fourteen days for delivery of physical items.