Searching Academic Search Ultimate for Scholarly & Popular Information

Getting Started Searching Academic Search Ultimate

Academic Search Ultimate is a library database that covers a huge range of subjects and types of information, including scholarly (peer-reviewed) articles, magazine articles, and other types of sources.  It's a great place to get started searching on a variety of scientific topics.  You can start searching ASU using the link below.  

In order to find articles about a specific topic, follow the steps listed below: 

1. Try typing your search terms.  Try to narrow down your topic into two ideas: for example, rather than searching for climate change, search for climate change and whale migration in order to look at a smaller, focused set of articles.  Notice that full-text articles are automatically selected and that you have the option to pick just peer-reviewed articles or limit by publication names or dates. (See image below).

   

2. Once you've hit search, take a look at screen that appears.  First, notice that filters for full-text articles, peer-reviewed articles, specific dates or different types of sources are found right under the search box in the top circled area, in case you want to revise your search.

    

3. Look at your search results and find and save articles that look like a good fit by clicking on the box to the left. 
4. Need to narrow or broaden your search? As you skim articles that look like a good match for your topic, look for keywords in the title and subject headings (see the second circle in the image above.)  Notice that the second article suggests other possibilities for changing your search, including adding Ocean Temperature.  If you click Ocean temperature, you will get a set of articles that focus on that topic. Head to your search box at the top of the screen and re-add important terms like whale migration to get a more focused set of results.  Not liking the results you see with the new search?  Click the back button on your browser and start again.  
5. To read your articles, click the Access Options box below the subject terms for each article. 

Need more help figuring out how to narrow your topic? 

Try searching in one of the following databases to see what else you can learn: 

Find the full-text of articles that are listed in Academic Search Ultimate

If the article you'd like to read is not available in Academic Search Ultimate, you have the option to request it from another library.  Fill out our Interlibrary Loan form for Articles with information about the article and you will get an email with a link to download the article within about 5 working days.