FAQs

• How can I speak to a subject specialist about my research question or project?

  Visit our list of subject specialists.

• How do I access Muse, JSTOR, ebrary, Books24x7 and other full-text collections?

  Searchable collections of electronic resources are available through
  Find Articles Via Databases.

• How do I cite journal articles in my paper?

  Visit the Bibliography & Footnote Style Guide.

• How do I find a dissertation?

  Visit Finding Doctoral Dissertations.

• How do I find out if the library has a specific book or journal?

  Use the Bobcat catalog to search by book title or journal title.

• How do I search BobCat?

  See BobCat Tutorials. Remember, the BobCat catalog has much more than books -- it searches for music, government documents, electronic journals, children's literature, and many other items.

• I clicked on "full-text", but I only got to the journal's homepage. Why?

  SFX will get you as close to the article-level as it can, given the structure of the information provided by the database publisher. Sometimes you may link directly to the full text, other times you may have to click through to an issue or through a table of contents

• Is my journal article or periodical online?

  By searching BobCat
  , you can find out a periodical's location, either in the building or on the Internet.

• Is there a librarian who covers my discipline? How can I contact him/her?

  Visit our list of subject specialists.

• May I copy an image from materials in the Library and use it in a scholarly article for publication?

  No, the right to publish the image in a publication is retained by the copyright holder and permission should be sought. For images that have been licensed by the Library for use, click here

• What is The Arch?

  The Arch The Arch is a subject searchable database tool. By selecting a subject or category, you can view databases specific to that subject area, and search them individually or simultaneously for articles
  
  

• Where are the journals located?

  Most recent issues are located on the 3rd floor, but the latest issues of science journals are shelved on the 9th floor. Older issues are shelved in the stacks by call number (just like books). Microfilm and microfiche subscriptions are housed in the Microform Center on Lower Level 2. By searching BobCat, you can find out a periodical's location, either in the library building or electronically.

• Where can I find encyclopedias/dictionaries?

  QuickRef
  and
  Where is the reference desk located?

  1st floor Reference Center

• Why are there two options for full-text for some articles?

  Sometimes NYU Libraries licenses full-text packages from third party vendors, so there are occasionally duplications.

• Why didn't I get a full-text link for my article?

  There are two likely reasons: (1) There is no full text available or, (2) NYU Libraries does not have a license for access to full text of that journal. When a full text link is not available, your next option is to check the BobCat catalog to locate the title in print.

• Why does the number of options in the SFX menu vary?

  When you click on SFX, your computer connects to NYU's SFX database to see what services are available for the article. The only services that display are those that are available.

• Why don't I see any SFX buttons in my search results?

  The database you are searching may not yet be set up by the publisher to work with SFX. Many databases from NYU Libraries are "SFX aware." For a current list, see the SFX Page. Another reason you may not see the button is that you have not enabled javascript on your browser.