Theater & Drama: Find Articles

If the article you have found in a database doesn't have the full-text right there, click on the button to see if the article is available in full-text in another database. If we do have it, it will take you to a page that shows you where it's available (if you see a Download Article link, you can click to access the electronic copy).

If you have the citation for a specific article, here is how you can figure out if PSU has the article and (if we do) get to it in full-text:

1. In the Journal Title Search box above this, do a search for the title of the journal (not the article title).
2. You'll then be taken into the catalog which will either display your title or will display a page that says Your entry ___ would be here. If you get that message, make sure you spelled the title correctly. If you did, then we probably don't have that journal in our collection and you will need to request the article through interlibrary loan.
3. If we do have the journal, it will show up as either a print volume, an electronic volume (which will say [electronic resource] after the title) or both. You'll need to click on the linked title to see what our coverage is in each format.
   • If the journal is in print, it will show you the call number and location under Location and will show what years the library has under Library has.
     
   • If the journal is available online, it will show you what database or databases hold the journal and what years are available electronically. You can then click on the title of the database to get to the online journal and then browse by date or search by title (depending on the database) for your article.

While the Portland State Library has a large collection of books, articles, and journals, we may not have a specific item you are looking for. In that case, you may be able to get it for you from another library.

• If you find an item in the catalog and our copy is not available you can Request from other libraries

To find articles in journals, magazines, or newspapers, you will need to use one of the Library's print indexes or online article databases. The online databases are especially useful for searching by title, by author, by subject, or by a few keywords that describe your topic. Some of the databases access books, essays, and other formats as well as journal articles. When full text for a document is not provided by the database, one can click on the PSU Links button to find out whether the Portland State Library offers full text access in a print volume or through an electronic link. The online databases that are generally most useful for research in the theater and drama are:

The first thing you should do when you have a research assignment is figure out what types of article sources are required or allowed. Some professors require you to use only scholarly peer-reviewed journals while others might let you use professional journals (also known as trade journals.

Scholarly article - written by an expert in the field and reviewed by peers who are experts in the same area. In many databases, you can limit your search to scholarly, peer-reviewed or refereed journals to weed out any non-scholarly content.

Professional/trade article - Trade or professional journals can have articles written by experts in the field or by staff writers. The articles are only reviewed by editors for style, so they go through a less rigorous review process. The articles often do not contain reference lists.

Popular journals - Written for a general audience rather than for professionals or scholars. Examples include The New Yorker, People, and Rolling Stone.