Browsing Periodicals by Subject

List of Subjects
Africana Studes Anthropology Art Biology Business & Management Chemistry Communications Computer Science Dance Earth & Resource Science Economics Education Engineering	English & Literature Film General Subjects Health Sciences History Languages & Linguistics Law Mathematics Music News & Newspapers Philosophy Physics	Political Science Psychology Public Administration Reference Religion Science (general) Social Science (general) Social Work Sociology Statistics Theatre Women's & Gender Studies

You can use Journal Finder to browse lists of periodicals on particular subjects. It will list magazines and journals that are available in full text to UM-Flint, either in print, online, or microfilm. There are some advantages and disadvantages to browsing lists of periodicals.

Advantages

It gives you an idea of what journals are available on a subject. Especially if you are just becoming familiar with a particular discipline, it is helpful to know what journals the Thompson Library owns or has online access to. Leafing through some academic journals can help you become familiar with your discipline and generate ideas for research topics.
It suggests databases to search. If you look over the results, you may notice that certain databases are a common source of full text access to journals in a specific subject. For example, many biology journals are available through ScienceDirect. That indicates that ScienceDirect is a good database to search for articles on biology.

Disadvantages

Finding articles on a particular topic is usually easier in a periodical index. Starting with a journal and looking for articles on a particular subject can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. The articles you find are not apt to be the best choices. If you need articles on a particular subject, let an index lead you to the right journals.
It doesn't lead you to journals that are not available at UM-Flint. To find periodicals that are not owned by or accessible to UM-Flint, search one of the following:
- UM-Ann Arbor's catalog in Mirlyn for journals available on the Ann Arbor campus. Note: for online journals, you usually have to go to Ann Arbor in person to access them.
- WorldCat for journal subscriptions by various libraries around the world
- Ulrich's Periodicals Directory to identify journals worldwide on your subject.
Many articles on your subject are available in journals not in the list. If you search in a periodicals index, you can often find articles on your topic in a broader array of journals.