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Ancient Near East

In support of instruction and research on the Ancient Near East at Penn State.

LionSearch Basics

For full text items, click the "full text online" link to go to the full text of the article.

  • If you see the Penn State "GetIt" menu and you need to click the word "article" to get to the full text. 
  • If there is no "article" link, click the word "journal" to get to the journal page and look for the correct year, volume, issue and pages for the article you need.
Tip: Save the relevant sources into the LionSearch temporary folder by clicking on the small folder icon to right side of the item.  When you are finished compiling your sources, click on the folder icon at the top of the screen and email or print (which allows you to copy into your clipboard) the references so you can easily add them to your project. 
 
CAVEAT: computer systems make mistakes when auto-formatting.  
Don’t lose your work!  Unless you sign up for Refworks, items are saved in LionSearch ONLY for your current session.  You won’t be able to go back later and see a list of saved items.

Scholarly Articles in LionSearch

Refining your search to peer-review

Books in LionSearch

Limit to Book / eBook from the Content Type options

Article Search Tips

Finding the best articles on your topic requires these steps.

  • Select an appropriate database.
  • Enter and combine terms appropriate to your topic
  • Scan the best items on the results list and look for new subject terms or keywords. Then revise your search using these new terms.
  • Save the journal title, volume, date, and page numbers.  This is all part of the "citation". 
  • Explore other databases and subject terms (which vary between databases) for more information.

Searching for Articles - Advanced

Searching for articles if LionSearch wasn't helpful 

Get the Full Text

Once you find the citation, try the Get It!   button to see if Penn State has the electronic version of the article you need. If the electronic version is available, you should get right to it. If the article is not available electronically, use the Request via InterLibrary Loan (ILL) button to request it from another library.  ILL will get a copy of the article for you, typically at no cost; articles usually arrive within a week, often in as few as 2-3 days. Watch your PSU email for notification and further instructions. You can also click on the Search the library catalog for this item (by title) link to automatically search our catalog and see if Penn State has a print copy. 

Finding articles from a specific publication in LionSearch

To search for articles from a specific publication (such as the New York Times), Go to the advanced search by clicking the small box next to the word "search" at the top of the screen.  Put your subject terms in the first box.  On the second line, click the down arrow and choose publication title for the field and put your publication title (ie. new york times) in the box.

Publication Title search for New York Times

Comparison of Types of Journals

The information below can help you understand the differences between scholarly journals, professional/trade journals, and popular periodicals. 

​Peer Reviewed = Scholarly?  Not always. Scholarly implies an academic audience whereas some non-scholarly works can undergo editorial review or review by peers.
Comparison of Scholarly, Professional, and Popular Periodicals
Criteria Scholarly Journals Professional/Trade Journals Popular Periodicals/ Magazines
Audience Researchers and experts Members of a trade or profession The general public
Author Researchers and experts Staff writers and experts in the field Staff writers, although many articles are unsigned
References (Sources cited) Includes reference lists and bibliography. All quotes and facts are documented. Reference lists sometimes included. References rarely included.
Purpose To disseminate research findings  To publicize current topics in the field and professional issues To disseminate general information or to entertain
Content Detailed research reports and methodologies  Trends, standards, and new technologies in the field General interest stories and news; may include personal narrative and opinions
Language Jargon that assumes expertise in the field Jargon that assumes expertise in the field Language that requires no expertise
Publisher Associations or universities Associations Commercial organizations
Layout Highly structured organization; includes abstract, bibliography, charts or graphs Structured organization; usually includes abstract, bibliography, charts or graphs Informal organization: eye-catching type and format; includes illustrations or photographs
Examples Journal of the American Medical Association; Political Science Quarterly Hospital Business Week; Real Estate Weekly News; Farm Industry News Time; Newsweek; Science News