Searching JSTOR
There are two options for searching on JSTOR, a Basic Search or an Advanced Search.
Basic Search tips:
- Place words within quotation marks to search for exact phrases (“to be or not to be”)
- Use Boolean operators to construct a better search (“tea trade” AND smuggling)
- Use field codes to search for titles and authors quickly:
- To search for an article titles - ti:”Non-Cooperative Games”
- To search for an author – au:”Albert Einstein”
Advanced Search tips:
The Advanced Search form is especially useful when you want to target a search to a type of content or to a specific discipline.
- Construct a more complex query by adding more search fields.
- Use the drop-down boxes to limit search terms to the title, author, abstract, or caption text.
- Use the “Narrow by” options to search only articles, include/exclude book reviews, search for content published during a particular time frame, or in a particular language.
- Focus your search in specific disciplines and titles using checkboxes.
Search Results:
The search results pages offer many features for sorting and reviewing search results.
- Use the tabs at the top of the search results list to filter results to a specific type of content (journals, books, pamphlets).
- Use the sorting options to view search results by relevance, oldest items, or newest items. Use the “Display” option to view more results on a single page.
- By default, all search results are for content licensed or purchased by the host institution. Researchers may choose to see results for all content on JSTOR by changing the “Show” option to “All Content.”
Viewing Content on JSTOR
The “view” page for each item on JSTOR provides many ways to explore the content. The “Tools” box includes the option to view and download a PDF, as well as many options for saving and exporting citations.
For journal articles:
- The “Summary” link on an article view page provides the abstract (if one was published with the original item) and list of references from the article. Where possible, JSTOR provides links from the references to other articles on JSTOR, and sometimes to off-site content.
- The right-hand side of the page provides helpful links to related content on JSTOR and to searches for related content on Google Scholar.
For books:
- When reached via a search, the book view page shows links to two of the most relevant chapters at the top of the page.
- The book view page also contains the table of contents and introductory text snippets for each chapter in the book, as well as an easy “Download Chapter” buttons to obtain PDF copies of chapters.
Organizing Research with MyJSTOR
A MyJSTOR account is a valuable tool for research on JSTOR. With MyJSTOR you can organize content and manage your profile:
- Save citations: email, export, print, and track citations you've saved.
- Set up journal alerts: receive an email when new issues for your favorite journals are available.
- Change your password, update your status, and opt into or out of communications from JSTOR.
