E-journals: frequently asked questions
Are all journals available electronically?
No, although more are becoming available each year.
Can I get any journal article online?
No. You can only get those contained in periodicals to which we have a subscription or which are freely available. All of the titles to which we subscribe are available through the E-journals Finder. Some high quality, free e-journals are also available through Unicorn.
If we don't have the article you need (in print or online) you can usually apply for it via our Inter-library loans service.
How does the Library get its e-journals?
In most cases we have to either hold a subscription to a particular title or a subscription to a service that gives access to e-journals. There very few e-journals that are available free, but the general rule is "if we don't subscribe to it we don't have access to it".
How can I tell which journals the Library has online?
You need to use E-journals Finder. You can:
- search for a title by entering the first few words
- browse an A-Z list of titles by clicking on the initial letter
- browse a list of titles by subject - select a subject from the pick-list to browse more detailed subjects in that category and then view relevant titles
How do I access e-journals?
Via the E-journals Finder
- Search or browse the E-journals Finder for the title you need
- Under each title you will see one or more links to online access
- Check which one covers the year that you need and click on the link to go directly to that journal.
From database search results
You can also access e-journals from database search results by clicking on the “Search for item at Reading” button. This takes you to our Item Finder. For more information see Using the Item Finder.
Why is there sometimes more than one link?
Some e-journals are available from more than one service. Sometimes a longer backrun of a title is available from one source rather than another, or one source is available off-campus.
Can I access e-journals off-campus?
Some. Check by looking at the information to the right of the link to the journal in the E-journals Finder. It will say "Available on campus only" if it isn't available off-campus. For those that can be accessed off-campus you will need to login using your University username and password (the one you use to access your University email account). For some of these you will need to go via the Athens authentication system.
See the E-journals Finder help page for more information.
Do I need a username and password to access e-journals?
If you are on campus you will be able to access some e-journals without needing to login. Some require you to login using your University username and password (the one you use to access your University email account). For some of these you will need to go via the Athens authentication system.
See the E-journals Finder help page for more information.
What is Athens?
Athens is an authentication system which controls access to online resources. Some e-journal providers use it to ensure only authorised people can use their services.
Consult our Athens authentication pages for more information.
What is JSTOR?
JSTOR (an acronym for Journal STORage) is a service that offers an electronic full text archive of a wide range of journals. JSTOR contains journals starting with their first issue. The collection covers materials from the 1880s up to between 2 and 5 years ago. It does not provide access to the most current issues.
Do we have access to the ScienceDirect service?
Yes! But only for issues from 1995 onwards. More about ScienceDirect
What should I do if I can't access an e-journal which I think should be available?
Contact your Liaison librarian.
Contact Melvin Morbey, our Research Support Co-ordinator with any other questions about electronic periodicals or suggestions for additional FAQs to be added to this page.
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