Instructions for Using JSTOR and Acrobat Reader

 

 

Using JSTOR

            JSTOR is short for Journal Storage, a web site linked on most university computers for accessing, reading, downloading and printing journal articles in the social sciences. Why sue JSTOR? It’s infinitely easier to use JSTOR than using the reserve at the Library. More important, it’s infinitely cheaper to simply print or read JSTOR articles than to buy additional books or a printed packet from, say, Kinko’s.  To use JSTOR, simply follow these instructions:

 

  1. Make sure you are using a university computer, say, at the library. (You can’t use JSTOR from an off-campus location unless you have special authorization. I don’t, so chances are you don’t either). 
  2. Using a web browser, go to the JSTOR web-site or use the JSTOR link in the course syllabus.
  3. Select Search.
  4. Enter Search text in the lines, say, for author (e.g., "james gibson") and title ("Political Intolerance and Political Repression during the McCarthy Red Scare").
  5. Scroll down the screen and check "Political Science" for journals to search. (You must check this before JSTOR will begin the search).
  6. Click on "Search" at the top of the page to the left to begin your search.
  7. Once you’ve found the article you’re looking for, you can select one of three options:
    1. "View Article" to read it on the screen and take notes.
    2. "Print" to print the entire article and read it with reruns of “Real World.”
    3. "Download" the nifty high resolution *.pdf file version onto a diskette and view it in Acrobat Reader on your computer at home.  

 

 

Using Adobe Acrobat Reader

            To be able to view either JSTOR articles or other "on-line" articles linked on the syllabus (e.g., Patterson and Zaller), your computer must have Acrobat Reader installed. All campus computers will have it, but off-campus may not. 

To see whether the computer you’re using has Acrobat Reader, try clicking on the article at the end of the syllabus. If the article can’t be loaded in your browser, chances are, Acrobat reader isn’t on your computer. Not to worry! It’s free to download and install.  Just go to the Adobe Acrobat Reader download web-page, fill out the form, click download and follow the instructions. I’m sure you can handle the rest. (If not, either connect up with a computer geek who can or use a campus computer.) The next time you click on the article at the end of the syllabus, it should load automatically in your browser or in your free Acrobat Reader.

            Why use Acrobat Reader? It’s cheap—no, it’s free, and it’s incredibly useful for viewing all kinds of documents on the web.