RISS Research Guide: Finding Korean Theses and Journal Articles

RISS Research Guide: Finding Korean Theses and Journal Articles

An English-language search engine may miss useful Korean research. RISS, the Research Information Sharing Service operated by the Korea Education and Research Information Service, helps users discover academic resources such as theses, dissertations, journal articles and library holdings. intl.riss.kr

Start with a research question rather than one broad word. Write two or three related English terms and, where possible, their Korean equivalents. Search both languages because an English title or abstract may use different wording from the Korean record.

For each promising result, check:

• Author and publication year
• Full title and original language
• Journal, university or publisher
• Resource type, such as a thesis or journal article
• Abstract, subject terms and references
• Available full-text or library-access options

A search result is not a guarantee of free access. Some records provide downloadable text; others lead to a publisher, participating institution or library service. Use your university library’s authorized login and ask a librarian about access when a useful item is unavailable. Do not pay an unknown account to obtain a file.

Read beyond the abstract before using a study as evidence. Note its research question, sample, method, limitations and date. A dissertation and a peer-reviewed journal article can both be useful, but they are different publication types and should be evaluated accordingly.

Keep a research log with the citation, stable link, access date and a short note explaining why the source matters. Separate direct quotations from your own summaries as you take notes. If you use a citation-export tool, check the author order, title, year, volume and page numbers against the original publication.

Machine translation can help you understand unfamiliar terms, but verify important wording in the original and cite the actual work. Follow your course’s rules on translation, quotation and AI assistance.

Search the official RISS website and consult its English service guide. Your campus library can explain institution-specific access.

Official service information checked: September 28, 2026. Full-text availability depends on the resource and access rights.