Research MethodsTopic #4 of 10

Finding Academic Sources

Strategies for locating credible scholarly sources using databases and libraries.

Research requires finding credible sources to support your arguments.

Where to Look

  • University Library Databases: Access to peer-reviewed journals (e.g., JSTOR, EBSCO, ProQuest).
  • Google Scholar: A search engine for scholarly literature.
  • Books: Library catalogs for in-depth coverage of topics.

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

  • Primary Sources: Original documents or direct evidence (e.g., historical documents, raw data, literary works).
  • Secondary Sources: Analysis or interpretation of primary sources (e.g., journal articles, textbooks, reviews).

Search Strategies

  • Keywords: Identify the main concepts of your topic.
  • Boolean Operators:
    • AND: Climate AND Change (narrows search)
    • OR: Teenagers OR Adolescents (broadens search)
    • NOT: Virus NOT Computer (excludes terms)