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Literature Resources

New to searching in a library database? This guide from the University of Illinois will be very useful!

In the meantime, here are a few basic tips to get you started.

  • Searching a library database is different than searching Google. You don't want to type in "Peggy vs. Joan - two types of feminism in Mad Men"
  • Instead, break down those concepts, and maybe think about some broader or narrower aspects of your topic:
    • Mad Men
    • Peggy Olson
    • Joan Holloway
    • feminism
    • working women
    • television program
    • pop culture
  • Then, use the Advanced Search option in the database to put the desired term in its own box (or link the terms with AND). Either option streamlines your search and helps the database know what you need! You don't need to always search with all your keywords--two to three usually works great (e.g., Mad Men AND feminism).
  • Have a concept, story title, etc. that is more than one word? Use quotation marks to search them together, like "Mad Men."
  • Keywords not working? See the Keywords tab above for more help.

Using keywords to search

Discovering the right combination of keywords for your research topic takes time. It's a process. You may use one group of words first and then try another group of related words or phrases all in the search process to find the right combination that fits your topic direction.

If you need more help coming up with keywords, try thesaurus.com for other suggestions!

What is peer review?

Your professors tell you to use peer-reviewed or scholarly sources, but what's the difference?

Image of man reading a journal article while five large eyes peer at him from all sides

  • Many writing assignments require students to use "research", "scholarly", "peer-reviewed", or "refereed" journals. These terms are often used interchangeably.
  • Peer-reviewed journals require an author's peers - other scholars/experts in the same field - to review an article for accuracy and bias before it is recommended for publication. 
  • Often recommendations must be made blindly, without the reviewer knowing who the author is. Because of this process, peer-reviewed articles are considered more credible and trustworthy for research purposes.

 

To better understand peer review, watch this video Scholarly vs. Popular Periodicals (3:12) to learn the differences between scholarly journals, trade publications, and general magazines.

These resources will further help you understand why scholarly sources are generally better for research.

How to locate peer-reviewed journal articles

  • Most of our databases have the option to limit search results to peer-reviewed journals. 
  • On the search results page look for the words filter, refine, or content type, then select peer-reviewed.
  • See the example below from Discovery:

Screenshot of Discovery search results showing Peer-reviewed selected under Content Type.

Questions to ask when evaluating a website

Author

  • Who sponsors (or authors) the site? Is there a different homepage?

Purpose

  • What is the purpose of this site? Informational, educational, commercial?

Date

  • When was this site created or revised or updated? Is it current?

Sources

  • Where does the information come from? Are they accurate? Did statistical data identify origins?

Reliability

  • Was the site reliable?  Would you use it for research?
    • If no, what is suspect about this site?
    • If yes, what made you believe it was credible?

Good Sources 

  • Answer your research question
  • Support your general argument with reliable information (statistics, timelines, bibliographies, etc.)
  • Provide background information on your topic
  • Give different perspectives that you can discuss in your paper

How to Assess Sources

To assess individual sources, you must have some idea of what your research question is in the first place, and what you want to achieve in your paper. The process of conducting research will help you to determine this, but it will take time and patience. Don't expect it to be quick, and don't be discouraged if you find more bad sources than good at first. Your professors and Waggoner Library are here to help, so don't be afraid to ask us!

Here is some criteria you can use to evaluate specific sources.

Books

  • Check the table of contents and the index.
    • Look for your keywords in chapter titles and headings, as well as important names and terminology
    • Does this look like a book that engages with some of your research question, either in a general or specific sense?
  • Browse the bibliography or works cited list (may be found at the end of the book or at the end of each chapter).
    • Do some of these sources seem relevant? You can even find them yourself to use as additional sources in your paper.

Articles

  • Read the abstract (summary). This is a short description of the article and should help you determine what the author is basically going to discuss in the article. Most articles in library databases have an abstract but if they don't... read the introduction. It will help in the same way. 
  • Use the FIND feature on your computer (Control/Command + F) to locate keywords or phrases. Some databases will highlight these for you automatically. Read the surrounding text for context. Does this help answer your research question?
  • Browse the bibliography or works cited list (may be found at the end of the book or at the end of each chapter).
    • Do some of these sources seem relevant? You can even find them yourself to use as additional sources in your paper.
  • Here are some further tips on reading an academic journal article. It's an art, not a science!