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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?