This page will assist you with locating research resources within scholarly databases (e.g. databases with peer-reviewed research). There are a few steps that you will need to utilize. They are all detailed on this page. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Step 1. Creating keywords from your research question
Step 2. Creating efficient search statements by utilizing Boolean Operators
Step 3. Searching a scholarly database and limiting results
Note: Information regarding interlibrary loans is at the bottom of this page.
A search statement is the query that identifies the information that you are looking for within the database. A good search statement will provide you with the most accurate articles pertaining to your research topic.
Creating a search statement with proper keywords is going to be your first step in finding scholarly research resources based on your research question.
This video will assist you in creating keywords from your research question to use within a scholarly database. You can read the full transcript here.
Step 1. Identify Keywords
Form a research question and then identify the key concepts and/or keywords from that statement. Try to identify 1-3 keywords to use for searching. These keywords will be your variables, or what you are looking to study.
Let's say my research question is:
How does climate change affect children living in emergent nations?
My keywords are:
climate change, children, and emergent nations.
Step 2. Identify Similar Concepts
I don't want to miss valuable research because I'm not thinking about the topic in the same way another researcher is. So I'm going to look for all of the similar concepts and synonyms that a researcher might use for my keywords.
For example:
| Climate change | global warming, climate crises, greenhouse effect, etc. |
| Children | youths, kids, adolescent, juvenile, child, toddler, etc. |
| Emergent Nation |
emerging nation, developing nation, emergent country, third world country, etc. {Note: sometimes using an outdated term like "third world" can assist you in finding older research or specific viewpoints} |
Creating a Search Statement Through Utilizing Boolean Operators & Other Database Tools
(Create efficient and powerful search statements to be used in scholarly databases)
This video provides assistance regarding utilizing Boolean Operators and other database tools so as to create powerful and efficient search statements to be used within scholarly databases. You can read the full transcript here.
Most databases utilize Boolean Operators. By understanding Boolean Operators, you will be better able to search resources in the most efficient and most thorough manner. Boolean Operators allow you to build powerful search statements with minimal effort.
Most databases will have a drop-down menu that lists three Boolean Operators, AND, OR, NOT.
Boolean Operators
|
OR Search example: Developing countries OR emergent nations Returns results that utilize either of the terms “developing countries” or “emergent nations.” |
Expands search results | The operator OR is particularly helpful when you want to broaden your search, especially when you want to include synonyms. |
|
AND Search example: Agriculture AND Washington
Would return: The history of agriculture in Oregon and Washington
Would not return: The history of agriculture in Oregon and California |
Narrows search results | AND is how you are going to search multiple concepts/variables together. |
|
NOT Search example: Washington NOT D.C.
|
Narrows search results | NOT is used to eliminate records. It eliminates a predefined term from the search results. |
Other Database Tools
|
Quotation Marks (" ") Search example: “Washington State” Would return the result: The history of Washington State University Would not return the result: The history of Washington D.C. and Maryland. |
Only returns results utilizing that exact phrase as it appears in the quotation marks. |
|
The Wildcard (*) Search example: Agri* Returns results:
Returns results:
S*food* Returns results: |
The * can be used anywhere in the search term to represent any characters (or no characters). It is a super easy way to conduct searches that pertain to all of the variations of a term. |
Create Your Search Statement
Build a search statement using Boolean Operators and other database tools (see above).
Here's what that search would look like in the Web of Science database utilizing Boolean Operators and our keywords/concepts along with their synonyms.
Examining and Sorting Your Results
Other database tips:
Click the FindIt @ WSU button to access the text of the article (you may also see links to the publisher's website).
Click the title of the article to see more info about the article including the abstract, citation list, and much more.
Click the "Times Cited" link to the right of the article to see what other articles cite this article.
If the full text of the article is not immediately available you can order it via Interlibrary loan (for free!)
Examining and Sorting Your Results
Other database tips:
Click the FindIt @ WSU button to access the full-text of the article (you may also see links to the publisher's website).
Click the title of the article to see more info about the article including the abstract, citation list, and much more.
Click the "Times Cited" link to the right of the article to see what other articles cite this article.
If the full text of the article is not immediately available you can order it via Interlibrary loan (for free!)
WSU Extension. (n.d.). "Inside Holland Library." From the WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections.
As a WSU student and researcher, you have access to an extensive network of physical and electronic scholarly resources. For example, you can request that physical materials be sent from any of our campuses to your home or to be picked up on campus.
Furthermore, if WSU doesn't have a copy, we can request it from another library (for free). This includes both physical items and electronic items (like journal articles). In fact, you can get access to electronic journal articles within a day or two of requesting them.
For more information regarding interlibrary-loans check out this library webpage.
Helpful tip: You should never have to pay for a journal article. If you get to a journal record where you are being charged an access fee, let me know.
