Library databases and Google can't be searched the same way so take a few moments to come up with a search strategy before diving into a database.
Step 1: Think about the key concepts of your topic and search those instead of an entire phrases or sentences.
Step 2: Think of other terms you could use that are synonyms or related (they could be a broader or narrower aspect). This often requires that you do a little background research to learn more.
Step 3: Connect your terms using AND and OR:
Remember -
See screenshots for better searches.
If you don’t see a .pdf of the article you want, click Find it at UT to find it in another database or in print in the Libraries.
If it is only in print in the Libraries or we don’t own the article, click Get a Scan to have the article emailed to you.
Peer-reviewed journal articles, sometimes known as scholarly, refereed or academic articles, have the following characteristics:
1. Written by researchers/scholars
2. Reviewed by other researchers/scholars - this process is called peer-review
3. Published in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals
4. Written for an audience of other researchers/scholars
5. Created to share research with others in the scholarly discipline
If you can't tell whether or not a journal is peer-reviewed, check Ulrichsweb.
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