Where to Find Articles
Library search engines (databases) are a great place to find scholarly journal articles or other sources for your paper. Each search engine has a different flavor/subject area it covers. If the full text isn’t right there, click the Find It button. If we don’t have the article, you can request it from another library by clicking the “get this article or book chapter” link. (The turnaround time on this is usually about 2 days.)
- Academic Search This link opens in a new windowA general catch-all database for all topics. A good place to start, but don't forget it has a lot of non-scholarly stuff in it.
- SocINDEX This link opens in a new windowA sociology specific database, it contains just the scholarly articles about sociology and criminal justice topics.
- PsycINFOLooks and functions just like SocINDEX, but with a psychology focus. Remember, there is a lot of overlap between sociology and psychology topics.
- ERIC This link opens in a new windowAn education focused database. Try this one if you're looking at issues involving school-aged populations as well i.e. children or college students
Google Advanced Search
- Advanced SearchWe all know you can use Google, but did you know it has an advanced search? You can use it to limit to just .gov or .org websites. But don't forget it's up to you to evaluate whether or not the website is a credible one.
How to Find Books
Special Librarian Search Tips
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Use "quotation marks" around a phrase you search for that phrase and not the words separately
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Check your spelling. Most of these search engines won't spell check for you
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The more words you search for the fewer results you'll get. So if you don't have enough results, take a search term away...don't add more!
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Create a list of keywords you've used that work, so when you search the next database you remember.
Keywords and Subjects aren't the same thing?
Keywords are simply those words you type into the search box to get the results you want. Just like in Google, you don't type your whole question, just the important words or terms that will help you get the answers. Remember to consider synonyms when you create your keyword list.
So what are subjects then? Subjects are a specific word or phrase some librarian has assigned to a particular topic. Basically it's a tag we attach to articles or books. Why would we do that? Because that way when you search for that specific word or phrase you get EVERYTHING that has been tagged with that term. You can find these subjects (or subject headings) in the library catalog and most databases (except JSTOR). Usually they live along the left side bar or in the middle of the record (when you click on a specific book or article).
Narrowing your topic
Keyword exercise
What should I be thinking about when evaluating sources?
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Authority (Who?)Who wrote it? Can you find their name? Are they trustworthy? Are they an expert in the field? Is it an organization? A government agency? A random person? A student? A journalist?
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Currency (When?)When was it written? Or last updated? Does that matter? Could the information have changed?
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AudienceWho is the source intended for? The general public? Professionals/experts? Students?
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Purpose (Why?)Why does the site exist? Is it trying to sell you something? Persuade you about an issue? Provide factual information? Provide an opinion?
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OrganizationWhat organization is behind the site? What is their connection to the issue? Are they potentially biased?
*Tip: Use the About Us section or go to the base URL, which is everything up to & including the domain (.com, .gov, .org, .edu).
Library Instruction Eval
- How did we do?Help us out by filling out an eval of the library instruction you had in SOC111.