This document provides research tips and guidance for using the library databases to find sources. It outlines basic search skills like using the discovery search, filters, and saving results. It then discusses developing a focused research statement and keywords to guide an advanced search across multiple databases. Specific tips are offered for narrowing a search through choosing a discipline, location of search terms, and selecting relevant subject databases. Students are encouraged to get research help from librarians.

1. Research Tips
ENG 110: Discovering Sources

2. Before You Begin
● What are the main points of the text?
Is there any commentary being made?
● What motivates key characters? What
prompts the characters to take the
action they do?
● Are there symbols that reoccur?
● Are there any cultural, historical, or
societal issues you could learn more
about to fully understand the text and
the characters better?
Reflect on the work and write
down what you know
Building a strong understand of how you interpret the
text will help you as you read the ideas of scholars
and try to find points which you agree or disagree.

3. Basic Search Skills

4. Start Your Search with Discover Search
Use the Discover Search
box on the library
homepage to cross-search
most of the library’s
databases
Rather than type in your search terms in this box,
McCain Library recommends clicking on Advanced
Search

5. Use Filters to Narrow Your Search
On the results page, use the filtering tools on the left side of the results to narrow by
Date & Type of Publication (or format).
Date Type of Publication

6. Change How the Results are Displayed
Click on Page Options to access the menu to change the number of results on the
page and to see a more detailed description of each result.

7. Each database “marking tools” (kind of like save to
my cart) to save results to review at the end of your
search.
Try the “Shopping Approach” to research:
● Skim the article title and the description of the
article.
● Use marking tool (a folder or checkbox) to
save the ones you like.
● When you feel you have found enough
articles locate the folder or list where all your
articles are stored to review them in more
depth.
Create a List of Potential Articles
Marking Tools Icons
● GALILEO Discover
● News & Newspapers (Proquest)
● MasterFile Elite (EBSCOHost)

8. Examine Your List of Articles
Find Saved Items
● GALILEO Discover (EBSCOhost)
● News & Newspapers (Proquest)
● Delete any items that do not look useful.
● Note whether the resource is accessible in
this database
○ PDF / HTML = Immediate Access
○ Full Text Finder = Follow links to full-text
○ No icons (except PlumX Metrics) =
Request item through Interlibrary Loan

9. Activity #1 What To Do Next:
● Write a focused research statement that will
help you find information on a specific
aspect of your topic.
Examples of Focused Research Statements:
● Effect of Childhood Trauma on Parenting
Skills
● Impact of Anti-war Protests on the Moral of
American Troops in Vietnam
● Assessment Techniques for Anti-Hunger
Leadership Development Programs
Your initial review of the literature should
have helped you identify how scholars are
talking the topic that interests you.
● Are their ideas similar or different from
yours?
● Do their ideas help you narrow the
focus of your initial search?
● Are there keywords they are using that
could be helpful in constructing your
search?

10. Creating a More Advanced Search

11. Use Advanced Search
Advanced Search provides more
options for constructing a search!

12. Enter Each Concept in a Separate Box
Research Statement: Assessment Techniques for Anti-Hunger Leadership Development Programs

13. Add Alternative Keywords Separated By OR
OR broadens a search. When terms are connected by OR the database
knows either term in acceptable but both are not required.

14. Add Quotation Marks to Phrases

15. Use Truncation Symbol (if helpful)
*An asterisk may be
added to the root of
any word to tell the
database to find
additional words
that share the same
root.
Develop* = Develop
OR
Development
OR
Developing
OR
Developed

16. Activity #2 What To Do Next:
1. Brainstorm additional keywords for the
research statement you created.
2. What are the core concepts:
3. What are alternative terms for each core
concept?
4. Construct a search in Advanced search that
breaks your core concepts into different
boxes and provides at least one alternative
term for a concept in the search box.
Did you notice how in the last set of slides
the research statement was broken into
individual concepts? Each concept received
its own box.
Then additional terms that were similar in
meaning were added to each box separated
by OR to give the database alternative terms
it could pull from each of those boxes to find
relevant resources?
At least one term from each box is required
to be in each of the items in the search
results. Adding OR plus an additional term
expands the search results.

17. Tricks to Narrow Your Search

18. Choose a Discipline (in Advanced Search)

19. Set Default Location Where Keywords Should be
Found (in Advanced Search)
Each search tool has a default setting for where search
terms should be found. Set it to search the full text for a
broad search and to citation and abstract for a more
narrow search.

20. Activity #3 What To Do Next
1. Narrow your search by Discipline
2. Uncheck Search Within the Full-Text
3. Run Your Search
4. In chat describe how the changes you made
improved your search results. If you feel it
produced worse results, describe why you
feel they are not as good as your previous
search.
As are researchers you have many options to
control your search. Thinking about who
cares about your topic or what voices you
want to hear from can help you decide
whether you want to choose a subject
specific database or narrow your search to a
specific discipline.
Also, you are able to control where your
search terms are found. Results where your
keywords are only found in the full-text of
the article one or two times may be less
relevant than articles where your keyword
terms are found in the citation (title, author,
journal name, etc) and abstract (summary of
the article).

21. More Databases to Try
Use Databases A-Z to locate
more databases to search
Literature
● Literature Online
● Literary Reference Center
Plus
● MLA International
Bibliography
Social Issues & History
● SocINDEX
● PychINFO
● America: History & Life
● Gender Watch
● LGBT Life
● Political Science Complete

22. Need Help?
● Use the Schedule a
Research Appointment
button on the library
home page to get same
day help from a
librarian Monday -
Friday.
Librarians LOVE to meet with students
to talk about their research