Start with basic
resources when possible, such as subject encyclopedias, handbooks, and textbooks. Use Keyword searching on Annie, the Library Catalog, to find
relevant books in the library. Instructions on using keywords to search Annie are provided at the bottom of the Keyword search page.
for
encyclopedias, search by keyword: word or phrase (enclose "phrases in quotes") and
encyclopedias (the plural is used in subject headings and will find the encyclopedia even when the work "encyclopedia is not in the title of the book)
(example: economic* development* encyclopedias)
for handbooks,
search by keyword: word or phrase and handbook
(example: economic* development* handbook)
Finding Books on Your Topic
Use the Keyword search to find books on your topic.
Once you locate a book on your topic, look at the subject headings listed bottom of the Annie Record (Example). You can then find similar books by following the subject links, or use terms or phrases used in the subject heading in another keyword search.
Searching for Articles in Journals, Magazines and Newspapers
Periodicals (journals, magazines and newspapers) come in many different shapes and sizes, and have many different purposes. Generally in academic research, you will want to use primarily scholarly journals and absolutely no popular magazines. To learn how to tell the different types of periodicals apart, see Types of Sources page.
To locate articles in various periodicals , you should use at least one of the indexing and abstracting services that the library subscribes to.
Scopus, described as the largest citation-and-abstract database in the world, Scopus features broad coverage of scientific, technical, medical, and social sciences literature, as covered in about 14,000 peer-reviewed resources .
JSTOR provides access to the full text of articles in over 150 of the most important academic journals. All issues of each journal are included EXCEPT for the most recent 2-to-5 years.
ABI/Inform
Global and ProQuest Research LibraryABI/Inform is a very good business database, and
the ProQuest Research Library is an excellent general database. Both provide some full text.
Academic OneFile, this is a good general database providing some full text.
Internet Search Engines (not recommended as "one-stop shopping" for "scholarly" research, but often very useful as part of a search strategy):
Google Scholar This is a beta version search engine.
Google Scholar enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research.
Current issues of periodicals are located on the main level of Leyburn Library behind the circle of computers in the reference area. Older issues are usually bound and shelved on lower level one, but some are maintained on microfilm. Search for the title of the journal (not the article) on Annie to learn where the journal is. If the journal is not listed in Annie, use the new W&L Periodical
Finder containing more than 13,000 periodicals available in full-text form through online subscription services.
If you still cannot locate the article, get the article through Inter-library Loan. Submit a request for the article, and the library will attempt to get a copy of the article for you from another library. There is no charge for this service, but it does take time so don't wait until the last minute.
Gray Literature (or Grey Literature)
What is "gray literature"?
Gray literature is the term that is applied to sources of information that
are not commercially published and are not generally available from bookstores, libraries,
or traditional bibliographic sources. Gray literature includes:
Policy File is an electronic database indexing research and publication abstracts
addressing the complete range of public policy research. PolicyFile draws its content
from public policy think tanks, university research programs, research organizations and
publishers.
Clarify your topic by writing your topic as a single question or sentence. Forcing yourself to write your topic as a single question will require you to bring it into clearer focus.
Identify the key concepts in the topic sentence. List the terms you used for each concept as column headings across the page.
Do these terms have synonyms or alternate forms? Write any synonyms you can think of under each column heading.
What other factors are important to your search?
dates
language of source
type of source
2. Identify likely databases to search.
Your search strategy will depend on the databases you intend to search. Each database will require a slightly different approach, and learning the features of the databases you use regularly will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your searches. Most databases offer help materials online.
3. Create an initial search strategy.
Link synonyms with OR
Link concepts together with AND
Is it possible to use truncation or wildcard characters?
Use proximity operators in place of the AND connector when searching full-text databases.
Are there any fields in the database that you can use to restrict your search?
Planning Your Search
Below is a form which you can use to develop your search strategy for any topic. This form follows the guidelines outlined above.
1. Topic Sentence:
2. Database(s):
3. Search Terms and Connectors:
Search Concept 1
Connector
Search Concept 2
Connector
Search Concept 3
AND
AND
OR
OR
OR
AND
AND
OR
OR
OR
AND
AND
4. Search Strategy:
Here is an example of the form above completely filled out.
