Research Strategies
Finding Magazine/Journal Articles
- Use the database most appropriate for your topic.
- Pick a topic and create a search question
- Identify the main terms or concepts (keywords) of your topic or research question
- Choose database to search. Most allow keyword and subject searching. If your search is a common topic (abortion, gun control, etc.) a subject search will work. If you're not sure of a subject term--use keyword search from words you put together in your search question.
- Keyword searching. Do keyword searching by combining your keywords together with "Boolean connectors," (and, or, not).
- A keyword search is done automatically by the computer and finds the words you type in (keywords) anywhere it can find them.
- A subject search is a much better search. It will retrieve fewer and more relevant results.
- and terms on both sides of and must be in search. For example: children and divorce
- must include both words in an article.
- or term on either side may be in search. For example: (children or families) and divorce.
- not do not search for term after not. For example: children and divorce not separation
- Scan results. Find results that might be acceptable for your topic--see what real "subject" headings are attached and search on these.
- Revise search if necessary. Broaden or narrow your topic and repeat steps above.
