On this page you will find basic tips for researching in any academic database. Once you are finished here, you can head over to the Finding Articles on Tap Water page for some tips on finding articles on this topic.
The library's databases are the best way to find trustworthy, credible information—like journal articles, eBooks, and audiovisual sources—for research purposes, and completely for free. All current students, faculty, and staff have full access to library databases from on and off-campus.
When accessing the databases from off-campus, you will be prompted to log in. Enter the same credentials you use to log in to SCCCD Canvas/email.
To get the full list of databases A to Z, visit our Articles: Research Databases page.
After you brainstormed and developed your topic, you may now have many words and terms to describe your topic. What you type in the search box in a database is important because your search terms affect the results you will get from the database.
Some terms and words are better than others because they provide more relevant results for your topic. Thus, the way you search is also important.
Your search options include searching by keyword or by subject term in the databases and the library catalog. The table below will help you understand the differences.
| Keywords | Subject Terms |
|---|---|
| Natural language | A set vocabulary known to the databases |
| Search will be broader - you'll get more results | Search will be narrower - you'll get fewer results |
| Can retrieve more unrelated results | Results tend to be more relevant to the topic |
Boolean Operators are words that act as a sort of command for the databases and library catalog. They set the relationship between multiple search terms and either expand or narrow your search.
"AND" is the most commonly used Boolean Operator. You would use AND to combine search terms. It basically tells the database or catalog that you want to find results that contain both words or terms.
Example: mental health AND grief
"OR" is best used in situations where you are looking for results that mention either of the terms or words you're searching. Your search results will have articles that just mention the first term, articles that just mention the second term, and articles that mention both terms. This is best used when different words are used to describe the same thing like in the example provided.
Example: kids OR children
"NOT" is used when you are searching for one term but you don't want to see mentions of another term in your results. The best time to use this Boolean Operator is when you are searching for a broad topic, but don't want to see results with one of the narrower topics or when you are searching for a topic that can be associated with a broad range of topics that would not make sense in your search results. See the examples below.
Examples: mental illness NOT anxiety
Connecticut Yankee NOT civil war (in reference to the book A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain, which was not related to the American Civil War)
Peer-review (or scholarly articles) refers to articles focusing on a particular subject or topic that are written for an academic publication. These articles are reviewed by peers, or experts in that subject or topic, who check for accuracy and assess the validity in the article. When a peer-review article is published, this means the article has gone through substantial writing, review, and revision to show that the article exhibits the best research and scholarship in that academic field.
No. That's why it's important to know how to search for these journals. Also, be aware that not all articles in peer-reviewed journals are peer reviewed. If the article looks like a book review or an editorial, it is not peer-reviewed, but they will still show up in your search results because they are from peer-reviewed journals. If you're looking at an article and you're not sure, talk to Mr. Torres or a librarian.
Located on the left-hand sidebar on the Search Results page, you'll see an option to check a box that says "Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals."
Advanced Search can be accessed by clicking on the "Advanced Search" link under the search box. Under "Search Options" and "Limit your Results," click the "Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals" checkbox.
To find peer-reviewed articles in Opposing Viewpoints, you have to go to Advanced Search, which is located to the left of the search box at the top of the page. Under "More Options," select the "Peer-Reviewed Journals" checkbox.
EBSCOhost is not a database - it's a database platform with multiple databases. You can save time searching in EBSCOhost by selecting multiple databases to search at the same time. Click on "Choose Databases" above the EBSCOhost search box and you'll get a list where you can select multiple databases.
Reading an article or a book for research is much different than your average, everyday reading. When you find articles that you think you might want to use for research, start off by evaluating them to see how those articles connect to your topic. You shouldn’t spend all of your time reading, especially since you may find that some articles do not fit your research.
Here are some tips for reading for research:
Targeted Skimming
Read the abstract or summary prior to clicking on your article, so you will have an idea what it's about.
With your topic in mind, read the introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph to see what the author's argument is and their conclusions.
You'll also want to scan the "Results" or "Findings" section, if there is one.
Grasp the Main Ideas
If your article seems like a good fit thus far, take a moment to read the first sentence of every paragraph, especially in the Results/Findings section.
This will give you a better feel of what the paper is about.
Take a moment to summarize what you’ve read in your own words and ask how you can use it in your research.
Read Critically
After developing your topic, you should have some background knowledge and you may have also looked at other articles.
When you read critically, you compare and contrast what you're reading which what you have already read and what you already know to see how the content fits with your topic.
If you are interested in learning more about databases visit our research guide How to Find Articles.
Before you start this guide, please enroll in the CCC-Library Canvas Course and earn a Badge in Searching Academic Databases.
This badge takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and after earning the badge you will be able to: Navigate our CCC library databases, Define peer-reviewed, and Develop and conduct effective keywords and search strategies.
2. Ask your librarians for help
3. Ask yourself questions; your own research questions can turn into keywords to use in searches
4. Create a list of search terms; find synonyms, and broader and narrower terms related to your original question, and have these ready to enter into search tools like the library catalog or databases
5. Web searches are OK to get started on research, such as getting clarification on a topic; but remember to use library research databases to get information sources that are both credible and free
6. Give credit where credit is due; cite your sources, and when it doubt, just cite it!
7. Don't forget to proofread your paper (Bonus: have a friend or tutor give your paper a read-through)