NSCI 300: Science and Technology (Prof. Becky Talyn): Find an Article from a Scholarly Scientific Journal

You need to find a peer-reviewed article from a scholarly scientific journal. The library databases below index mostly scientific journals. 

Before you go into one of these databases, though, make sure you read the instructions for doing a database search, in the box to the right.

Computer searches look for the words you typed--not the idea you meant, or what you really wanted. So your choice of words has a direct and measurable effect on your search results.

• Think of keywords (important words describing your topic)
• For each aspect of your topic, choose a keyword, and combine the most important ones for your search

Example: If your topic is how drinking affects college students' success in school, you might try the keywords:

drinking college students grades

If you get no results or too few results, try different keywords. Think of synonyms and related terms.

Examples: For drinking, try alcohol. For grades, try academic achievement.

More tips:

• If you have too many results, try adding a keyword, or using a more specific keyword.
• Avoid long phrases or questions. Use only the most important words.
• Avoid punctuation, particularly colons (:), which may interfere with your search