How do I search research databases efficiently?

When searching for sources in databases, think of specific keywords that are relevant to your topic, and consider variations on them or synonyms that might be relevant.

Once you have a clear idea of your research parameters and key terms, choose a database that is relevant to your research (e.g., Medline, JSTOR, Project MUSE).

Find out if the database has a “subject search” option. This can help to refine your search. Use Boolean operators to combine your keywords, exclude specific search terms, and search exact phrases to find the most relevant sources.

Frequently asked questions: Working with sources

What does it mean to synthesize sources?: Synthesizing sources means comparing and contrasting the work of other scholars to provide new insights.

It involves analyzing and interpreting the points of agreement and disagreement among sources.

You might synthesize sources in your literature review to give an overview of the field of research or throughout your paper when you want to contribute something new to existing research.
How can I find sources to use in my research?: You can find sources online using databases and search engines like Google Scholar. Use Boolean operators or advanced search functions to narrow or expand your search.

For print sources, you can use your institution’s library database. This will allow you to explore the library’s catalog and to search relevant keywords.
What is lateral reading?: Lateral reading is the act of evaluating the credibility of a source by comparing it with other sources. This allows you to:

Verify evidence

Contextualize information

Find potential weaknesses
How can I tell which sources are relevant to my research?: As you cannot possibly read every source related to your topic, it’s important to evaluate sources to assess their relevance. Use preliminary evaluation to determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth.

This involves:

Reading abstracts, prefaces, introductions, and conclusions

Looking at the table of contents to determine the scope of the work

Consulting the index for key terms or the names of important scholars
What’s the difference between an abstract and a summary?: An abstract concisely explains all the key points of an academic text such as a thesis, dissertation or journal article. It should summarize the whole text, not just introduce it.

An abstract is a type of summary, but summaries are also written elsewhere in academic writing. For example, you might summarize a source in a paper, in a literature review, or as a standalone assignment.

All can be done within seconds with our free text summarizer.
What kinds of assignments involve writing a summary?: You might have to write a summary of a source:

As a stand-alone assignment to prove you understand the material

For your own use, to keep notes on your reading

To provide an overview of other researchers’ work in a literature review

In a paper, to summarize or introduce a relevant study

Want to speed up writing your summary? Try our free text summarizer
How do I assess information critically?: You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test, focusing on the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose of a source of information.

Ask questions such as:

Who is the author? Are they an expert?

Why did the author publish it? What is their motivation?

How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence?
What are some critical thinking skills?: Critical thinking skills include the ability to:

Identify credible sources

Evaluate and respond to arguments

Assess alternative viewpoints

Test hypotheses against relevant criteria
What is critical thinking?: Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy, it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.
How do I find scholarly sources?: It is important to find credible sources and use those that you can be sure are sufficiently scholarly.

Consult your institute’s library to find out what books, journals, research databases, and other types of sources they provide access to.

Look for books published by respected academic publishing houses and university presses, as these are typically considered trustworthy sources.

Look for journals that use a peer review process. This means that experts in the field assess the quality and credibility of an article before it is published.
What are the main types of sources cited in academic research?: In academic writing, the sources you cite should be credible and scholarly. Some of the main types of sources used are:

Academic journals: These are the most up-to-date sources in academia. They are published more frequently than books and provide cutting-edge research.

Books: These are great sources to use, as they are typically written by experts and provide an extensive overview and analysis of a specific topic.
What is the difference between a scholarly and a popular source?: Scholarly sources are written by experts in their field and are typically subjected to peer review. They are intended for a scholarly audience, include a full bibliography, and use scholarly or technical language. For these reasons, they are typically considered credible sources.

Popular sources like magazines and news articles are typically written by journalists. These types of sources usually don’t include a bibliography and are written for a popular, rather than academic, audience. They are not always reliable and may be written from a biased or uninformed perspective, but they can still be cited in some contexts.
What types of sources are used in academic research?: There are many types of sources commonly used in research. These include:

Websites

Books

Journal articles

Newspapers

Encyclopedias

You’ll likely use a variety of these sources throughout the research process, and the kinds of sources you use will depend on your research topic and goals.
Can I use tertiary sources in my research?: You usually shouldn’t cite tertiary sources as evidence in your research paper, but you can use them in the beginning stages of the research process to:

Establish background information

Identify relevant keywords and terms

Familiarize yourself with current debates in your field

Use tertiary sources in your preliminary research to find relevant primary and secondary sources that you will engage with in more depth during the writing process.
How do I tell if a source is tertiary?: What constitutes a tertiary source depends on your research question and how you use the source.

To determine whether a source is tertiary, ask:

Am I examining the source itself, or am I using it for background information?

Does the source provide original information (primary) or analyze information from other sources (secondary)? Or does it consolidate information from other sources (tertiary)?
How are tertiary sources different from primary and secondary sources?: Primary sources provide direct evidence about your research topic (photographs, personal letters, etc.).

Secondary sources interpret and comment on information from primary sources (academic books, journal articles, etc.).

Tertiary sources are reference works that identify and provide background information on primary and secondary sources. They do not provide original insights or analysis.
What is a tertiary source?: A tertiary source may list, summarize, or index primary and secondary sources or provide general information from a variety of sources. But it does not provide original interpretations or analysis.

Some examples of tertiary sources include:

Bibliographies

Databases

Dictionaries

Encyclopedias

Indexes

Timelines
Why is information literacy important?: It can sometimes be hard to distinguish accurate from inaccurate sources, especially online. Published articles are not always credible and can reflect a biased viewpoint without providing evidence to support their conclusions.

Information literacy is important because it helps you to be aware of such unreliable content and to evaluate sources effectively, both in an academic context and more generally.
What is information (digital) literacy?: Information literacy refers to a broad range of skills, including the ability to find, evaluate, and use sources of information effectively.

Being information literate means that you:

Know how to find credible sources

Use relevant sources to inform your research

Understand what constitutes plagiarism

Know how to cite your sources correctly
What are proximity operators and how do I use them?: Proximity operators are specific words used alongside your chosen keywords that let you specify the proximity of one keyword in relation to another.

The most common proximity operators include NEAR (Nx), WITHIN (Wx), and SENTENCE.

Each proximity operator has a unique function. For example, Nx allows you to find sources that contain the specified keywords within a set number of words (x) of each other.
What are Boolean operators and how do I use them?: Boolean operators are specific words and symbols that you can use to expand or narrow your search parameters when using a database or search engine.

The most common Boolean operators are AND, OR, NOT or AND NOT, quotation marks “”, parentheses (), and asterisks *.

Each Boolean operator has a unique function. For example, the Boolean operator AND will provide search results containing both/all of your keywords.
What is a Boolean search?: A Boolean search uses specific words and symbols known as Boolean operators (e.g., AND, OR) alongside keywords to limit or expand search results. Boolean searches allow you to:

Prioritize keywords

Exclude keywords

Search exact keywords

Search variations of your keywords
What is the CRAAP test?: The CRAAP test is an acronym to help you evaluate the credibility of a source you are considering using. It is an important component of information literacy.

The CRAAP test has five main components:

Currency: Is the source up to date?

Relevance: Is the source relevant to your research?

Authority: Where is the source published? Who is the author? Are they considered reputable and trustworthy in their field?

Accuracy: Is the source supported by evidence? Are the claims cited correctly?

Purpose: What was the motive behind publishing this source?
How can I summarize a source without plagiarizing?: To avoid plagiarism when summarizing an article or other source, follow these two rules:

Write the summary entirely in your own words by paraphrasing the author’s ideas.

Cite the source with an in-text citation and a full reference so your reader can easily find the original text.
How long is a summary?: A summary is always much shorter than the original text. The length of a summary can range from just a few sentences to several paragraphs; it depends on the length of the article you’re summarizing, and on the purpose of the summary.

Tip: Want to create a summary in a matter of seconds? Try our free text summarizer! You can also easily adjust the lenght of your summary within the tool.
What is a summary?: A summary is a short overview of the main points of an article or other source, written entirely in your own words. Want to make your life super easy? Try our free text summarizer today!

Questions?

Ask our team

Want to contact us directly? No problem. We are always here for you.

Frequently asked questions

See all

How does Scribbr help students graduate?: Our team helps students graduate by offering:

A world-class citation generator

Plagiarism Checker software powered by Turnitin

Innovative Citation Checker software

Professional proofreading services

Over 300 helpful articles about academic writing, citing sources, plagiarism, and more
What type of documents does Scribbr proofread?: Scribbr specializes in editing study-related documents. We proofread:

Essays

Papers

Theses

PhD dissertations

Research proposals

Personal statements

Admission essays

Motivation letters

Reports

Reflection papers

Journal articles

Capstone projects
What plagiarism checker software does Scribbr use?: The Scribbr Plagiarism Checker is powered by elements of Turnitin’s Similarity Checker, namely the plagiarism detection software and the Internet Archive and Premium Scholarly Publications content databases.
Which citation software does Scribbr use?: The Scribbr Citation Generator is developed using the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) project and Frank Bennett’s citeproc-js. It’s the same technology used by dozens of other popular citation tools, including Mendeley and Zotero.

You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github.