Stage 4: Access & Retrieve Information
Execute your search strategy, and update it as you go!
Try different terms in searches across platforms and use critical reading skills to evaluate whether a source is relevant to your research.
Save sources via permalink / stable link or through a citation management system like Zotero.
General Article Databases
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Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new windowOffers access to an unprecedented collection of resources including journals, magazines, reports, books, and videos. Many are peer-reviewed and full-text. Subjects range from astronomy to zoology.
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JSTOR (including ARTSTOR) This link opens in a new windowIncludes complete runs of journals with full-text of all articles published prior to the most current five years; eBooks; ArtStor images; and primary sources. Coverage spans the humanities, sciences, and social sciences.
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ScienceDirect This link opens in a new windowScienceDirect's Freedom Collection includes extensive full-text journal coverage of the physical and biological sciences, as well as some coverage of the social sciences and humanities.
Advanced Searching Tip: Combining Terms
An advanced way to add keywords together in your search is to use "Boolean Operators" to connect them. Some common terms are AND / OR / NOT.
Imagine ordering pizza and how you'd describe the toppings you want in order to get a desired result - that is similar to how you can use Booleans in your search to establish relationships between terms.