Finding quality sources for your research reports, or finding the works of a potential mentor, can often be a painstaking process that requires a significant amount of time. While there are no shortcuts to finding the best sources, the process can be sped up by smart searching. Here are some tips to help you optimize your search: |
· Know what you are looking for. Before you can hope to find the right results, you must have a concept of what you are searching for. Scholarly articles, field-specific publications, and mainstream news sources each require different methods of searching.
· It all comes down to keywords. Use the most relevant key words to your thesis or research question. When searching for the works of a specific professor, combine your keywords and their last names for a narrower search. Try the advanced search feature when you are browsing databases. You can filter by dates, subject areas, and type of source.
· Don’t go it alone. Use the resources at your disposal both online and on campus. Your library houses an immense volume of information, and its staff know where to find the right sources. A professor’s personal page or ScholarBridge profile will list their most relevant publications. Or simply skip the searching and visit a professor’s office hours.
We hope this bit of wisdom will add to your productivity as the week concludes. Be sure to visit ScholarBridge to find research openings for the next semester. Good luck with finals and best wishes for a successful end to the semester.
· It all comes down to keywords. Use the most relevant key words to your thesis or research question. When searching for the works of a specific professor, combine your keywords and their last names for a narrower search. Try the advanced search feature when you are browsing databases. You can filter by dates, subject areas, and type of source.
· Don’t go it alone. Use the resources at your disposal both online and on campus. Your library houses an immense volume of information, and its staff know where to find the right sources. A professor’s personal page or ScholarBridge profile will list their most relevant publications. Or simply skip the searching and visit a professor’s office hours.
We hope this bit of wisdom will add to your productivity as the week concludes. Be sure to visit ScholarBridge to find research openings for the next semester. Good luck with finals and best wishes for a successful end to the semester.