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Writing 101-10: Writing in the Disciplines - Psychology (Sandoval, Fall 2024)

Step 3 - Find Research & Information Sources

How & Where to SearchDecorative element: Icon of Albert Einstein drawn in outlines

Finding information requires a lot of skills that you may not be aware that you have or that you are developing. 

  • Use this page to learn strategies for HOW to find the most relevant information to meet your needs. 
  • Use the sub-pages to learn WHERE to search for research on your topic or question.
Keep in mind that sources are not fixed in time, but are parts of an ongoing scholarly conversation about a topic. For example, Albert Einstein started a conversation about relativity and quantum theory that is ongoing even today! Since Einstein's contributions, the discourse has grown and grown with new discoveries and new ideas in the field of Physics, its subfields, and other related fields. 

Check out information in Step 5 about Citation Trails to learn how to discover additional citations to relevant works to help you answer your research question.

BOO-lean Operators (Halloween edition)

Image by Kelly Blanchat, Yale University Library

Phrase Searching

 

" "

To search for specific phrases, enclose them in quotation marks. The database will search for those words together in that order.

Examples:

“Italian Renaissance”

"pictorial hangings"

"15th century"

"Mannerist period"

"Renaissance architecture"

"Battle of San Romano"

Truncation

 

TRUNCATION

Truncate a word in order to search for different forms of the same word. Many database use the asterisk * as the truncation symbol.

Examples:

Truncate the word architect* and you will search for architect, architects, architecture, etc.

Add the truncation symbol to the word paint* to search for paint, painter, painters, painting etc.

religio* to search for religion, religious etc.

Search Strategies Reviews