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Research Unbound: A Library Orientation for Transfer, Upper-Division, and Graduate Students

This micro-course, which involves a series of online modules, will help you learn about the University Libraries' resources available to you, and will equip you with the skills you need to be an effective researcher.

Mining Search Results

Mining Records

Here's a helpful step-by-step guide for mining search results:

 

Mining Search Results: For when you find the perfect article... but you need four more!

Step 1: Find ONE good article - something you can use. Even if you don't use this resource for your research in the long run, it will serve as a starting point for gathering your sources.

Step 2: Identify information for finding MORE resources. Use these kinds of information available in your article to give you direction:

  • Author's name 
  • Subject terms
  • Keywords and phrases found throughout the article
  • References

Step 3: Look for additional resources! You may need to start a new search by using...

  • Additional or substituted keywords
  • The author's name
  • A specific journal
  • Subject terms

These strategies can help you find research on similar topics.  If you're still stuck, look below to see additional places to look in a search record - they can provide helpful information!

Authors                                      Titles Subjects Citations

Generally, scholarly authors write on similar or related topics  throughout their careers.

Using an author's name can help you find like results.

Check both the title of the piece for keywords AND the title of the journal in which a piece is published.

While an article title might provide keywords, a journal title gives you a useful place to search!

Subject terms, if available, tell you what an article is really about.

These are often click-able links you can use to find similar articles, or  you can use these as search terms.

What research an article cites and the articles that cite it can be really helpful in finding related research.

This will connect you with other scholars doing similar work.

 

Still stuck in your search? Ask a librarian for help!