Search Tips

WestSearch may be good place to start to find a few full-text articles to start you off.

• Limit your results to peer-reviewed.
• This source prioritizes content we have in full-text.  You will need to go deeper than that.

Google Scholar can be used for discovery and targeted research.

• Google Scholar has some huge advantages like links to bibliographies for articles and links to related articles.
• Set up your Library Links in Google Scholar to get the most out of it (if you are working off-campus.)
• The links to WCSU full-text will usually take you right to the article, but you can drill down if they don't.
• Use Journal Finder to double-check those with no links or citations from bibliographies.

Direct search in databases

• Many of the databases are pre-limited to full-text.  Be sure to uncheck that box to get abstracts and citations.
• If you see a certain database title come up repeatedly in WestSearch and/or Google Scholar, try a direct search in that resource.

Direct search within a journal

• Journals are best accessed by title using Journal Finder, but you can find them in WestSearch as well.
• If you see a certain journal title come up repeatedly in WestSearch and/or Google Scholar, try a direct search in that journal.

Mine bibliographies for resources.

• When you find a good article, examine the bibliography and track down the articles by finding the journal in Journal Finder.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Requests

• Keep ILL open in another tab to make it easy to copy and paste citation info for requests.
• Be sure to check Journal Finder before making requests!

Stay Organized

• Consider creating a spreadsheet with the citation info for articles you find with added notes.
• Try a reference manager to manage your reasearch. I like Mendeley and can help get you started.