Jennings Senior Synthesis Research
Not sure where to begin?
Remember, research is a fun puzzle. The inquiry process can help give you some direction as you explore the resources shared below and develop your paper.
credible online sources
How do I evaluate the sources that I find online?
The sources provided below are credible.
To determine if an article is credible, a researcher should consider:
- Publication date
- Author's expertise
- Credibility of the connected institution
Databases
Jstor is a college-level database. It is best to use this database once you have a firm idea of the type of articles that you need for your topic. Search strategies must be carefully considered to achieve a successful result.
- Always use the advanced search.
- Use smart searching techniques like " " and boolean search terms for a more focused search.
- Features like find (control + F) can help you to navigate the articles (once downloaded as pdfs) returned.
Tips for database searching
1) Use Keywords - Basic words necessary to express your topic/idea
2) Boolean search indicators (AND, OR, NOT)
AND - combines keywords
OR - alternative wording
NOT - search for specific keywords, eliminating alternative wording
3) Add truncation as needed
( ) Use parentheses to create groups of words linked together with OR
* Use an asterisk (sometimes called a “wildcard”) to search a word that can end multiple ways
“ “ Use quotation marks to search for a phrase (the words must appear in the article exactly as they appear in quotes)
Not getting the results you wanted?
Too few results?
Did you try different keywords?
Try adding/removing quotations?
Try a different database?
If you were able to find one or two articles you can use, check out the subject headings for additional keywords to modify your search.
too many results?
Try using the search filters to narrow your search results (pub date, type of article, etc).
Is there an aspect of your topic you can add to your search?
Play around with the "advanced search" fields and keywords
results not relevant?
If your results are on a different topic, think of ways to differentiate your topic - try adding more keywords or using a phrase in quotes.
If you were able to find one or two articles you can use, check out the subject headings for additional keywords to modify your search.
mla Citation Help
Watch Mrs. M's video on how to use the My Bib extension.