Introduction

Now that you have a specific research question and a working thesis statement, you are ready for the fun part: finding the evidence to support your claim! In this module, you will learn how to navigate your university's library databases to find credible, scholarly sources. You will also learn to use keywords and Boolean operators, which are essential tools for a successful search. This step is about laying the foundation for a strong, evidence-based paper.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Distinguish between scholarly and non-scholarly sources.

• Identify and use the key features of university library databases.

• Construct effective search queries using keywords and Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).

• Evaluate sources for credibility, relevance, and currency.

3.1: What are Scholarly Sources?

Not all information is created equal. For an academic paper, you must use scholarly sources, which are written by experts in the field and have undergone a rigorous peer-review process. This means other experts have reviewed the research for accuracy and validity before it was published.

Types of Scholarly Sources:

• Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles: These are the gold standard for academic research. They report on original studies and are the most credible sources you can use.

• Academic Books and Book Chapters: These are written by scholars and often provide a comprehensive overview of a topic.

• Conference Proceedings: Papers presented at academic conferences.

Non-Scholarly Sources to Avoid:

• Wikipedia: While a good starting point for general information, it is not peer-reviewed and can be edited by anyone.

• Blogs, Vlogs, and Personal Websites: These are often opinion-based and lack the credibility of scholarly research.

• Most popular media: Articles from sources like Men's Health, Runner's World, or general news outlets are usually not scholarly.

3.2: Navigating Library Databases

Your university library provides access to a wealth of academic databases. These databases are like specialized search engines that contain only scholarly sources. Popular databases for exercise science include:

• PubMed: A primary database for biomedical and health sciences research.

• CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature): Great for health-related topics.

• SPORTDiscus: A comprehensive database for sports medicine and exercise science literature.

• Google Scholar: While not a true database, it is a powerful tool for finding scholarly literature.

Activity: 

Exploring Your Library's Databases Take a moment to navigate to your university's library website. 

Find the list of databases and see if you can locate PubMed or SPORTDiscus. You'll likely need to log in with your student credentials to access them.

3.4: Practice and Application

Now it's time to put these skills into practice with your own research topic.

Guided Practice:

1. Recall your specific research question: _________________________

2. List your keywords: Identify 3-5 key terms from your question, including synonyms.

• My keywords: _________________________

3. Construct a search query: Use your keywords and Boolean operators to create a search string for a database.

• My search query: _________________________

4. Action Step: Go to your university's library website, select a database like PubMed or SPORTDiscus, and run your search query. Look at the first 10-15 results. Do they seem relevant to your topic? This will help you refine your keywords and search strategy.

Module Summary

In this module, you learned the importance of using scholarly sources and how to find them using your university's databases. You now know how to construct effective search queries using keywords and Boolean operators. With these tools, you are well-equipped to find the credible evidence you need to build a strong, research-based paper.

Next Steps

In the next module, you will learn how to read and annotate the scholarly sources you have found, which is a crucial skill for understanding and engaging with complex academic literature.