Step One - Plan your paper: Research Paper Navigator
Step Two - Set up RefWorks to organize and format your citations: more info
Step Three - Research
| How do I do a good search? |
Try a keyword search, using the connectors AND, OR, or NOT to join more than one topic/keyword....
Example:
(muslim OR islam*) AND (wom?n OR female* OR femin*)
....Now, once you have found at least ONE GOOD RESULT, look at the Subject Headings (also sometimes called Descriptors) in the record, and see what terms that database uses to describe your topic (each database will use its own subject headings, different from other databases!). Now do the search again, using the relevant terms from the Subject Headings. This will focus your search on relevant results, so you won't have to skim through lots of records that won't be helpful in your research.
Note: In the Library Catalog two asterisks ** are needed for truncation, whereas in many databases only one asterisk * is needed--but ALWAYS CHECK THE HELP SCREEN IN EVERY DATABASE to learn how to do the best (and fastest) searches!
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To search for articles using the library databases, go to the Tisch Library Website and select Databases and Articles under Searching. Type in the name of the database in the search box or use the A-Z list to locate it.
| The following collections are possible places to find articles about your topic. |
- Academic OneFile - Includes over 8,000 peer-reviewed journals, the majority in full-text. Extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects. Full text articles available in both PDF and HTML.
- LexisNexis
Includes full-text articles from American and international newspapers. Also provides sources for legal research, congressional information, statistics, business information, and environmental research.
- Issues and Controversies on File
Full-text, in-depth essays giving multiple perspectives to issues facing society today. Search full text, subject index, title, date. It also provides access to selected primary source documents, interviews, newspaper editorials and bibliographies.
- Sociological Abstracts
Use to find citations to articles in the field of sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. Articles often have abstracts and sometimes have links to full-text.
- Alt-PressWatch
Contains full-text articles from magazines and journals of the alternative and independent press. Coverage includes a broad range of critical issues confronting contemporary society, including ecology and the environment, grassroots organizing, labor, indigenous peoples, public policy, genetics, and much more.
- GenderWatch
GenderWatch is a full-text collection of international sources, including journals, special reports and conference proceedings on a wide range of women's issues. It includes archival materials dating back to the 1970s. GenderWatch allows both full-text and indexed searching.
- Ethnic NewsWatch
Ethnic NewsWatch is a full-text collection of newspapers and periodicals from the ethnic, minority and Native American press. The database allows both full-text and indexed searching. Search pages are available in English and Spanish.
- Anthropology Plus
Anthropology Plus brings together into one resource the highly respected Anthropological Literature from Harvard University, and Anthropological Index, Royal Anthropological Institute from the UK. It covers over 2,500 journals and begins coverage in the late 19th century.
- AnthroSource
A service developed by the American Anthropological Association containing a complete electronic archive of all AAA journals through 2003, as well as current issues of eleven critical peer-reviewed publications.
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- If you want to search for books on your topic beyond what's available at the Tufts University Libraries use WorldCat. You can access this database on the Databases & Articles page.
- If you want to borrow a book that is not available at Tufts University Libraries, follow these steps:
- Search the Boston Library Consortium Virtual Catalog by clicking on its link along the top menu of the Library Catalog. This catalog contains the book holdings at most of the BLC libraries. Users can directly request books through the catalog and pick up the books at Tisch Library.
- If the book is not available through the BLC Virtual Catalog, Submit an online request through the document delivery service - ILLIAD. Users are notified when the material arrives at Tisch. You can sign up for an ILLiad account by clicking on First Time Users at the ILLiad home page.
- Articles not available in full-text through our libraries' databases and print collections can be requested through ILLiad. You can sign up for an ILLiad account by clicking on First Time Users at the ILLiad home page.
- You can also use ILLiad directly within the databases.
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The database only gives me a citation, or just an abstract. How do I find the full text?
- Use "findit@tufts," OR (if it doesn't seem to be working):
- look up the journal title (not the article title) by using the JOURNAL TITLE search option in the library catalog to find out if we own it electronically or in print. Be sure to check the range of dates we own before running to the shelves!
Is a journal I've found scholarly/peer-reviewed/refereed?
Evaluating Web Sites
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