Skip to Main Content 
Research Strategies & Tips
- Do Pre-Research - Use Google and other public resources to do some initial research on your topic, especially if you are unfamiliar with it. See if there is enough research out there on your topic. This strategy can lead you to more credible sources and assist you in developing more keywords.
- Create Keywords - Develop search terms and synonyms related to your topic. Pull out nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.
- Use Connecting Words - Use words like AND or OR to connect your keywords. AND is useful for connecting difference concepts, while OR is good for connecting synonyms and related topics.
- Utilize Databases, Filters & Limiters - The library subscribes to a plethora of databases that are at your disposal. Take advantage of them and use the tools they provide to limit or filter results by peer-review, date, language, etc.
- Evaluate - Evaluate sources for their content. Read the title, abstract, intro, and conclusion to determine the quality and relevance of the source. Look at the "References" pages to discover additional sources if necessary.
- Organize Sources - Use permalinks, citation managers, and more to keep track of your sources.
What is a Peer Reviewed Journal Article?
Definition & Examples of Peer Review
- Peer Reviewed: Essentially a screening process for journal articles. The authors (scholars, professors, researchers) of the article submit their work to a specific journal in the hopes of getting it published. Before it is published, the authors' "peers" (aka other scholars, professors, or researchers who are experts) review the article. They may suggest the journal editors accept the article, reject the article, or ask for revisions before publishing it.
