Journal articles are the backbone of science. They are considered highly authoritative and get out a lot of information to researchers quickly. Most articles communicate the findings of an experiment, a new experimental method, and sometimes both. They are often peer reviewed, meaning they have to be read and approved and improved by other experts in a field. This peer revision means that the information is very trustworthy and is often the most reliable information you can find. Most journal articles are accessible through databases, like Web of Science or SCOPUS, though they were once highly accessible in print form in journals that looked a lot like fancy magazines.
These scholarly articles are often highly specific and don't always give you the information you need. Remember, if you need an overview of a topic, a popular science or media article might be a better option. Scientific articles are great when you are trying to dig down into the nuance of a topic, and are trying to understand how something very specific works.
"Search Strategy" is a fancy way of saying you use keywords and a few tricks to search databases for journal articles. Learning the basics of search strategy can help you find highly relevant and authoritative information quickly in the subscription databases at MSU. This box walks you through the basics of some of those strategies, but the best way to learn is to practice. Once you've read through these tips, try them out in the databases below!
Using keywords (the main topics of your research topic) instead of full sentences will give you much better results. For example:
Try to come up with synonyms for your keywords, too. For example, use both climate change and global warming.
Coming up with a comprehensive search strategy is easiest when you take time to come up with excellent keyword lists. Sit down with your research question and ask yourself, what are the main points? What are some keywords for those main topics? Are there synonyms for those keywords?
Spending a little time now can save you a ton of time in the future! This can be one of the most important steps to a great search!
Example Question: How does suburban landscaping affect pollinator habitat?
Keyword List:
Topic 1
“suburban landscape"
"suburban habitat"
Topic 2
"pollinator habitat"
"pollinator population"
"pollinator species"
pollination
Putting phrases in quotes keep the words in those phrases together, searching the database for those words in the order you want, instead of searching for those words independently wherever they occur. For example:
Truncation and Wildcards also help you expand or clarify your search.
Boolean operators connect keywords together to bring back more targeted search results. Boolean operators include AND, OR, and NOT. You will often see these capitalized in long search strings to see them more clearly.
See the image below for examples.
A completed search strategy may look something like this:
("climate change" OR "global warming") AND ("invasive species" OR "pest species" OR "introduced species")
Note that the parenthesis keep like terms together.
We subscribe to over 1,000 databases full of information on every topic taught or researched here at MSU. No matter what you study, there's a good database for you! I recommend you take a look at the database list and sort by a subject for your major and minor; these will help you find reliable information quickly.
Check out the science specific databases below to find peer reviewed science information, ebooks, conference proceedings, and more!
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These databases will bring back the best scientific information, but there are over 50 other databases we recommend for the biological sciences alone. Check out these first, then explore the rest!
Google Scholar is an excellent resource if you are trying to find one particular citation (say, a source you read about in another article). But due to their limited ability to sort and filter and their black box algorithms, they might not be the best place to go for an initial search.
However, we know that students and faculty use it regularly, so we want to make sure you can find what you need! Below are a few tips and tricks on how to search Google Scholar Effectively.
Link Google Scholar to MSU Libraries
Linking Google Scholar to the MSU Libraries ensures that you have access to all the resources you have access to as a student, faculty, or staff member at MSU. Follow the steps below to link.
1.) Go to scholar.google.com
2.) Click on the hamburger in the upper left corner.
3.) Click on settings
4.) Click on "library links" on the left side
5.) If you are on campus Michigan State University should already appear and check marks should appear next to the Libraries. If you are off campus, search for "Michigan State University" and check the boxes next to "Michigan State University - MSU Libraries Access" and "MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - ProQuest Fulltext". Then click "Save".
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