| Emergency Quick Start |
Have "things" been piling up? Have you put off researching a topic to the last minute? If so take a look at some of these quick start suggestions.
This page is a set of suggestions for those who have fallen prey to the oh-no-the-paper-is-due-day-after-tomorrow syndrome. Remember this is not the best way to research a topic. Obviously, compressing your research and writing into a few days will generally result in a lackluster paper and therefore a lackluster grade.
Use the general (aggregated) databases first. On the positive side these databases index lots of different subject areas and topics at the same time and each provides some level of full-text availability. On the negative side, these databases are not necessarily optimal for your particular project, and will also generate lots of distracting, non-academic "stuff."
To overcome some of these limitations when the capability is offered restrict (limit) your searches to peer-reviewed, or refereed, academic journals. If you do not restrict your searches to academic material you will always generate hits which retrieve lots of "stuff" that is non-academic. Most non-academic sources are not acceptable sources for supporting a college level, academic paper or project.
Each subject area also has an Internet Resources page devoted to it. When you are on a short timeline be particularly careful about using the Internet Resources. Even though these pages are selected for academic content it can take skill and patience to find materials relevant to a particular topic. For help in evaluating internet resources use the Evaluating Internet Resources page.
If you are researching a business topic begin research on the Business Databases page. Nearly
all business research should begin with ABI/Inform and/or Ebscohost: Business Search Complete.
However, be aware that for economics you will need to use not only
ABI/Inform but some of the general databases listed above.
For law related topics, use the Index of Legal Periodicals, (available in FirstSearch) which in spite of its name contains substantial
full-text material.
If you are researching a psychology paper go to FirstSearch and use PsycArticles, PsycInfo_1887
first.
If you are researching an education paper begin by going to the Social Sciences & Education
Databases page. Go to the Education & Kinesiology subset of databases, and use the Professional Development Collection first.
Continue your research in the other databases linked through this subsection.
If you have searched at least two different databases and your terms are not generating enough hits try some of the following ideas.
If you have left yourself enough time you could ask your instructor for suggestions on alternate vocabulary.
Alternatively, you can ask for additional help at the Reference Desk.
Another alternative is to use the Library of Congress Subject Headings--the "big red volumes" next to the Reference Desk.
Finally, if your particular subject area has a professional thesaurus use that thesaurus to find more specific search terms. At UTPB:
- the most recent edition of the ERIC Thesaurus (Education) is at the Reference Desk, the next most recent edition is in the Reference collection at REF/Z/695.1/.E3/E34/1990;
- the most recent edition of The Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms is at the Reference Desk, the next most recent edition is in the Reference collection at REF/Z/695.1/.T695.1/.P7/T48/1994;
Page Updated: 19 November 2007