Combine your keywords using "Advanced Search." Put each concept into its own search box. See this handout for HawkFind instructions.
Use quotation marks when searching for specific phrases.
If you're not getting back enough results, add synonyms or related terms to each box using “OR.”If you can’t think of additional keywords, do a general Google search for your term or use the database's thesaurus or index to find related terms.
If you're getting back too many results, try the following:
Add an additional concept to your search. Consider focusing on a particular population or more specific aspect of your original research question.
Try searching for your most important terms in the abstract field. Do this by changing the field name to "abstract" next to your search terms.
Use subject terms to search for the most relevant results.
If you aren't finding good results with HawkFind, switch to a subject-specific database.
Once you find a useful article, find additional articles by looking at the references. You can also enter the article title into Google Scholar to find articles that have cited your original article. See this handout for instructions. If you use Google Scholar, remember to check for peer-review using Ulrichsweb.
If you need help, contact a librarian.
Many databases provide full-text access to journals. However, you can use the GET ARTICLE icon to search for full-text coverage of the title you need in one of the other databases. If no access is available, you can request and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) for the materials.
Google Scholar searches articles, books, theses, and other content. Searching Google Scholar is easy, but it doesn't give you the ability to filter to peer-reviewed journal articles.
If you need to be sure the article you found is from a peer-reviewed journal, use Ulrichsweb as described in the box below.
Always access Google Scholar from the link above or the "Resources" list on the front page of the library website. When you use these links, your MU credentials will be authenticated, giving you access to library resources found in Google Scholar. Look for the "Full-Text @ MU Library" link in your results list. You can also click on the Google Scholar logo above to search using your MU credentials.
One useful feature of Google Scholar is the ability to find articles that have cited an article you already have. See the handout below for more information.
Not sure if a particular journal is peer-reviewed? Check out Ulrichsweb. This database (also found in the A-Z database list from "Quick Links" on the library website) provides detailed information on publications. Look for the referee icon to indicate it is a peer-reviewed journal.
The black and white “ref jersey” icon below indicates that Higher Education is a peer-reviewed journal, but Education Week is not.
