Refining Your Search with Boolean Logic
"AND" narrows your search;
i.e. media AND gender roles
"OR" broadens your search;
i.e. gender roles OR sex roles
"NOT" eliminates words that have different meanings from what you're looking for;
i.e. Java NOT coffee
Find It!
Sometimes a search result may not provide you direct access to an article. Click on the Find It! icon to see if/where the article is available.
If an article is available online, you will see a link/icon on the top, left side of the screen under the phrase: "Get Full Text." Click on the link/icon. A new tab will open to the service hosting the article, where you will find a PDF link.
If an article is not immediately available in print or online, you will see the message "Request this title from another library via Interlibrary Loan." You may order an article through interlibrary loan by selecting the link. A new tab will open to UD's Interlibrary Loan page. Follow the directions to login and request the article.
Finding Scholarly Articles
Use the databases listed below to begin searching for scholarly articles.
Try these search tips:
- Check the box that says "Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals"
- Limit your date range to find more recent works
- Click on the item title to go to the Detailed Record page
- Read the abstract
- Look at the author's credentials
- Check the publication type and journal name
- Access the "Cite" link for a sample citation, but always double check for accuracy
- Want more results? Try choosing additional databases to search. You can search all of the recommended databases listed below all at once by clicking on "Choose Databases" above the search bar.
Recommended Databases
- Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new window
This resource provides access to more than 170 full-text journals and magazines covering all related subjects, including forensic sciences, corrections, policing, criminal law and investigation. - APA PsycInfo This link opens in a new window
This collection is devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health. It includes more than five million records and access to more than 2200 journals. Coverage begins in 1972. - SocINDEX with Full Text This link opens in a new window
SocINDEX with Full Text includes full text for more than 300 sociology journals dating back to 1908. It also includes full text for more than 700 books and 6,000 conference papers. Abstracts for more than 800 journals are available back to 1895. - Political Science Complete This link opens in a new window
Political Science Complete is a full-text research database covering political topics with a worldwide focus, including international relations, political theory and comparative politics. Access provided to more than 350full-text journals and thousands of conference papers, it is a valuable resource for political science researchers and government institutions. - Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Large database of citations from papers, reports and books.
What Is A Primary Research Article?
Primary research articles
- are original scientific reports of new research findings
- do not include review articles, which summarize the research literature on a particular subject, or articles using meta-analyses, which analyze pre-published data
- usually include the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References
- are peer-reviewed (examined by expert(s) in the field before publication)
- a peer-reviewed article is not the same as a review article, which summarizes the research literature on a particular subject
Secondary sources
- are summaries or interpretations of original research – not the original research itself
- are often useful and easier-to-read summaries of research in an area
- references or citations can point the way to useful primary research articles.
- acceptable formats may include books (find these through the library catalog) and review articles (articles which organize and critically analyze the research of others on a topic)
- blogs, YouTube videos, newspaper articles, book reviews, press releases and .com websites are NOT among formats usually appropriate as sources in scientific research
