Boolean Operators
- AND: Using AND narrows a search by combining terms
- OR: Using OR broadens a search to include results that contain either of the words you're looking for
- NOT: Use NOT to exclude a word
- Quotation Marks "": Searches for exact phrases
Database Filters
- Available online: The article is available online
- Peer-reviewed journals: Evaluating research studies before they are published
- Year of publication: Published within the last 5 years
- Full text: The entire text is available online
Evaluating your resources
- Timeliness: Was the article published in the last 5 years?
- Authority: Does this information come from an author or organization that has authority to speak on your topic?
- Audience: Who are the intended readers and what is the publication's purpose?
- Relevance: What connection can be made between the information that is presented and your assignment?
Scholarly Articles (Peer-reviewed)
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Reviewed by the editorial board and peer-reviewed board
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Written by experts in their given field (s), scholars or researchers
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Reports findings of a research project
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Often published in scholarly and/or academic journals
Non-Scholarly Articles
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Language is simple and conversational
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Written to entertain the audience or sell a product
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Published by popular media and news sources
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Authors are usually staff writers and professional journalists