4.3: Finding Sources

Start with the IVC Library

Your first stop should almost always be the IVC Library. While search engines scan much of the internet, library databases search carefully selected collections of books, journals, newspapers, and other publications chosen for academic research.

Two databases you'll likely use often are:

• ProQuest, which provides access to thousands of scholarly journals, newspapers, magazines, dissertations, and other academic publications.
• JSTOR, which is especially strong in the humanities, social sciences, history, literature, and the arts.

Depending on your topic, you may also use other databases available through the library. Librarians can recommend the best database for your research question and even help you develop an effective search strategy.

Starting with the library saves time because you're searching sources that have already been selected for academic research rather than sorting through millions of unrelated websites.

Search with Keywords, Not Questions

Many students begin by typing an entire research question into a search box:

Why are prescription insulin prices significantly higher in the United States?

Although search engines have become increasingly sophisticated, databases generally work better when you search using keywords rather than complete sentences.

For example, instead of searching:

Why are prescription insulin prices significantly higher in the United States?

Try searching:

• insulin pricing
• prescription drug costs
• pharmaceutical pricing
• insulin affordability

As you begin reading, you'll probably discover additional terms used by researchers. Those new terms become even better keywords for your next search.

Use Boolean Operators to Refine Your Search

Most academic databases allow you to combine keywords using Boolean operators.

Quotation marks can also help you search for exact phrases:

• "prediction markets"
• "social media"
• "food insecurity"

These simple strategies often produce much stronger search results than typing a long question into a search box.

Refine Your Results with Search Filters

Most library databases offer tools that help you narrow or expand your results after you've completed an initial search. Rather than starting over, you can often apply filters that make your results more relevant to your project.

Common filters include:

• Publication date to find more recent research or focus on a particular time period.
• Peer-reviewed to limit results to scholarly publications.
• Source type to search specifically for journal articles, newspapers, books, or other materials.
• Language if you need sources published in a particular language.
• Full text or PDF available if you want immediate access to complete articles.

Some databases also allow you to sort results by relevance or other criteria.

As you refine your search, remember that filters are tools, not rules. For example, limiting your results to the past five years may be appropriate for rapidly changing topics like artificial intelligence or public health, while older sources may be essential if you are researching Shakespeare, climate policy, or the history of civil rights. Always choose filters that make sense for your research question.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Experienced researchers often run several searches using different keywords, filters, and databases before finding the sources that best fit their project.

Follow the Conversation

One excellent source often leads to many more.

As you read scholarly articles and books, pay close attention to their Works Cited, References, or Bibliography sections. These lists reveal the scholarship the author relied upon while developing their argument. If several authors repeatedly cite the same book or article, it may be an important work in the field.

Many databases also allow you to see which newer publications have cited an article you are reading. By following citations both backward and forward through time, you can watch an academic conversation develop across many years.

This strategy isn't limited to scholarly writing. Quality journalism often cites academic studies, government reports, court decisions, books, or other primary sources. When a news article mentions a study that seems especially important to your project, try locating and reading the original source whenever possible. Doing so gives you a fuller understanding of the evidence and allows you to evaluate the research for yourself rather than relying only on someone else's summary.

Think of every citation as a doorway to another conversation. Every footnote, bibliography, hyperlink, or reference list has the potential to lead you toward new sources, new perspectives, and new questions.

Use Background Sources as Starting Points

Sometimes the best way to begin researching an unfamiliar topic is by consulting a reliable encyclopedia, textbook, or other reference work.

These tertiary sources provide useful background information, introduce important concepts, and define specialized vocabulary. Perhaps most importantly, they often include references that point you toward books and scholarly articles worth reading.

Think of tertiary sources as trailheads rather than destinations. They help you begin your journey, but they rarely provide all the evidence you'll need for a college research paper.

Google Scholar Can Be Helpful

Google Scholar can be a useful tool for locating scholarly materials. It searches across journal articles, books, conference papers, theses, and other academic publications from many different publishers.

Google Scholar also allows you to:

• see how often a source has been cited
• discover newer works that cite an article
• locate different versions of the same publication

However, Google Scholar is a search tool—not a publisher. Not everything it indexes meets the same standards of quality, and some results may only be available behind paywalls. In addition, Google Scholar does not search every database available through the IVC Library.

For these reasons, Google Scholar works best as a complement to—not a replacement for—your library's databases.

When Your Search Comes Up Empty

Nearly every researcher experiences this moment. You search several databases, but nothing seems relevant. It's easy to conclude that no sources exist, but that is rarely the case. Instead, consider what your search is telling you. Perhaps your topic is too narrow. Maybe your keywords are too specific. Perhaps researchers use different terminology than the words you've been searching.

For example, a search for Ozempic shortages might produce fewer results than searches using terms like semaglutide, GLP-1 receptor agonists, or prescription drug supply chains. When this happens, don't keep repeating the same unsuccessful search. Try new keywords. Broaden or narrow your topic. Read a background source to learn the language experts use. Follow citations from a promising article to discover related research.

Most importantly, ask for help. Your instructor and the librarians at the IVC Library have extensive experience helping students locate sources. They may suggest a different database, recommend more effective keywords, or point you toward resources you might never have found on your own. Seeking help is not a sign that you're failing as a researcher—it is part of how research is actually done.

Sometimes a fifteen-minute conversation can save hours of frustration.

Key Takeaways

• Begin your search with the IVC Library and its databases whenever possible.
• Search using keywords rather than complete questions, and refine your searches with Boolean operators.
• Follow bibliographies and citations to discover additional scholarship.
• Use tertiary sources to build background knowledge and identify promising leads for further research.
• Google Scholar is a helpful search tool, but it should complement—not replace—the library's databases.
• Research is recursive. Each source you read can lead you to better keywords, new questions, and additional sources.
• When your search stalls, revise your strategy and ask for help. Working with your instructor or a librarian is part of the research process, not a last resort.

Putting It Into Practice

Using your current research question, locate three potential sources using three different search strategies.

For example, you might:

• find one source through ProQuest or JSTOR,
• locate one source by following the bibliography of another source, and
• find one source using Google Scholar.

For each source, write one or two sentences explaining:

• How did you find it?
• Why do you think it could be useful for your research project?

What new keywords or ideas did it introduce?