Research Tips & Databases

When using databases, you’ll need to use slightly different search strategies than you do with Google. Here are some tips to help you as you begin your research.**

1. Use AND to combine keywords and phrases. Examples: china and film and history; united states and foreign policy. Unlike in Google you will not get good results if you type an entire sentence, such as “the effect of advertising in mass media on teenage consumers.” You need to pick out the key phrases, words, and concepts. Like this: advertising and mass media and teenagers and consumers. If you type several words without AND in between, some of the article databases will assume you want only items where those words appear right next to each other, and in that exact order.
2. Find out if the database you’re using has a “subject search” option. For some topics, subject searching works better than keyword searching, which is usually the default. This may bring up fewer results, but you’ll be searching with more precision. Gale In Context makes it easy for you to browse by topic. When using ProQuest Central Student, start by searching with keywords/phrases. Once you’ve found a relevant article, use the results of a keyword search to discover subject headings (descriptors) used in the database. Usually, they will appear at the bottom of the article or somewhere in the citation.
3. Use your imagination. Think of all the possible ways to express and describe your topic. An article about global warming may not have the phrase “global warming” anywhere in it. Instead, you may find that the title contains the words “surface temperature records” and someone has assigned it the subject heading “climate change.”
4. Approach your research like a detective, looking for clues in all that you discover. As you begin to find information, keep an eye out for the “big names” in your research area–for example, key people and organizations. Notice the names of people who are often quoted in the news; activists and leaders working on a political or social issue; spokespersons and influential figures. Then, search for books and articles written by them. Check the bibliographies and footnotes in the books and articles you come across, and see if our library holds the materials cited by them. Find out if there is a local or national organization related to your topic. See what information is available on its web site. County, state, and federal government web sites tend to post a lot of valuable information, including statistics and reports.
5. Ask for help! Don’t spin your wheels and waste a lot of time if you get stuck or encounter something confusing. Librarians and teachers can help you find better information, more efficiently. For example, we can suggest the best databases for your topic & suggest other helpful resources or websites related to your topic.

**Adapted by information created by Kathy Herrlich, Research & Instruction Services, Northwestern University

How can I verify that what I find on Google is accurate?

Make sure the source you’re looking at is from a reputable news agency, university or organization

Always follow the “link backs” to verify the original information source. If an article does not have any link backs, and it’s not clear where the information came from, disregard the source – it is likely not reputable.

If it’s a news article, you can double check for accuracy or bias through All Sides, Politifact, Factcheck.org and Snopes.

DON’T use sources such as:

• News Aggregators (websites that repackage the news into listicles, etc)
• Blogs (unless you can verify that the person or entity writing the blog is an expert)
• Websites that don’t have a clear and trustworthy “about” section

In high school and college, most instructors will not accept Wikipedia as a valid research source for a paper. This is because the information on Wikipedia is “crowd sourced” – anyone can make a Wikipedia account at any time and edit or update any Wikipedia entry. For this reason, Wikipedia has gained a reputation as providing unreliable information.

However, Wikipedia has continued to build in a lot of checks and balances to their system, and studies have shown that their information is about as accurate as other encyclopedias such as Britannica, so Wikipedia can be a great place to start when you’re just beginning your research and trying to find out basic facts, so that you can develop questions or ideas about a research topic. Wikipedia can point you to some sources that may be valid research sources, because Wikipedia entries cite, and often link to, their references at the bottom of each entry.

BHS provides you with a number of subscription research databases. These databases are good resources for research projects because articles you find in the databases are reputable academic sources that you can cite in a paper. In most cases, articles and material you find in these databases are not available via Google.

Suggested Search Phrases
Searching in databases is a little more involved than Google. Here are a few keyword searches that may be helpful as a starting place for your research.

• [your topic] and psychological aspects
• [your topic] and political aspects
• [your topic] and religious aspects
• [your topic] and personal narratives
• [your topic] and public opinion
• [your topic] and (laws or regulations)
• [your topic] and statistical data
• [your topic] and social policy
• [your topic] and interviews
• [your topic] and crimes against
• [your topic] and health aspects

Below are databases and a selection of reliable websites that cover a variety of topics. If you’re having trouble finding information on the specific topic, or need assistance navigating the databases, please contact Mr. Soto-Vigil.

• Britannica School and Escolar: Articles, short biographies, encyclopedic entries, primary sources and videos.
  Username: benicia
  Password: busd

• ProQuest Central Student: Journals, magazines, newspapers, videos, reports, and more education, humanities, psychology, science, social sciences, and news.
  Username: benicia
  Password: Panthersrock1!

• CultureGrams: Concise social, cultural, and political information on countries, U.S. states, and provinces around the world.
  Username: benicia
  Password: Panthersrock1!

• SIRS Issues Researcher: Pros and cons on social issues.
  Username: benicia
  Password: Panthersrock1!