Develop a Search Strategy
- Once you have identified your research topic, it is important to develop a search strategy. Think of the key concepts related to your topic.
- For example, if you’re researching identity in Apuleius' Metamorphoses, your search terms might be Apuleius, Metamorphoses, and identity. You might also want to consider broader search terms such as "classical Roman novel" OR "classical Roman literature"
- Try combining search terms by using Boolean operators (such as AND, OR, NOT). Example: identity AND (Apuleius OR "classical Latin literature"). See the Search Tips for other strategies.
- You need to think in terms of related keywords, such as synonyms that might also describe your topic. It may be necessary to narrow or broaden your search depending on the amount or quality of your results.
Evaluating Sources
When you Google for sources, be sure you understand where they come from!
What are peer-reviewed articles?
Many of the articles you find by searching BULS, Google Scholar, and the article databases, e.g., MLA Bibliography, are peer-reviewed. Some articles are designated as "peer-reviewed" but they are actually "scholarly/academic." What is the difference?
Peer-reviewed (sometimes called "Refereed"). Before articles are accepted for publication, they are closely read and critiqued by several scholars who study and do research in the same or a similar subject area.
Scholarly/academic. These articles might be written by researchers but are accepted for publication by the journal's editor (or editorial staff) without peer review. (Some databases use this designation for peer-reviewed.)
