POSC 481 Seminar in American Government and Public Policy

You may be asked to "write a literature review," or "find an academic journal article." These tasks require searching academic databases to locate scholarly articles, chapters, and other sources.

Need search tips?

These databases help you locate scholarly information. The best database depends on your topic or research question. You may want to search in more than one database.

Use the "Journal List" to find a specific journal or article

• In the journal list, search for the name of the journal
• Date ranges show the time span the journal is available in a particular location (e.g., a specific database or on the shelf at the library)

The "Journal List" is also available in the "Quick Tools" menu on the library's homepage.

Searching Databases: Using "Connectors"

AND / OR / NOT

AND  - Searches for articles containing both terms. Use to combine main concepts or variables in your search.

Example: sleep AND health = results containing BOTH the words "sleep" and "health."

OR - Searches for articles that contain EITHER or BOTH terms. Use for synonyms or related terms.

Example: women OR woman OR female OR girl = all results that mention women regardless of which term an author uses

NOT - Searches for articles that do NOT contain a term. Use sparingly.

Example: education NOT technology = results using the term "education" but not the term "technology"

Remember: Use each search box in a database to represent a "main concept" in your search.

Here's an example of a search for information about the relationship between religion and political participation by women.