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Welcome to Finding Articles: The Basics! This video will cover these four steps
to basic searching.
Step 1: identify the Search Terms. To do this
ask, what are the major concepts in my research question?
For example, in this research question the major concepts are physical education
and well-being.
These major concepts become the database search terms.
Step 2: Select a Database. From the library homepage choose articles and
databases
under "Focus your Search." The database page provides access to over 200
databases.
Some cover a broad range of topics are are more general
and some cover only one or two subjects and are very specific.
To help you choose a database they have been organized by subject below
or if you know the name of the database you're looking for, use the alphabetical
listings to the right.
For this search, select the subject "Health Education" and then
"Academic Search Complete." This is a good database to start your search on most
topics.
Step 3: Search the Database. Once in the database, enter the search words into the
search box and click search.
The database will find articles from many different sources, including
magazines, academic journals, and newspapers.
Some of the articles are available within the database and have a PDF icon
that links directly to the full text of the article
and others are not within the database, but have a yellow
check for full text button. Even if an article's not within this database, it may
be elsewhere in the library's collection.
Click any of the yellow buttons to see if the library's collection includes the
full text of that
article. A new screen opens with information on where the article can be
found.
In this case the full text of the article is available as indicated by the top link.
Click the link to open another new screen with the article.
Close the two screens that opened to return to the original results.
Step 4: Capture an article. On our original results page click on the PDF full-text
icon to open the full text to this article.
Once open, Academic Search Complete allows the article to be captured via email.
Click on the envelope icon to email the full-text article
and it's pre-formatted citation. Enter in an email address,
make sure that the PDF as a separate attachment box is checked,
and select the format for the citation. Click send.
...and that's Finding Articles: The Basics.