Things you'll find on this page:
When you research using library resources, you can use OneSearch or you can use any of a number of databases. This chart will help you decide which to explore.
| OneSearch | Subject-specific Databases | |
| Research Stage |
Developing a research question |
Answering a developed research question |
| Type of Information | Big picture, introductory, or overview information, mixed with highly specific and in-depth explorations | Specific, detailed, and analytical information |
| Types of Resources | Books, articles. encyclopedias, dictionaries, magazine articles, news articles | Articles |
Depending on your research question, and the type of information you need to find in order to develop an answer for it, you'll want to search different databases. You may need to look in more than one to gather everything you need. Here is a list of databases to consider first:
If you're still developing your research question, you might want to begin with one of these two multidisciplinary databases:
The approach to searching library resources is the same, no matter which resource (OneSearch or a specific database) you're using. This short video will introduce basic search techniques and show you how to use them to search OneSearch for articles.
How to search for articles in OneSearch
Once you're comfortable with the basics, watch this video for more advanced techniques.
Advanced search techniques in OneSearch
Now that you know how to use OneSearch, use the same techniques to search subject-specific databases.
Reading articles is a skill. Watch this short video to learn how to read articles effectively and efficiently.
While you're reading, ask yourself six questions:
| Question | Section of the article |
| What do the author(s) want to know (motivation)? | Abstract, Introduction |
| What did they do (approach/methods)? | Introduction, Methods |
| Why was it done that way (context within the field)? | Introduction, Literature Review, Methods |
| What do the results show (figures and data tables)? | Discussion |
| How did the author(s) interpret the results (interpretation/discussion)? | Discussion, Conclusion |
| What should be done next? (Regarding this last question, the author(s) may provide some suggestions in the discussion, but the key is to ask yourself what you think should come next.) | Discussion, Conclusion |
Carey, M. A., Steiner, K. L., & Petri, W. A., Jr (2020). Ten simple rules for reading a scientific paper. PLoS computational biology, 16(7), e1008032. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008032
Land Acknowledgement
Trinity Western University's Langley campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Stó:lō people. We are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and learn on this land.
