This guide covers search tools for research in topics related to information systems and technology.
Define a research topic
When you can answer the following questions, you are ready to conduct research that leads to a paper.
- What problem do you want to solve?
- Who cares about this problem and why?
- What have others done to solve this problem and why is that inadequate?
- What is your proposed solution to this problem?
- What is new about your approach?
- Who will care if you succeed?
- How long will it take?
- How can you demonstrate that this is a good solution?
Start with:
- ACM (Association For Computing Machinery) Digital LibraryFull text of most Association for Computing Machinery journals and proceedings since 1950. It also includes publications of affiliated organizations.
- IEEE XploreFull-text access to the transactions, journals, magazines and conference proceedings of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Includes all current Active standards & redline standards. Draft standards are not included.
- Business Source PremierFind business articles from journals and magazines in marketing, management, information technology, operations, human resources, accounting, finance and economics dating back to 1965.
Search tips
- Use the word AND to link concepts together: innovation AND product complexity
- Use the word OR with parentheses to search for synonyms: education AND (AI OR artificial intelligence)
- Use quotation marks to search for a specific phrase: “knowledge management”
- Use an asterisk to search for multiple endings of a root word: comput* - to find compute, computer, computing, computation
You can also find a relevant journal, browse recent issues for research articles, and choose a device that way. A good way to identify relevant journals is to do some searching for articles and see which journals they are published in. You don't need to stay committed to whatever specific topic brought you to that journal!
Then try any of the following:
- Compendex ArchiveNOTE: Select 'Ei Backfile' to search the content in the 'Compendex Archive'
Covers scholarly and technical periodicals, conference proceedings, and report literature from 1884-1968 in all engineering disciplines including applied physics, electronics, materials science, and related fields in science and management. Indexes nearly 3000 sources worldwide. - ScopusSearch for information from scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. Covers the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities.
- Web of ScienceA comprehensive interdisciplinary collection of journal article citations. Subjects generally covered are within science and technology, arts and humanities, and social sciences. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
Also check out:
- SpringerLinkSearch journals, e-books, conference proceedings, and reference titles from Springer Publishing. Covers architecture and design, behavioral science, biomedical and life sciences, business and economics, chemistry and materials sciences, computer science and information technology, environmental sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences, law, mathematics and statistics, medicine, operational research, physics, and astronomy.
- Google Scholar (Setup connection to get to PDFs)Use Google Scholar to find articles from academic publishers, professional societies, research institutes, and scholarly repositories from colleges and universities. If you are using from off-campus access, change the "Library Settings" to University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Look for the "FindIt@U of M Twin Cities" links in your Google Scholar search results to access full text and PDFs. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fifth Edition by
ISBN: 9781799834809Publication Date: 2020-07-24The rise of intelligence and computation within technology has created an eruption of potential applications in numerous professional industries. Techniques such as data analysis, cloud computing, machine learning, and others have altered the traditional processes of various disciplines including healthcare, economics, transportation, and politics. Information technology in today's world is beginning to uncover opportunities for experts in these fields that they are not yet aware of. The exposure of specific instances in which these devices are being implemented will assist other specialists in how to successfully utilize these transformative tools with the appropriate amount of discretion, safety, and awareness. Considering the level of diverse uses and practices throughout the globe, the fifth edition of the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology series continues the enduring legacy set forth by its predecessors as a premier reference that contributes the most cutting-edge concepts and methodologies to the research community. The Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fifth Edition is a three-volume set that includes 136 original and previously unpublished research chapters that present multidisciplinary research and expert insights into new methods and processes for understanding modern technological tools and their applications as well as emerging theories and ethical controversies surrounding the field of information science. Highlighting a wide range of topics such as natural language processing, decision support systems, and electronic government, this book offers strategies for implementing smart devices and analytics into various professional disciplines. The techniques discussed in this publication are ideal for IT professionals, developers, computer scientists, practitioners, managers, policymakers, engineers, data analysts, and programmers seeking to understand the latest developments within this field and who are looking to apply new tools and policies in their practice. Additionally, academicians, researchers, and students in fields that include but are not limited to software engineering, cybersecurity, information technology, media and communications, urban planning, computer science, healthcare, economics, environmental science, data management, and political science will benefit from the extensive knowledge compiled within this publication.
Citation Assistance
- APA Citation Style from Purdue OWLThis is a great place to look for any and all citation questions! Not only does it go into depth about how different information types are formatted when cited, you will also find support for in-text citations vs. references.
Concise Guide to APA Style by
ISBN: 1433832739Publication Date: 2019-12-01Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition is the official APA Style resource for students. Written for high school and undergraduate students, instructors, and writers learning APA Style, this easy-to-use pocket guide is adapted from the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. It provides complete guidance for new writers on effective, clear, and inclusive scholarly communication and the essentials of formatting papers and other course assignments. The seventh edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect best practices in scholarly writing and publishing. Full color throughout Content relevant to a range of majors and courses, including psychology, social work, criminal justice, communications, composition, education, business, engineering, and more New chapter focused on student papers Sample student title page, paper, and annotated bibliography Streamlined APA Style headings and in-text citations New chapter on writing style and grammar Chapters on punctuation, lists, italics, spelling, capitalization, abbreviations, numbers, and statistics Latest bias-free language guidelines More than 20 new sample tables and figures Comprehensive guidelines on citation to help writers credit their sources appropriately and avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism More than 100 new reference templates and examples, including traditional sources (e.g., journal articles, books, dissertations, and reports) plus many others (e.g., social media, webpages and websites, legal)
Available for reference at Magrath Library (St. Paul) and Wilson Library (West Bank)
- Conquering APA Style for the Seventh Edition: Advice From APA Style ExpertsAPA Style experts give advice about conquering APA Style based on the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA, 2020; cf. Hughes et al., 2017). Learning and teaching APA Style can be difficult because of the many rules (Hughes et al., 2017), and the seventh edition added additional rules and changed existing rules that writers are expected to follow. This article is meant to be a resource for those teaching and learning APA Style. The first part of the article covers these new rules. The second part details common writing issues that APA Style tutors often see. The third part gives writing tips and tricks to help in a research methods course. The next part contains APA Style rules that many writers do not know, and the fi
Learn new skills for effective and efficient library research
Our tutorials will help you save time! Learn how to:
start your research by picking a topic and learning about scholarly articles and other types of sources
plan and organize your research with our assignment calculator and citation tools
use library databases to get scholarly information and sources on your topic
find sources including scholarly and peer reviewed articles, books, and primary sources
learn about citations and use tools to cite and manage your sources
communicate your research through presentations, posters, or visualizations
find ways to get help both in-person and online
Last Updated: Mar 3, 2025 2:16 PM
URL: https://libguides.umn.edu/c.php?g=827110