Tutorial: Creating an effective search strategy
After completing this tutorial, you will be able to:
- Use meaningful keywords to find the best sources
- Apply search strategies like AND and OR to connect keywords
Tutorial: What is a library database and why should I use one?
- Tutorial: What is a library database and why should I use one?Learn what a database is and how it can be helpful in your research
Tutorial: Exploring a scholarly research article
After completing this tutorial, you will be able to:
- Identify the components, or sections, common to scholarly research articles
- Recognize the importance of the information within each section
Tutorial: How to read and comprehend scientific research articles
After completing this tutorial, you will be able to:
- Read scientific research articles
- Find the main points of articles
- Engage with articles by taking effective notes
Case Study & General Research
- Academic Search PremierA great place to start your research on any topic, search multidisciplinary, scholarly research articles. This database provides access to scholarly and peer reviewed journals, popular magazines and other resources. 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.
- Sage Journal PackageScholarly articles from Sage journals in the social sciences and humanities, the life sciences, biomedical sciences, neuroscience, pharmacology, engineering, and material sciences.
- 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.
- Business Source Premier EnhancedThis version of Business Source Premier makes it easy to find articles and specialized reports from company profiles and industry reports. This is a good resource for business and economic topics and global studies.
- 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.
Databases to Find Medical Research
- CINAHL Ultimate (Nursing & Allied Health)Covers nursing and allied health journal articles, book chapters, and dissertations, as well as providing summarized evidence-based resources such as care sheets and quick lessons.
- PubMedSearches MEDLINE, which is the primary source of journal articles for the health sciences (fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health, health care systems, and basic sciences). Coverage is from the 1940s to the present. 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.
Policy Research
- PAIS Index (Political Science and Public Policy)PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) searches journals and other sources on issues of political science and public policy. This includes government, politics, international relations, human rights and more.
- Worldwide Political Science AbstractsThe database provides citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration & public policy from1975 to the present.
- Statistical Insight This link opens in a new windowSearch statistical publications from US and state government agencies, international intergovernmental organizations, professional and trade organizations, business organizations, commercial publishers, independent research organizations, and universities.
Policy Websites
- Think Tank Search(Harvard Kennedy School): A directory of U.S. and international think tanks, as well as a custom Google search of more than 250 think tank websites.
- PolicyArchive"PolicyArchive is an innovative, new digital archive of global, non-partisan public policy research. It makes use of the power, efficiency, and economy of modern Internet technology to collect and disseminate summaries and full texts, videos, reports, briefs, and multimedia material of think tank, university, government, and foundation-funded policy research. It offers a subject index, an internal search engine, useful abstracts, email notifications of newly added research, and will soon expand to offer information on researchers and funders, and even user-generated publication reviews. Over time, it will grow to include policy content from international and corporate organizations."
Locate Polling Data
- Statistical Insight This link opens in a new windowSearch statistical publications from US and state government agencies, international intergovernmental organizations, professional and trade organizations, business organizations, commercial publishers, independent research organizations, and universities.
- Polling the Nations This link opens in a new windowPolling the Nations is an online database of public opinion polls containing the full text of 700,000+ questions and responses, from 18,000+ surveys and 1,700+ polling organizations, conducted from 1986 through the present in the United States and more than 100 other countries around the world. Limited to 4 simultaneous users.
Writing Resources
- What is a Citation Manager and When To Use OneA tutorial focused on: What is a Citation Manager, when to use one, and examples of citation managers.
- Citation Managers (e.g. Zotero, EndNote Online, etc.)Citation managers are software packages used to create personalized databases of citation information and notes. They allow you to: import and organize citation information from article indexes and other sources; save links to pdfs and other documents; format citations for your papers and bibliographies using APA and many other styles; and include your own notes.
- Center for WritingThey take walk-ins, and both in-person and online appointments. Also find online quick help and resources for writers on the writing process, common assignments, grammar, punctuation, style and more. Put the polishing touches on your work.
Presentation Practice & Recording
- 1:Button Studios1:Button Studios are fully automated HD video recording spaces with professional studio lighting and sound equipment. They are set up to record high-quality video projects without any knowledge of lights and cameras. There are currently four 1:Button Studio locations on campus (Magrath Library has the one on St. Paul).
Last Updated: Feb 7, 2025 1:07 PM
URL: https://libguides.umn.edu/c.php?g=899338