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Social Work

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Scholarly vs. Popular Periodicals

Video created by the Vanderbilt University Peabody Library.
Thumbnail of a man with glasses holding two pieces of paper one reading Goal: Find 5 sources and the other saying Sources MUST be Scholarly. In the top right corner is black lettering reading Scholarly versus Popular Periodicals.

Before You Search

  1. Identify keywords in your topic.
  2. Choose the best database.
  3. Use 1-2 words per search box.
  4. Combine "keyword phrases" with AND.
  5. Use limiters as needed (dates, scholarly (peer reviewed).
  6. Evaluate your results by reading abstracts.
  7. Look at subject terms assigned to a good article to focus search.
  8. No full text? Use Journal Finder on Journals tab.
  9. The Cite button will help with footnotes.

Research Process

Choose a topic, locate background information, design your research strategy, gather sources, evaluate your sources, assess and revise as needed.

  1. Choose your topic & isolate potential keywords. Use synonyms.
  2. Use your textbook & reference sources.
  3. Determine what types of sources are needed & begin searching.
  4. Evaluate the quality, quantity & relevance of your sources.
  5. Be sure to cite any ideas you have used that are not your own.
  6. Assess your results & refine as needed.

EBSCO Advanced Search Tutorials