Database Search Strategies

Learn about:
● Using Library databases (Logging
In)
● Finding Peer-Reviewed & Scholarly
Articles
● APA-style Annotated Bibliography
● LibGuides Research Guides
● Using CiteFast Citation Generator

by Monroe College Library Staff

[email protected]
 Setting up Your Search / When to Write the Abstract
BEFORE YOU SEARCH: After YOU Finish Your Paper:
Make your References Page! Write or Revise your Abstract.
1. Go to Microsoft Word>File>New and open a new See the Sample Abstract Here.
document (or search the online templates and (If your professor requires an Abstract)
choose APA Report). Your Abstract is a summary of the question
you asked, your research process, and the
2. Center your text. Set line spacing to 2
conclusions reached as a result of your work.
(double-spaced).
Because it is a summary of your entire
3. Type the word References in Times New Roman font,
research process and findings, the Abstract is
size 12. usually the last thing you write when your project
4. Copy and Paste article Citations into the References is completed.
page as you find them. Follow instructions on slide Remember:
9 to format each citation with a hanging indent. ● Keep it short. According to the APA style
manual, an abstract should be between
This will eliminate the last-minute scramble to remember, 150 to 250 words.
find, and format your Reference citations when the paper is ● The abstract should also be written as only
finished. one paragraph with no indentation.
 SET UP YOUR REFERENCES PAGE
Make your References Page BEFORE YOU SEARCH:
In Microsoft Word or Google Docs
1. Go to File>New and open a new document
(or search the online templates and choose APA Report).
2. Center your text. Set line spacing to 2 (double-spaced).
3. Type the word References in Times New Roman font, size 12.
4. Move your cursor down one line, and Left-Justify your text.
5. Copy and Paste article Citations as you find them into the References page.
Follow instructions on slides 8 and 9 to format each citation with a hanging indent
*** Every database provides pre-formatted APA citations! Be sure to get the
citation for each article you save before you leave the database! ***
Setting up your citations now will eliminate the last-minute scramble to
remember, find, and format your References when the paper is finished.
 LOG IN TO THE DATABASES THROUGH MY MONROE

7. Click on the Library Resources Icon

8. Select Databases from the

drop-down menu.
Need Help Choosing a Topic?
Try BROWSE ISSUES in GALE Opposing Viewpoints

Click on the
lightbulb!

Includes hundreds of topics to start from,

then provides an Overview of your topic
along with multiple sources of info,
including:
● Journal Articles
● Videos and
● Primary Sources
Now that you’ve chosen a topic, get the BACKGROUND INFO

EBSCO Discovery Service CREDO Reference

Getting Started: Discovery Service for Monroe College

Entering a general term in the

Discovery Database often returns a
Research Starter, which can help you
to understand basic concepts and
vocabulary definitions for your subject.
CREDO Reference:
Background Info and Search Results
from Multiple Databases
CREDO Reference returns:

BACKGROUND INFO -
From multiple
Encyclopedias in different
disciplines

SEARCH RESULTS FROM

OTHER DATABASES-
“More Library Resources” -
Direct links to results from
multiple other Library
Databases.
Need Opinion Pieces and Perspectives? Try InfoBase
Issues &
Controversies
A rich source of
detailed
information and
editorial content
on subjects of
current interest.

Results include
topic:
● Overview,
● history, and
● Pro/Con
Articles
● Bibliography
Link-outs to
Further
Resources
 Need Peer-Reviewed, Scholarly Journal Articles?
Your professor may require that you use peer-reviewed journal articles as sources for your research.

WHY USE PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES?

In order to qualify for publication in a journal, academic and scholarly articles must be:

● written by experts and then

● reviewed by a panel of the author's peers (i.e. other experts) in the field before the article is published.

The review process means the article must meet high standards of:

● Currency,
● Relevance,
● Accuracy,
● Authenticity, and
● Purpose,

so these articles generally contain the best (and often the most current) information available on a given subject. (More
information on evaluating the quality of an information source can be found here.)

This process is meant to ensure the integrity of the journal, as well as the quality of the article.
Three databases that specialize in peer-reviewed articles are:

Academic Search Premier (Ebsco) Research Library (ProQuest)

(Check the box marked Peer reviewed.)

Academic OneFile (Gale)

NOTE: *** Every database provides

pre-formatted APA citations! Be sure to get
the citation for each article you save before
you leave the database! ***
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 Use Boolean Search

Expanders:

Use AND
OR
Boolean will broaden
Operators your search.
to
Refine Limiter:
Your NOT
Search will remove the
Results named term
and limit your
results.
BETTER Results When USING Boolean terms AND phrasing:
Both
s
Search terms:
term earch From: solitary confinement and
s in E
RES V
ULT! ERY juveniles
:D

To:
“solitary confinement” AND
juveniles

● BOOLEAN AND
(ALL CAPS) returns only
results containing both
terms.

● PHRASING
“solitary confinement”
phrase in “quotation marks,”
returns only results containing the
exact phrase requested.

Fewer, but much more relevant,

results.
Use Limiters
56 highly relevant results
using same search terms with
Boolean AND limiter.
Use CTRL + F
to find more relevant
words and evaluate an
article.

CTRL + F

● Search Article for

“change”

● Highlight all
 4 STEPS FOR CREATING YOUR ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
This is a detailed process. Let’s break it down step-by-step.

Step 1: GATHER YOUR ARTICLES & SOURCES Step 2: CREATE A NEW, BLANK APA DOCUMENT

● Read the Assignment. Open your word processing program (either Google Docs or
● How many articles or other sources (books, blog posts, MS Word), and use the appropriate function to search for and
market reports etc.) do you need in total? create a new APA Style document. You can download a
● Gather the required number of sources and standard APA Paper Template in MS Word format here.
save/organize all your articles in one folder.
● If you do your research in the Databases, don’t
forget to download the APA citation with each article you Step 3: FORMAT ALL OF YOUR CITATIONS
save. IMPORTANT: YOUR CITATIONS SHOULD BE DONE FIRST.
● If you use articles, videos, or other sources from the Then go back and add your annotations.
internet, create an account and save all of your citations in
Citefast. (Citefast will auto-format and alphabetize all of your NOTES:
sources for you. Then you can copy and paste them into your Word ● Your citations should appear in alphabetical order.
document). ● Your citations should all be in the same font.
● Use hanging indents.
● Set your Annotation back 1” from the left-hand margin as a
Block Quote.
Step 3: FORMAT ALL OF YOUR CITATIONS Step 4: ADD YOUR ANNOTATIONS
(Continued) DO NOT STRESS OUT OVER THIS STEP.
● Use Double Spacing. Once again: ● If you do your ● Tell the reader, in your own words:
research in the Databases, don’t forget to ○ where you found this article,
download the APA citation with each article you ○ why you believe this is an authoritative
save. ● If you use articles, videos, or other sources (trustworthy) source, and
from the internet, create an account and save all of ○ how/where you think it fits into your overall paper.
your citations in Citefast. Citefast will auto-format
and alphabetize all of your sources for you. Then
you can copy and paste them into your Word YOUR FINISHED CITATIONS SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS:
document.

Desilver, D., Lipka, M. & Famy, D. (2020, June 3). 10 things we know about race and policing in the U.S. Pew

Research Center Fact Tank.

Citation -
First Line of Citation begins at Left https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/06/03/10-things-we-know-about-race-and-policing-in-the-u-s/
Margin. This study was very recently done and shows increased awareness among both Blacks and whites

Use a ½” Hanging Indent. that “in dealing with police, blacks are generally treated less fairly than whites,” (para 2). This study

contains well-researched data needed to understand recent changes in social consciousness relating to police

brutality. This data will be used to support the Current Issues section of my research paper, to illustrate a

Annotation - positive impact of social media in the way people are able to exchange information that ultimately results in
Appears begins on a new line, directly
greater awareness of social problems where the narrative runs counter to that promulgated by authorities.
under the last line of the citation.
 USING CITEFAST

Make an account and save your

citations.

Click to get perfectly formatted

APA Citation

Click to get perfectly formatted

In-Text Citation
IMPORTANT: Citefast often misses Author
and Date info. Be sure to check, and enter
them manually if they do not appear in your
pre-formatted citation.
Need more help?

VIRTUAL LIBRARY HELP:

Please visit the Library Website
for current Virtual Library hours.

Assistance via email is Click here to be connected with a Librarian via Blackboard.
also available. (Note: The Blackboard app is not supported in Internet Explorer. For the best experience, use the Chrome or

You may email your Firefox browser.)

questions to Our librarians can help you:

[email protected] - conduct research,
at any time. - find sources, and
Your questions will be - organize your papers in APA format,
promptly answered within among other types of research paper assistance.
normal business hours.
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