ENGL 3 (LaGrave): Finding Articles & Videos

Below is a quick overview video for finding scholarly articles in the library's databases. To learn how to navigate a specific database, check out the video tutorials page or feel free to contact me! 

When searching in a database like EbscoHost or Proquest, finding the right keyterms can be challenging. Watch the short video below to learn a few quick tips for finding the best keywords. You will be spending some time in a trial and error phase until you find the best keywords on your topic. If you get stuck, contact me for help! 

When starting your research inquiry and throughout your inquiry process, your goal should be to find better, more relevant keywords. Ebsco databases and Proquest databases provide you with several options for finding keywords.

• Search a reference source like Wikipedia or online encyclopedia. These sources will help you become familiar with the jargon of your topic. For example you may use the term preschool and an expert in education may use the term early childhood education.
• Search for synonyms or historical terms. Similar to the idea above, if you are researching a historical topic, you may need to think about terms that used to be commonplace but have since changed. For example, gifted used to be the term used for high achieving students, but more recently, research uses the term accelerated learner.
• The databases will also help you to find keywords to use. Once you enter Ebsco or Proquest and type in your search terms, take a quick look at the results screen. Look at the subject terms for the articles that are relevant to your topic. For example, in the image below my initial search was creativity AND learning. After finding a relevant article I see other terms such as multiple intelligences (broader term) and college curriculum (more specific term).

• Use the Subject tab. From the results screen, you can also open the Subject tab found on the left toolbar. When you open the Subject tab, you will find relevant keywords for your topic and will help you limit your results.

You can search for educational videos using our Alexander Street video database.

The library databases provide you with full text scholarly articles. Google Scholar is another option for finding full text articles. Watch the quick tutorial below to link your Google Scholar account to the Butte College Library in order to find more full text results.