• Formulate a question on which your research will be centered.
• Brainstorm for keywords to use when searching for articles that will help you answer your question.
• Keep a copy of your research question near you when doing research to make sure the articles and books you are looking at answer the question.

• Databases are collections of journals, books, newspapers, magazines, and more. They can be searched using the keywords you have selected. They include abstracts and some full-text articles.
• Identify the database by subject on the library homepage.
• Search the database using keywords, narrow to subject if an appropriate subject can be found.
• Use AND to narrow your search, use OR to widen it (i.e. Teen* or adolescen*).
• Use truncation * to get plurals or suffixes (i.e. Teen* = teens, or teenagers or teenager or teen)
• Limit to scholarly/peer reviewed journals if needed.

• Use ArticleLinker if available in the database. Tutorial available at: http://www.loyola.edu/library/REF/ArticleLinker.htm
• Search "Find E-Journals" to see if a journal is full-text online.
• Search the Library Catalog (SHARC) to see if a journal is located in our library.
• Request an article from Interlibrary Loan (ILL) if not full-text online or in the library.

• Search the Library Catalog (SHARC) by keyword, author, or title.
• Narrow keywords to a relevant subject.
• Specific subjects may not be found in the catalog, you may have to browse a general topic and look at indexes in books.
• The library catalog is shared by 4 other libraries. Use the request button at the top of the page to request a book from one of these other libraries (24 - 48 hour turnaround).

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