Skip to Main Content

ITI674: Research in Social Emotional Learning: Find Journal Articles

Tools for Finding Research Articles

Best Bet Databases

EBSCO and ProQuest provide access to online journals, magazines, newspapers, and e-books. They each have bundles of education and psychology databases you can use here to find academic articles.

Database Search Help
Access video tutorials, how-to guides, and other user aids developed by our database providers.

Why use Articles?

Articles provide highly specific information on a topic and are often the first place where new research is discussed. Use discipline databases to find news, trade, professional, and academic articles. The articles published in scholarly, academic journals are often peer-reviewed.

What is Peer Review?

Peer-reviewed (refereed) articles are certified by experts in the field before they are accepted for publication.

Primary Research

Primary research articles are original reports of new research findings. The best way to find an original (primary) research article is to use a library database. Here you will find materials not freely available on the web. Most databases let you limit your searches to articles from peer-reviewed journals published within a certain date range. You will still need to review each article to determine if the author(s) conducted an original study.

Smart Search

This tool great for searching across the Library for articles, books, videos, and journals quickly. You can limit your searches to peer-reviewed articles, but our education databases offer more search options and better coverage of education topics.

Document Delivery Services for Articles

Google Scholar

This web search engine can quickly lead you to scholarly literature. But keep in mind, results are not screened for quality and full text is not available for every result. To have Google Scholar search National University Library databases, you'll need to link your Google account to the library.

Google Scholar Search

Follow the instructions below or watch this quick video to search the Library through Google Scholar!

1. In Google Scholar, go to the Settings.

2. Click "Library Links" on the left side.

3. Search for "NULS".

4. Check the box next to "National University - Get it@NULS" and click "Save".

5. Search results will now include links to materials in National University Library.

Developing Effective Database Searches

How to Focus the Search

Adding another concept to the search will make it more specific. Use search terms that represent another facet your research topic, such as a person, place or thing:

Population characteristic gifted, second language learner, deaf and hard of hearing, cultural group, ethnicity, etc.
Population group boys, girls, males, females, children, adolescents, teens, teenagers, youth, etc.
Subject area science, mathematics, reading, etc.
Grade level preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, etc.
Location or setting classroom, school, home, community, United States, etc.

You might also consider using search terms that reflect possible outcomes such as student attitudes, student motivation, achievement, or rubrics.

Use of peer-review will limit results to scholarly, evidence-based articles.  It will also eliminate all ERIC Documents (ED#s) from the results list.

Create a Search Statement

The Search Strategy Builder is a tool designed to help you create a search string using Boolean search operators. Input your search terms, click the button, and then copy and paste the results into a database search box (e.g., SmartSearch).

  Concept 1 and Concept 2 and Concept 3
Name your concepts here    
Search terms Search terms Search terms
List alternate terms for each concept.

These can be synonyms, or they can be specific examples of the concept.

Use single words, or "short phrases" in quotes

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

The Search Strategy Builder was developed by the University of Arizona Libraries and is used under a Creative Commons License.

Putting the Search Together

  • Go to the Advanced Search Screen and follow the model below.
  • In the first search box, enter a keyword or phrase that represents a central idea from your research topic.
  • In the second search box, enter a keyword or phrase that represents a subtopic.

  • To narrow your topic, add additional search boxes to experiment with other key ideas.

Example:

  • Big idea student development
  • Focus on major subtopic teacher role
  • Narrow focus to issue or problem compassion or empathy


Search String:

DE "student development" AND ( teach* OR learn* ) AND ( compassion OR empathy OR kindness OR caring )

Need a Primary Research Study?

Try searching with research terms. Set the database to look for your keywords in the Abstract or Summary. While this doesn't guarantee that every search result will contain a primary research study, it will help eliminate other kinds of articles. See Recognize Research Articles for more information on how to identify primary research.

Example:

  • Big idea emotional development
  • Focus on major subtopic family or parental impact
  • Narrow focus to research or study: action research

 

Search String:

emotional development AND ( family OR families OR parent* OR sibling* ) AND AB action research 

Helpful Handouts and Videos