Skip to Main Content

BIOE 183W Research in EEB

Database Strategy

Find two or three databases that are best for your topic. More than one database is important.

  • For example, with Web of Science (choose All Databases) and Google Scholar, you are searching at least four different databases, and two of them will speak the language of your discipline (Biosis and Zoological Record).

Other Resources

Searching Tips

Database

How can you SORT your results? Look at the options!

Sort by TIMES CITED to find keystone / foundational papers for your topic.

How can you FILTER? Can you choose just the peer review articles? Or just review articles (easier to read)?

See what keywords are assigned to each search result. Use these to refine your search terms.

Papers

Use the references cited to find more relevant articles. 

If you see the same author name over and over, search by that author name. 

How do your search terms match the terms in the papers? Are there any changes you should make to your search terms?