How to Search Examples
Searching for Books
Step 1: Go to the scu.edu/library. Select the Books/eBooks tab and add keywords to the search bar. Click the magnifying glass to start your search.
Step 2: Scroll through the results to select a book.
Step 3: If you are looking for eBooks. Select ebook from the left menu
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowThis multidisciplinary database provides access to over 5,600 active full-text journals and over 6,500 open access journals. Covers topics that range from business, education, social sciences, humanities, engineering, and science. Coverage varies, updates also vary.
Step 1: Go to the Academic Search Complete Database or select any database from this guide
Step 2: Enter keywords into the search bar. Use your topic or research question to extract keywords
Use AND to ensure all keywords will be in your results (Example: first generation and college students)
Use OR for synonyms or other related words (college students or university students)
Use NOT when you do NOT want that keyword to show up in your search results (college NOT high school)
Step 3: Use the LIMIT YOUR RESULTS tool as a way to narrow down your search results (If you need peer-reviewed sources than select the peer reviewed box).
Step 4: Reading the Article's Page
Step 4: Reading the Article's Page (bottom of page)
Abstract is the summary of the article! Always read the abstract to determine if the article is relevant and useful to your research.
Searching for articles
Step 1: Go to the scu.edu/library. Select the articles tab and add keywords to the search bar. Click the magnifying glass to start your search.
Step 2: Use the left menu bar to select Academic Journals and Peer reviewed (if any Professor asks for peer reviewed articles remember to click the box).
- Diversity Collection This link opens in a new windowThis database provides access to three full-text databases, GenderWatch, Ethnic NewsWatch, and Alt-PressWatch. GenderWatch covers gender and women studies and LGBTQ+ research from authoritative perspectives in academic, radical and community presses from 1970 to present. Ethnic NewsWatch contains newspapers, magazines, journals of the ethnic, minority, and native presses from 1985 to present. Alt-PressWatch includes independent voices from grassroots newspapers, magazines, and journals across the social and political spectrum from 1970 to present.
Step 1: Select the Diversity Collection database
Step 2: Add Keywords + select Peer Reviewed + select search
Use quotations " " around phrases. For example: "Imposter Syndrome" and "Climate Change" and "voting rights: and "first-generation"
Step 3: Scroll through the results (remember: explore the abstract. Titles can sometimes be misleading)
Cool Tip Alert!! Saves you time! Select the Quick Look to view the abstract (example)
Step 4: Select a Title to explore the article's page
Exploring the Article's Page!
Step 5: