Additional tools for the research process are linked here, including plagiarism tutorials through Credo, as well as NoodleTools, which is free research gathering, organizing, and citing platform.
These are some commonly used databases for use in researched argument or persuasion essays.
However, always check your assignment guidelines for required library databases to make sure you are meeting the assignment expectations.
Scholarly articles, News articles and Audio-visual content, Opinions, Primary sources, Reference, and Websites on topics of social interest. Scholarly content and general reader. Recommended for argumentative research.
Overview articles, opinions, some primary sources, presenting multiple sides of topical issues. Browse topics or keyword search. Designed for argumentative research.
Reports related to topics in the news and social and political issues. Recommended for topic overviews and for argumentative essays.
Reference works, Scholarly journals, Trade publications, and important General interest magazines covering core academic subject areas. Help Guide available.
Portal to all EBSCO databases including Academic Search Complete, Health Source Nursing/Academic Edition, and more; select as appropriate from this entry page.
Your instructor assigned a term paper that requires using two or more "scholarly" sources. What does that mean? How do you find scholarly sources? Why can't you use newspapers, magazines, websites, etc.?
Peer-reviewed articles (also known as "scholarly articles" or "academic articles") are articles that have been reviewed and approved as valid and relevant by experts within a particular field of study.
Instructors might require students to use only peer-reviewed material as part of assignment guidelines.
To locate peer-reviewed articles within Ivy Tech databases, try these search tips:
1. Locate the appropriate search filter by scrolling through delimiter options on the search page. The database aggregate EBSCOhost, for example, provides a delimiter that refines search results for only peer reviewed articles.
2. Look for additional filters that might appear under a different name. For example, other resources like Social Sciences Full Text offer an option to select "Academic Journal" as a Publication Type. This filter returns only search results from journals that specialize in providing scholarly peer-reviewed resources.
3. Look for databases that specialize in offering only scholarly material. Databases like the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection only publish peer-reviewed, academic articles, so no filter is typically necessary when searching this resource, unless you wish to select a particular document type within the database, like a case study.
The Discover! search engine searches ALL of Ivy Tech's online resources. Discover! is especially good for a really broad search as you are narrowing onto a topic.
Learn how to effectively navigate Discover! and the Library website n the following videos:
When searching for a topic by keyword, it is helpful to use Boolean operators - words that help narrow or broaden your search. There are three primary Boolean operators, each used in capital letters in your search, that may help you.
AND
Use when you have more than one search term and want all the words to be in the articles you look at
Example: nursing AND pediatric, when you only want to see articles about pediatric nursing
OR
when you have more than one possible search term, and any of them would be acceptable
Example: asthma OR emphysema, when you want articles about chronic breathing illnesses but do not care which illness
NOT
Use when you have a broad search term but do not want to see articles about some topics that may fall under that category.
Example: nursing NOT pediatric, when you want to see articles about nursing care but not about working with children
1. An in-text citation, which is an abbreviated form of the source citation included in the essay portion of the project
2. A full citation, which is included at the end of the project on a Works Cited page, References list, or whatever type of research format is required for the assignment.
One of your roles as a researcher and writer is assuring this cross-referencing technique is in place and has been used correctly so your readers have a very clear picture of where your research was derived, who provided the research, and how readers can follow your research trail to explore the source material themselves.
Here is an example of cross-referencing in APA 7th edition style:
According to Jones (2022), "Student researchers prefer APA to MLA at a rate of 4 to 1" (p.24).
This in-text citation tells readers that Jones made this statement in source material published in 2022. But the in-text citation also guides readers to the APA References list at the end of the essay for more information regarding the source material:
Jones, S. (2023). Student research method preferences. Journal of Research Studies, 12(3), 19-24. https://doi.org/12.3210000
Because this source was fully cross-referenced, readers know that the quote from Jones came from this article on page 24 of the publication. And the article can be located using the information provided in the References list citation.
The same source would look like the following in MLA citation style:
According to Jones, "Student researchers prefer APA to MLA at a rate of 4 to 1" (24).
Jones, Susan. "Student Research Method Preferences." Journal of Research Studies, vol. 12, no.3, 2023, pp.19-24. doi:12.3210000.
