Looking for sources? Search EBSCO or QuickSearch.
How do I find academic sources?
Librarian
Need Help?
Betty Sue Jessup Library
501 College Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.961.5309
reference@pvcc.edu
What are academic sources?
Academic sources are articles or books that carry footnotes and bibliographies and whose intended audience is scholars and researchers.
Where do I find academic sources?
- To find books, go to the library's home page and search under the FIND BOOKS section.
- To find articles, use one or more of the databases below or go to the Database list.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
CQ Researcher reports offer in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Each report is written by a seasoned journalist based on a common structure. Users may browse through articles by topics in alphabetical order, or search for articles using words, dates, or other criteria. Full-text coverage: 1923-present (CQ Press)
- EBSCO This link opens in a new window
Choose from multiple databases within the EBSCO platform. These databases cover a wide range of subjects, including history, communications, sociology, religion, biology etc.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
A set of electronic encyclopedias and reference books covering a wide variety of subjects and disciplines, such as health and medicine, history, and criminal justice. (Gale)
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Includes thousands of articles and ebooks, mostly in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. PVCC subscribes to Arts & Sciences Collections I-III, VII, & XI, as well as select titles through the current journals collection. Full-text coverage: 1769-present (JSTOR)
- Wiley Online Library This link opens in a new window
Journals and ebooks cover a variety of disciplines, including the fields of arts and humanities, business and economics, engineering, law, medicine, social sciences, sciences, and technology. Full-text coverage: 1977-present (Wiley)
Finding sources using keywords
Be a smart searcher by using keywords to find sources!
Step 1. Make sure the keywords are strongly related to your topic
Topic |
Keywords for Search |
|---|---|
|
How does music impact intelligence? |
music AND intelligence |
|
How does chocolate affect dogs? |
chocolate AND dogs |
|
How does watching television impact attention span? |
television AND attention span |
|
How can hypertension be treated? |
hypertension AND treatment |
Note 1: words like "effects," "relationship," and "impact," could belong to basically any topic, so they're not very useful in searches and should be avoided.
Note 2: To get results that are more relevant and targeted, use the Boolean operator AND in between your keywords.
Step 2. As you read, pick up more keywords that can be used in other searches
-
Read some of your results and fish for useful keywords. For example, when reading about music and intelligence, you may run into the term "IQ." Jot it down, then run a new search using these terms: music AND IQ
-
Take note of any synonyms. For example, when reading about dogs, you may notice that a writer refers to dogs as "canines," which is another word for dog. Jot that down, then run a new search using these terms: chocolate AND canines
Step 3. Use your keywords when searching all types of resources
Your keywords will work in different resources, such as the library's book catalog, the library's databases, and the Web.
Identifying Scholarly Sources
A source is likely scholarly if
- you found it in a library database.
- you found it in a peer-reviewed journal.
- the authors' credentials are provided.
- the authors are affiliated with an academic or research institution.
- it has citations and a bibliography.
- it provides information that is well supported by evidence.
Need Help?
- For help finding resources, use the information in the library's playbooks. Librarians can help you understand the playbooks, but they cannot conduct research for you.
- For help with formatting citations, please consult the library's citation styles playbooks. Please note the librarians cannot help you with citation generators or with any citation guide other than the library's.
- For help with composition issues (such as spelling, grammar, flow, etc.), please visit the Writing Center.
- If you have questions, please email the librarians at reference@pvcc.edu, visit the library and speak with a librarian, or connect via chat. If your section has an embedded librarian, contact that specific librarian.