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Recommended Databases

Start with ERIC, Education Source, and Academic Search Complete!

Electronic Journals

To access individual journal content, the following is a list of relevant education journals, all of which are UW restricted:

Using Articles

Why for finding specific information on your topic
Where   articles can be found in databases and in print--in the form of journals, magazines, trade publications, newspapers. To find articles on our website, you can use UW Libraries search and the article databases, research guides,and electronic journals tabs. 
How

begin by narrowing your search using boolean operators, key terms, and concept mapping

Peer-reviewed/Scholarly Articles

The Teaching & Learning Center covers peer-review and more here. The UW Libraries likewise provides a comprehensive overview of what constitutes a peer-reviewed or "scholarly" article.

Developing Keywords

There are several different approaches to organizing your research topic prior to searching for a literature review, but the most popular by far is the development of a set of essential keywords.

Keywords are short words and phrases that, when combined, describe more complex ideas and topics. For instance, the following keywords might be used to describe general research on the various effects of climate change of South American rainforests:

  • climate change
  • South America
  • rainforests
  • effects

Begin by creating a list of 3-5 "core" keywords based on the major concepts behind your research topic. Once you have generated this initial list extend it by including: 

  • Broader or narrower terms
  • Synonyms for terms
  • Related terms

Below is a textual map that will help to organize the keywords relative to your research topic.

Advanced Search

Looking for search tips and tricks to fuel your next research endeavor? Check out UW's Search Tips research guide, which comprises four pages on powerful strategies including phrase, Boolean and wildcard searching to generate more relevant results.

Getting your Article

In most databases, if the full text of the article is not readily available, you will see a Check for Full Text button. 

Clicking on the button will do one of the following:

a) take you to the article - look for PDF full text,
b) take you to the catalog - click on the link next to Content Available
c) link you to Interlibrary Loan so you can request a copy of the article.

There are several ways go about finding an article via the UW Libraries website. However, the process is easiest when you have the article's citation handy -- which identifies the article's full title, journal, and author name. 

 

Start by searching the article title in quotes in UW Libraries Search. 

 

View the article by choosing “Access Options” and select one of the listed databases.

 

Once in the database look for Adobe PDF icon OR UW Libraries Full Text icon to access the full text.

  • If searching with the full article title doesn't work, try searching with the journal title instead. 

Show Me 

Learn More

1. Click use the libraries and choose Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery Service from the dropdown menu on the UW Libraries home page

2. Click Interlibrary Loan, Log in > W and enter your NetId and password

3. Click a New Request option based on the type of resource you need.

Interlibrary Loan, New Requests<

NOTE: To request a journal article, click on Request a Scan

4. Fill in all required fields for your request.

5. Click Submit Request

NOTE: You will receive an email with a link to your requested materials when they are available.

 

Show Me IconWatch: How do I request materials using Interlibrary Loan?

Find an Article Listed in the References Section

Check out UW's guide to finding an article from a citation, which covers the basics of citations and how to locate a journal article cited in another article's references section.

  • Last Updated: Oct 4, 2024 10:33 AM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/tacoma/education
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Subjects: Education