Discovery searches multiple databases all at once. It is a great tool for exploring your topic. However, a subject database (e.g. ProQuest Education, ERIC, EBSCO Education Full-text, etc.) focuses on a field of study or topic. Subject databases can expedite the literature searching process by providing researchers with more meaningful and manageable search results. Often subject databases have more advanced search tools and more relevant subject terms to make your searches more precise. Feel free to Ask a Librarian for help with subject databases. Below are a few tips for literature searching:
- Search using keywords: See "Identifying Keywords and Advanced Searching"
- Subject headings (or filter): Many subject databases use their own controlled vocabulary and assign specific terms to sources, allowing researchers to zero in on relevant research more efficiently than keyword searching.
- Use "Advanced Search." The "Advanced Search" option can help you organize and narrow your search.
- Using "AND" between terms makes your results smaller.
- Using "OR" between search terms makes your results larger. (See "Identifying Keywords and Advanced Searching").
- Select pre-search filters and limiters, such as "Language", "Peer review" or "Publication Date".
- Use the sidebar filters. These filters can help you find different kinds of resources.
- "Resource Type": Here you can specify the type of research you need whether it is books, videos, articles, etc. This filter may appear as "Source Type" or "Document Type" in some resources.
- "Subject": This filter can identify the major subjects in your search results.
- "Creation Date" or "Publication Date": Here you can specify the date ranges for your search results.
