Roxy's Research Series: Part 1 of 3 / Mastering Databases and Research

Hi there, Roxy Readers!

So, you’ve been handed a research assignment, and your professor wants you to find your own sources plus a couple from a database. 😬

If you’ve never used a database before, that might sound like you’re about to crash right into an impending wave. But don’t worry! Databases are much easier to navigate than they might seem. Let’s break it down and get you riding that research wave! 🌊

Finding and Using a Database

Most colleges have database links right on their library website, including Del Mar College. Once you scroll through the page, you should find the available database:

Valdar’s Discovery is Del Mar College’s default database, but many databases work in a similar way. If Valdar’s Discovery isn’t giving you what you need, you can also check out the A–Z databases listed farther down the page.

Catch Better Sources with Advanced Search

Roxy’s first tip? Click “Advanced Search”!

This option can help you narrow down your search and find sources that are more relevant to your topic. Once you click it, you’ll see three search bars where you can break your topic into smaller pieces.

And remember: keep your search simple! If you throw every possible detail into the search bar, you might accidentally wipe out your results. 😉

For example, if I were researching the mental and physical benefits of surfing, I could use the advanced search to break down my topic into a few simple search terms:

Right away, I find a relevant source that can be used for my argument!

Sometimes, you’ll catch a great source right away! Other times, your first search might leave you floating around with nothing useful. That’s totally okay.

Take a look through your results and see which sources seem relevant. If you don’t find what you need, change up your wording and try again. For example: use synonyms or more professional terms rather than simple terms and slang to better hone your results! You may need to experiment with a few different searches before you catch the right wave.

Search Filters 

Sometimes database searches give you way too many results, while other times they barely give you anything at all. Don’t worry! You can use search filters, called Boolean operators, to help steer your search in the right direction!

The three main Boolean operators are: 

- AND
- OR
- NOT

Need to narrow down those search results? AND is your friend!

Using AND tells the database that all of your search terms need to appear in the results. This helps you get more specific and avoid getting totally wiped out by a wave of unrelated results.

For example: surfing AND mental health AND physical wellbeing

This search looks for results that include all three concepts.

Not getting enough results? Time to catch a bigger wave! OR helps you broaden your search by allowing any of your search terms to appear in the results.

For example: mental health OR exercise OR physical wellbeing

This search can return results containing any one of these concepts, giving you a much wider pool of sources to explore.

Sometimes a search brings up results about a topic you don't want. That's where NOT comes in!

Using NOT tells the database to leave out a specific concept so you can focus your search on what you actually need.

For example: Mental health NOT physical health 

Think of Boolean operators as your search-board controls. AND narrows the wave, OR makes it bigger, and NOT helps you dodge the waves you don't want!

Using Filters

Sometimes, your professor will require you to filter your search, and they will only accept pieces from the database with said filters applied. The most common filters are that it must be peer-reviewed and from the last 5 years.

Luckily, applying filters is pretty easy! Scroll down on the search page until you find the “Filters” section. From there, select whichever filters your professor requires.

Then, select the specific filters that are required by the professor. In this case, I needed my sources to be “peer reviewed”.

Then, search like normal! Your database will automatically apply those filters to your results. Easy-peasy, Roxy Readers! 🙂

Importance of Research

Research does more than fill up your Works Cited or References page. It backs up your argument, strengthens your ideas, and helps establish your credibility as a writer.

The more comfortable you become with research databases, the easier it will be to navigate academic research and understand how scholarly information works.

So, don’t let databases wipe you out! Grab your topic, hop on that research wave, and start exploring. 🏄‍♀️🌊

Writing Rocks!

Roxy <3