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AN 315 Maya, Inca, Aztec: Archaeology of Mesoamerica and the Andes: Finding Articles

This guide was created to complement AN 315 at USA.

Academic Articles, Journals, and Databases

A database is a collection of many different academic journals that can all be searched at once.

You search a database by creating a search query and selecting filters.

  • Search queries are a combination of:
    • Search terms
    • Boolean Operators
    • Punctuation

Based off your search query, you will get a list of articles (and other resources) as results.

General Database Information

How to plan a search strategy

You create searches by piecing building blocks together.

Each search term should be in its own separate text box.

Keep track of what search terms you have used together, so you don't repeat a combination you have done before.

Try the same searches in different databases. Different databases have different collections of journals, and they organize the articles differently.

JSTOR doesn't include any publications within the past 3-5 years. Do not use JSTOR to find the latest research.

How to revise a search you did

Needing to revise a search is part of the research process, even for experts. Expect some trial-and-error!

If you have way too many search results, limit your results by:

  • Adding filters for publication date, language, location.
  • Switching out a search term for one that is narrower. (Instead of searching for "school", search for "secondary school").
  • Adding another search term to your search. 

If you have too few or no search results, broaden your results by:

  • Removing a search term if you have been searching with multiple terms.
  • Switching out a search term for one that is broader. (Instead of searching for "Mobile, Alabama," search for "Alabama" or "American South").

Searching for Articles Video

Tricks for Choosing Search Terms

Using Your Research Question

You can turn your research question into search terms. 

  1. Identify the important words or terms in your research question. These are usually nouns.
  2. Write out each important word/term as it appears in your research question.
  3. Next to the term, list other versions of these terms. This can be synonyms or words that are broader or narrower. 

Example:

How did everyday people live in ancient Tikal?

Tikal, Maya Society, everyday people, life

Original term Narrower term Broader term Synonym/Step-to-the-side
everyday people women, childhood   "social inequality", "class"
life staple food, education, commerce    
Tikal   Classic Maya Cities urban planning,

 

Using Search Suggestions

Some databases will give you suggestions for search terms when you start typing in a search term textbox. These are terms that the database absolutely recognizes. 

The terms should all be separated by OR.

Always check before you select a string of terms. Some of the terms might not be equivalent for your research topic!

Identifying Articles Video