MAT 5410: Intro to Research in Math Education

Tips on searching for articles

Using the library's article databases is different from doing a Google search. Try some of these techniques to further refine and improve your search results.

(1) Identify two or three main concepts related to your research question.

Use them in your search, rather than typing out a whole string of words. For example, if you are interested in how students think about their use of math skills, you might do the following search in the article databases:

• Notice that Mathematics Education is searched as a subject term to limit results to more relevant content.
• Also notice the use of related terms -- Metacognition or Metacognitive Strategies -- so results will include use of either term.

(2) Use the Refine Results options in the left-hand column of the database's results page.

You can limit your results to peer-reviewed articles, by publication date, or by particular subject terms, among other options.

(3) Look at your results for more ideas on how to search.

• Words within some of the titles in your results might help you refine your topic.
• Subject terms can help you discover new ways to search on your topic.

Access the full text article by using the link provided in the database. This might look like or . You might also see . See "Get Full Text" and Interlibrary Loan for more.

(4) Keep in mind that research is iterative.

Your thinking will evolve as you learn more about your topic. Pick two or three articles from your initial search to read and then come back to search for more articles to further hone your focus.

Image credit: http://brescia.uwo.ca/library/research/research-cycle/

(5) Librarians are your partners in research!

Your librarians are here to help you succeed. Please reach out at any time in your research process. Find contact information for your Math librarian (Kirstin Duffin) and Education librarian (Michele McDaniel) in the left-hand column of this page.