Strategies for starting an initial literature search
1. Use free text or natural language
Think of how you do a Google search. Typically, you might write out a string of words together and hit the search button. This is known as "free text" or "natural language" searching. You can do this same form of search within most library databases.
2. Pay attention to the syntax
Let's take it a step further. If you want to pay particular attention to the words you use, you may want to consider whether you want to write phrases (in quotes) or consider additional endings (truncation) and using specific database commands that include or exclude concepts (boolean operators).
3. Use the Advance Search feature to see how these search operators are used in the database
Search for articles, books, and more at the UNLV Libraries and beyond using Quick Search.
The default search results will include books, online journal articles, newspaper articles, streaming video and more. Filters on the results page let you select materials by format, subject, date, or language, or you can opt to see only articles from peer-reviewed journals.
Log in with your ACE account to see results from more databases, to save and organize your items and searches, and to access your library account. Learn more in the Quick Search Guide and visit the Off-Campus Access to Library Materials page.
Here are some library databases to help you get started on your search:
Good for: Studying African American communities in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and North Carolina.
Contains: Primary sources.
Dates covered: 1860s-1980s.
Good for: Researching social gerontology, health care, public policy, employment, and consumer issues.
Contains: Abstracts.
Dates covered: 1978-present.
Good for: Researching studio design and professional practice in architecture.
Contains: Key titles, design guidance, technical details, case studies, technical drawings, and images.
Good for: Studying Native American history and culture.
Contains: Collections of primary source documents.
Good for: Researching nursing and allied health topics.
Contains: Index of nursing and allied health literature.
Dates covered: 1982-present.
Good for: Researching health-related issues.
Contains: Information on diseases, disorders, and alternative medical practices.
Good for: Browse topics of international importance in categories like business and economy, conflict and diplomacy, environment and climate change, government, science, and culture.
Contains: Topic overviews, key concepts and questions for critical thinking
Good for: Investigating diverse perspectives environmental issues.
Contains: Books, journal articles, and reports about environmental issues.
Good for: Students, researchers, and health care professionals.
Contains: Up-to-date information on health care topics.
Good for: Conducting academic research on all subjects.
Contains: Articles, theses, books, abstracts, patents, and court opinions
Good for: Researching lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.
Contains: Index to literature, plus journals, magazines, regional newspapers, and monographs/books.
Good for: Finding medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, health care, and preclinical sciences articles.
Contains: Indexed citations and abstracts to journal articles.
Good for: Researching social and political issues.
Contains: Think tank reports and documents.
Good for: Researching peer-reviewed scientific, medical, technical, and social science literature.
Contains: Index to literature.
Dates covered: 1960-present.
Good for: Accessing bibliographic information, author abstracts, and cited references in social sciences journals.
Contains: Bibliographic information, abstracts, and cited references.
Good for: Researching a wide range of topics in science, social science, arts, and humanities.
Contains: Citations to scholarly journal articles and conference papers.
Dates covered: 1900-present.
