1. Write out your research statement and identify key CONCEPTS that represent your topic. For example:
"Services or programs for pregnant Hispanic teenagers"
Population Concept: teenagers
Population Characteristic Concept: Hispanic
Problem Concept: pregnant
Resolution Concept: services or programs
2. Assign relevant terms to each Concept box, including synonymous terms separated by OR:
Box 1: teen* or adolescen*
Box 2: Hispanic or Latin* or "Mexican American"
Box 3: pregnan*
Box 4: programs or services or interven* or treat* or prevent*
3. Use of special characters:
The truncation symbol, *, searches for singular and plural versions of a word as well as variant spellings of a common root word. For example, Latin* will search for Latina, Latino, LatinX, Latine; pregnan* will search for pregnant, pregnancy
The use of quote marks surrounding a phrase (e.g. "Mexican American") searches for these word together.
The use of OR in a search box searches for ANY of those words.
The use of AND requires that the search find at least one word from each of the search boxes.
The recommended EBSCO database, ACADEMIC SEARCH COMPLETE, is the largest and covers journals all subject areas.
Click the name of the database below, like Academic Search Complete, to open it.
If you wish to add one or more additional EBSCO databases to your search, click the blue highlighted Academic Search Complete link above the search boxes. A window will open with Academic Search Complete checked off. Check off any of the other recommended EBSCO databases and then click APPLY. The search screen will refresh, showing the number of extra databases you added to your search.
After you run your search (as described above) use the limiting features above the results list to further refine your results.
1. Under "Source Type" select "Academic Journals" and click APPLY.
2. Click "Filters", a window will open on the right, click "Publication Date" to remove older results.
Descriptions of the relevant, recommended EBSCO databases are listed below.
Click on the ACCESS BUTTON to get to the full text of the article.
The Access Button changes depending upon the options available which include:
1. PDF
2. Access Options:
- - PDF full text
- - Online full text (HTML version)
3. Access Now:
- - 1 or more links to the article in another database. Click open the database name to get the full text article.
- - "Get it from another library". Click "Sign in for request options" and use your My Sac State login to order the full text online article for free through the Library's InterLibrary Loan Service, which usually takes a couple of days.
SOCIAL SERVICES ABSTRACTS is a smaller specialized database for Social Work and related areas so results will usually be less than from more broad based databases.
Construct your search strategy as you did in the EBSCO databases EXCEPT to the right of each search box, change the pull down menu from ANYWHERE to ANYWHERE EXCEPT FULL TEXT.
When the results are displayed you will have a FULL TEXT link or a FIND IT link to get to the full text of the article.
