Using RefWorks
Using RefWorks to help with citing sources.
- RefWorks
RefWorks allows users to create personal databases to manage, store, and share the information citations/references. Users can automatically insert references from their database into their papers and generate formatted bibliographies and manuscripts in seconds. See our RefWorks Guide for information about creating accounts, adding references, and using add-ons.
Searching Academic Search Complete
Tips for searching Academic Search Complete to locate relevant sources for the Toy Store Assignment.
- Academic Search Complete
Academic Search Complete, designed specifically for academic institutions, is among the most valuable and comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 8,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals.
Tips and Strategies
Start by Identifying the general social issues suggested by the toys you have selected, and enter the concepts into the search box.
- EXAMPLE: toys AND gender* and child*
- TIP: the asterisk finds variations on the root word such as "genders" or "gendered," and "child" or "children"
- EXAMPLE: toys AND (masculine* OR feminine*)
- TIP: use the "OR" operator to look for concepts that are synonyms or are otherwise related to each other.
Search a class or brand of toy:
- EXAMPLE: Disney princess AND (gender* OR identity)
- EXAMPLE: Superhero* AND (gender* OR identity)
Identifying Primary and Secondary research
Primary Research Articles
Primary research articles report on a single study performed by the authors.
- Look for evidence of primary research in the article abstract, or in the body of the article:
- The authors conduct the study. The article will report the results of research conducted by the authors to answer a research question or test a hypothesis.
- Look for words indicating that the authors themselves "measured" or "analyzed" or "Investigated" the topic at hand.
- Methods section. The article will usually have a "methods" or "methodology" or "research design" section detailing how the research was conducted or performed.
- Results section and data visualizations. The article should include a "results" section that reports the authors' original findings.
- Look for statistics, graphs, tables, or other data visualizations here.
- The authors conduct the study. The article will report the results of research conducted by the authors to answer a research question or test a hypothesis.
Secondary Research Articles
Secondary research articles analyze, summarize, or interpret existing research findings from other primary studies. "Review" articles are the most common type of secondary research in the health sciences.
Review articles often report on the following:
- Look for evidence that the authors are reviewing multiple studies or are analyzing the data previously collected by a primary research study.
- Review articles will usually list the databases searched to find primary articles to review
- Authors should clearly describe where and how they searched for the research included in their reviews. Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses should provide detailed information on the databases searched and the search strategy the authors used.
- Selection criteria for the review
- The researchers should describe how they decided which articles to include in their review.
- A critical appraisal or evaluation of the quality of the articles included (most frequently included in systematic reviews and meta-analyses).