Skip to Main Content

Dual Credit Research & Support Guide

Basic Search Tips

Breaking down your topic into keywords, or the main ideas, will help you search more effectively. Avoid typing full sentences or questions directly into search tools.

Example Topic: What are the effects of social media on teenagers?

  • Break it down into key concepts: social media, teenagers, and effects.
  • Combine keywords in your search:
    social media AND teenagers AND effects

QuickSearch has many tools that can be used to refine your search. 

  • The Full Text limiter allows you to limit results to records that have the entire article or text available. 
  • The Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals limiter allows you to limit results to peer-reviewed journals.
  • The Physical Catalog Only limiter will limit your results to materials in the SRSU Library's physical catalog. This includes books, and audiovisual materials such as DVDs. You can use this filter when you only want to search for materials available for check out at the Library.  
  • The Publication Date limiter allows you to search by the publication date of your articles or books. You can adjust the dates with the slider or by entering the dates.

To assess a source, apply the five W's:

  1. Who is the author? Are they an authority on the topic?
    • Consider the author's credentials and affiliations.
    • Check if the author has published other works on the topic.
  2. What is the resource's purpose?
    • Identify if the resource is meant to inform, persuade, or entertain.
    • Determine if the resource provides facts, opinions, or both.
  3. Where was this information published? What is its source?
    • Assess the credibility of the publisher or publication.
    • Consider the source of the data or research presented.
  4. When was it published or last updated?
    • Older resources may not contain the most current research or data.
    • The relevance of the publication date can vary depending on the topic.
  5. Why is this resource useful? How does it compare to other sources?
    • Assess if the resource adds something new or unique to the topic.
    • Compare the resource with other sources on the same topic for bias or different perspectives.