Start with a broad interdisciplinary search tool like the Library's Discovery search tool (the default search box on the Library's homepage) or Google Scholar. These tools will lead you to a variety of different sources and will help you broadly explore your topic area. Both Discovery and Google Scholar support natural language searches. Often, a simple natural language search is the best place to start.
For information on the search features of Google Scholar check out our library guide.
**Google Scholar Tips:
- Start your Google Scholar search from the library homepage to access Royal Roads subscriptions and avoid paywalls
- Use the “related articles” and “cited by” features to explore resources related to pertinent articles.
- **"Cited by" is a good indication of the importance of an article
- Use the date range to limit your search to a particular time period.
- Note words and phrases in the summaries – these will be useful in developing a list of keywords and phrases for more advanced searching
- Go beyond the first page of results. Google Scholar covers a huge range of material and the best sources won't necessarily be on page one. Check out the results on at least the first five pages.
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Additional Information
For additional tips, take a look at our Get started with research guide.