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Computer Sciences and Information Systems

General tips for finding sources

Search with most important terms

  • Try different combinations of search terms
  • Search for articles by the same author you've already found useful

Be flexible with search terms

  • Try common terms and industry specific ones.
  • Use synonyms and related terms
  • Look at terms used by researchers- try those too!

"Zoom out" for bigger picture

  • The perfect article may not exist
  • Consider looking for articles that are more broad
  • Sometimes an article with a similar methodology to your approach can be useful to include in a literature review

Use your sources' sources!

  • Look at your current research sources for more sources!
  • Read literature reviews or skim reference lists
  • Also consider looking at "Cited by" lists (some databases, like Natural Science Collection and Google Scholar, have this option to follow the research forward in time)