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Overview
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Subject FAQ
Here are answers to frequently asked questions about the study of [subject], along with links to resources that explain the discipline and what you can expect from majoring in the field.
Subject Subfields
Most universities teach multiple subfields of [subject]. Below are separate guides for each subdiscipline. Scroll through the listing provided or view all subfields.
Background and Reference
[Subject] reference and background materials are highly useful to research because they provide foundational knowledge that explains key [subject] concepts and analyzes complex topics. This section lists some of the most comprehensive [subject] subject-specific dictionaries, handbooks, and encyclopedias used by researchers today.
General Databases
Academic libraries subscribe to a diverse range of research databases of which EBSCO and ProQuest are two of the largest providers. Most colleges and universities offer access to one or both platforms. Here are some key insights about each:
- Both are multidisciplinary research databases covering multiple disciplines.
- Both provide access to dozens of subject databases with a single search interface, which allows users to search multiple databases simultaneously.
- Both provide a varied mix of e-books, scholarly journals, peer-reviewed journals, trade publications, magazines, images, and newspapers.
EBSCO
EBSCOhost is a major research database platform that allows users to search multiple EBSCO databases simultaneously. The difference between EBSCOhost and Academic Search is that Academic Search can be searched as part of the EBSCOhost platform or searched separately if your institution has a subscription. To check if your institution subscribes to EBSCOhost, use EBSCO’s Find your institution page.
ProQuest
ProQuest is a major database vendor and platform that provides access to hundreds of database collections. The ProQuest platform provides a multidisciplinary search with access to scholarly ebooks, journals, video and audio, newspapers, and more, all searchable simultaneously. ProQuest is unique for providing dissertations and theses, historical newspapers, and other primary sources.
Scholarly Databases
Scholarly research databases provide peer-reviewed academic journal articles, book reviews, and other scholarly resources authored by scholars, researchers, or academics who are experts in their fields. Unlike magazines (Time, Newsweek, etc.) focused on current events, news, and general-interest stories written by journalists, articles in scholarly journals undergo rigorous review before publication.
If your assignment requires the use of scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, here is a list of the most important multidisciplinary scholarly research databases.
If your assignment requires the use of scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, here is a list of the most important multidisciplinary scholarly research databases.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a free academic search engine that helps researchers and studentsfind scholarly literature across disciplines. It indexes journal articles, books, conference papers, theses, patents, and other resources from academic publishers, universities, and professional organizations.
- Unlike subscription databases, which publish lists of journals in their collections, Google Scholar does not provide a list of the journals, books, repositories, or conference proceedings it indexes.
- General databases such as EBSCO and ProQuest allow you to limit your results to peer-reviewed articles only. Google Scholar does not filter results for peer-reviewed articles.
- When off your school’s network, you must enable your institution’s Google Scholar library links (review process) to see full-text articles available in your institution. If Library Links are not enabled, you’ll only see paywalls, publisher links, and what’s available open-access in the public domain.
International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), compiled by the British Library of Political and Economic Science at the London School of Economics, provides access to a vast collection of scholarly literature in the social sciences. Covering multiple disciplines, IBSS includes references to journal articles, books, newspapers, and dissertations, with records dating back to 1951.
JSTOR
JSTOR is an important scholarly research database for the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. It provides the full text of articles from thousands of influential academic journals. In addition to journal articles, users can access eBooks, book chapters, images, and primary source documents. JSTOR also provides an AI research tool that provides key points and arguments of articles.
JSTOR contains the full text of more than 2,000 journals from 1,000 publishers, with publication dates ranging from 1665 to 2015 (for certain titles). JSTOR also provides:
- Free access to Early Journal Content published before the last 95 years in the United States or before the last 143 years if initially published internationally.
- A collection of nearly 150 open-access journals covering the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
- JSTOR allows anyone to register for a free personal JSTOR account and provides access to 100 free monthly articles.
Project Muse
Project MUSE offers online access to a vast collection of scholarly journals, books, and academic resources in the humanities, social sciences, and arts. As a leading provider of digital humanities content, it features high-quality, peer-reviewed publications from prestigious university presses, scholarly societies, and academic publishers.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses is a database of dissertations and theses from universities worldwide. It provides access to millions of full-text works across many disciplines, including the social sciences, humanities, sciences, and business. Each dissertation includes an abstract or summary that provides a concise overview of the research, its methodology, and key findings.
ScienceDirect
ScienceDirect is a leading full-text scholarly scientific database that provides journal articles and book chapters from more than 2,500 peer-reviewed journals and more than 11,000 books. It covers over 24 major subjects in the physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, health sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
Social Science Full Text
Social Sciences Full Text provides access to a wide range of scholarly literature in the social sciences. It covers many disciplines, including sociology, psychology, international relations, political science, anthropology, economics, and education.
Web of Science
Web of Science is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research and citation index that provides access to a wide range of scientific, technical, social science, and humanities research. It maintains rigorous criteria for the journals and publications it indexes, ensuring that only high-quality, peer-reviewed content is included. Web of Science includes 98 million papers dating back to 1900.
Subject Databases
Searching general or multi-disciplinary databases can sometimes give you too many results. To narrow your focus, try using a database dedicated to subject research. The list below highlights the top databases for finding subject journals and articles. The following research databases specialize in covering [subfields] and more.
Subject Journals
New researchers in [subject] often wonder how to identify high-quality, peer-reviewed journals for their papers. Journal Citation Reports (JCR) is widely regarded as the leading subscription-based resource for assessing the impact, influence, and quality of scholarly journals across disciplines, including [subject].
Measuring Journal Impact
Journal impact is how influential a scholarly journal is in its field. Impact is usually measured by tracking how often a journal's articles are cited by other researchers. The more frequently a journal’s articles are cited, the more impact it is considered to have within its field.
The two main tools used to measure journal impact are Journal Citation Reports (JCR), which provides the well-known Impact Factor, and Google Scholar Metrics, which ranks journals based on citation data from Google Scholar.
Journal Citation Reports
Journal Citation Reports (JCR) is a subscription resource that evaluates journals that meet strict selection standards, such as peer review, editorial quality, and citation integrity. Because of this careful selection, JCR is often used by universities and libraries to judge the quality and influence of a journal. Its best-known metric, the impact factor (IF), is calculated using a standardized method, with current coverage from 1997 to 2024.Google Scholar Metrics
Google Scholar Metrics is a free tool for measuring journal impact. It is a five-year index of citations of journal articles, preprints, conference papers, and institutional repositories. However, it may also include sources that are not peer-reviewed or considered scholarly. Google Scholar provides an h-index, which tells you how often a journal is cited. It currently only covers articles published between 2020 and 2024.
Most Cited [Subject] Journals
Journal Citation Reports ranks the………………… as the currently most-cited [subject] journalas the currently most-cited economics journal. To review the JCR list of most highly cited economics journals, go to Journal Citation Reports and choose Categories > Social Sciences, General > Economics.
Subject News
[subject] news sources and magazines highlight the emerging research topics and trends in the field of [subject], sparking ideas for research questions and assignments. Remember that magazines are written for the general public and lack peer review, while scholarly articles are written by experts and reviewed by other scholars for accuracy and research quality.
Subject Methods
Research methods are how researchers gather and study information to help answer questions. Research methods are the specific strategies, tools, and techniques researchers use to collect and analyze information to answer questions or solve problems.
Research methods can be qualitative (like interviews or observations) or quantitative (numerical and statistical). As a student, you’ll likely take a research methods course that introduces you to the basics of how social science research works. Below are some of the most helpful resources available that explain different types of research methods and discuss how to collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data.
Sage Research Methods is a major subscription database that guides users in understanding research methodologies across different academic disciplines. It provides electronic access to reference books, journal articles, instructional videos, and other qualitative methods resources.
Research Methods in [subject]
The following resources provide in-depth information on various research design concepts, methodologies, and techniques specific to [subject].
