The Research Process: Explore Scholarly Articles

Exploring Scholarly Articles to Find Your Topic

At this stage, your goal is to find a research topic — so cast a wide net and start with a broad search. Use the NavigatorSearch box on the Library's home page to get started. NavigatorSearch searches most of the Library's databases at once.

Begin with keywords or a phrase related to your area of interest, such as financial crisis, personality disorders, or distance learning. Your results will likely be large — and that is exactly the point. A broad search helps you begin noticing the shape of a research area.

Ways to Explore Your Results

• Start noticing the subject terms associated with your search results — these are the controlled vocabulary the database uses and can lead you to more focused searches
• Scan abstracts by clicking Page Options and selecting Detailed to see abstracts and citations in one view
• Use the limiters in the left-side menu — date, scholarly/peer-reviewed, subject, and others — to narrow your focus and explore the available research

To learn more about navigating NavigatorSearch, including screenshots of Refine Results options and detailed record views, see the Navigator FAQ. You can also learn more about search strategies by watching the Library's Search Like an Expert Video.

Refining Your Focus

As your topic begins to take shape, explore the Library's Preparing to Search guide for deeper guidance on using limiters, subject terms, and other database techniques. Library databases also allow you to create a personal account to save searches and set up topic alerts — see Database Alerts and RSS Feeds for more information.

Reading Articles to Uncover Research Questions

When you begin finding articles in your topic area, skim the full text for the Discussion, Conclusion, or Future Research sections. These sections often highlight:

• New questions the study raised
• Tangential or related research directions
• Long-standing questions in the field that remain unanswered

Reading authors' reflections on where the research should go next can point you toward a topic you are genuinely positioned to explore. 

As you review the literature, remember that refining—or even changing—your topic is a normal part of the research process. Continue checking that your potential topic remains relevant to your discipline and offers room for sustained inquiry.