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Graduate Student Academic Writing Guide

Types of Sources

Video has been posted with permission from Bob Baker, Pima Community College.

Books & Ebooks

The library catalog contains a wide variety of materials. This includes print materials, electronic resource (including ebooks), CDs & DVDs. You can search by keyword, title, author and more.

Sometime, you may be looking for an item the Franklin Library does not have in its collection. If you are an Ohio resident, you can search OhioLINK, a consortium of universities and colleges in Ohio that allows you to borrow from their collections. You can request and pick-up materials at the Franklin Library, or choose to pick it up at an institution near you. Limited to print books, CDs & DVDs.

The library subscribes to several databases that provide access to ebooks. Ebooks can be accessed anywhere with your student log-in.

Finding Journal Articles

A great way to start your article search is by using the OneSearch box below. This will search multiple research databases at once. Enter your search terms (keywords & phrases only) to begin!

OneSearch
Limit Your Results

The OneSearch box can also be searched directly from the library's homepage.

OneSearch Tutorial

You can also search individual databases for articles. Below are some recommended databases to start with. For a complete list of available databases, visit our Databases page.

When you know the journal/magazine you're looking for, (ex: you already have a full citation), you can use our Journal Finder to see whether we have access. Type the journal or magazine title below.
Limit Your Results

Journal Search Tutorial

You may come across an article that the library does not have access to. If that occurs, you can submit an Interlibrary Loan request. We will attempt to locate a copy through an institution that does have access. Use the link below to submit your request.

Where can I find...

Use industry codes (NAICS and SIC) to refine your search for more accurate results.

Please Note: When accessing our databases, you may be prompted to login using your myFranklin login information.

Google & Google Scholar

Everyone uses Google, even librarians! Use the following tips and tricks to search Google effectively. Be sure to use the checklist provided below to make sure the website you are using is a credible and reliable source!

Using Boolean Logic

Boolean Logic is a system of rules (or commands) to express the relationship of two or more concepts. The most commonly used commands (also called operators) -- AND, OR, and NOT -- can be used to link search terms or narrow search results. The correct use of Boolean operators in a search, whether it be in a search engine (Google), a library catalog, or a research database will produce more relevant and reliable results. 

  • AND: used in order to require that all search terms be present on the web pages listed in results. For example, you may want to find pages referencing both rules and laws.
    • You use the command like this: rules AND laws
    • Since AND is the default operator in search engines (like Google), it is unnecessary to type it. For example, you can type rules laws and your results will retrieve pages that include both rules and laws on the same page
  • ​OR: used in order to allow any of the specified search terms to be present on the web pages listed in results. For example, you may want to find pages that contain either of the words America or U.S.
    • You use the command like this: rules OR laws
    • Will broaden your search and increase the number of results. Note that OR works only in upper case between search terms in Google.
  • NOT: used in order to require that a particular search term NOT be present on web pages listed in results. 
    • In a library catalog or research database, you use the command like this: plants NOT trees
    • In Google, you must use the minus sign (-) without spaces. Example: plants-trees

Other Search Tips

  • Phrase Search (" "): Google will look up a phrase as one item if it is surrounded in quotes. Be careful with this as it may result in too narrow of a search.
    • Example: "solar industry"
  • Tilde (~): A tilde in front of the word will search among that and its synonyms. Note that there is NO space between the tilde and the word.
    • Example: ~crime
  • Wildcard Search (*): The asterisk symbol is sometimes known as the wildcard. Use this to search for plurals or spelling variations of words. You can also use this if you're unsure of a word in a phrase. Examples include:
    • learn* - finds learning, learners, learns, learned, etc.
    • behav* - finds behavior, behaviors, behavioral, behaviorism etc.
  • Site Search: Search one site (like franklin.edu) or limit your results to a domain like .edu, .org or .gov
    • Domain: solar industry site:edu (This will search only .edu sites that contain the phrase solar industry.)
    • Specific web page: academic integrity site:franklin.edu (This will only search the franklin.edu site for academic integrity.)

Google Scholar allows you to:

  • Search for scholarly articles & books
  • Explore related works, citations, authors, and publications
  • Locate the complete document through your library or on the web (see directions in the next section)
  • Save articles and have access to at any time and from anywhere
  • Export articles to RefWorks

Customize your Google Scholar settings:

  • Go to your Settings, then choose Library Links on the left.
  • Search for Franklin University and check the box next to Franklin University - Full Text @ Franklin, then click "Save." 

Getting Better Results: 

  • If you are new to the subject, it may be helpful to do some initial research to learn specific terminology. While you should avoid citing a Wikipedia entry, an article for "overweight" might suggest a Google Scholar search for "pediatric hyperalimentation."
  • If your search results are too specific, look at the references cited in an article. Referenced works tend to be more general.
  • If your results are too basic, click "Cited by" to see newer articles referenced by your results. Newer papers are often more specific.
  • Explore! There's rarely a single answer to a research question. Click "Related articles" or "Cited by" to see closely related work, or search for an author's name to see what else they have written.

For more features and search tips, visit About Google Scholar.

*Please note: You will still need to log in to access e-books and databases when off-campus.

Google Scholar Tutorial

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