SCIENCE RESOURCES
Welcome to the Science Resources page!
If you have any difficulty using the databases below or would like to discuss your research with a librarian, please contact Ms. Duncan.
Research Resources
WINSOR’S SUBSCRIPTION DATABASES (LOGIN INFO HERE.)
Scholarly articles, news articles, reference articles, ebooks, and limited primary sources
This database also searches the Winsor library catalog.
Reference and secondary sources
Reference and secondary sources
Reference and secondary sources
Reference and secondary sources
Scholarly articles, limited primary sources
A Boston Public Library e-card is required. Sign up for one here.
The newspaper of record in the United States
To set up your account: go to this link and use your Winsor email address.
Scholarly and news articles on science-related topics
Request an Article from the Boston Public Library
If you find an article online that you can’t access, you can see if the Boston Public Library can retrieve it for you.
Using your BPL ecard, make requests at this link.
Please note: the Boston Public Library is not able to fulfill all requests. On average, it takes 1 day to 1 week to receive a response, though it can sometimes take longer.
Research Tips
DEVELOP YOUR SEARCH TERMS.
Try out synonyms, as well as name and spelling variations.
If you’re looking specifically for research studies, include words like “study” and “trial.”
Filter and Refine Your Results.
Narrow down your results by the source type and/or document type, e.g., academic journals, newspapers, primary sources, etc.), the date, language, and more.
Always click “Full Text” if you see that option, otherwise, your search results could include sources that you can’t fully access.
Use the Advanced Search.
Use AND, OR, and NOT to narrow down or expand your search. For example:
- AND tells a database to search for two or more search terms together, e.g., cancer AND inflammation.
- OR tells a database to search for any of the search terms you provide, e.g., cancer OR disease.
- NOT tells a database to exclude words: Amazon company NOT rainforest
Search in the TITLE field to narrow down your results and increase their relevance. (Sometimes this can narrow results too much!)
How to Read a Research Study
BASIC ELEMENTS OF A RESEARCH STUDY
Most research papers typically include the following sections: abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion.
Abstract – Summarizes the research, outlining the main focus and key findings.
Introduction – Provides background on the field and relevant prior research, explains the study’s purpose, outlines existing knowledge, states the hypotheses, and describes how the research contributes to understanding the topic. Key terms or concepts may also be briefly defined.
Method – Details how data was collected and analyzed, including the experimental setup and statistical techniques used.
Results – Presents the research findings objectively, without interpretation.
Discussion – Interprets the results, explains their significance, and connects them back to the research question posed in the introduction.
Conclusion – Highlights the main findings, their impact on the field, and suggests areas for future research.
USEFUL TIPS FOR READING A RESEARCH STUDY
- Check the publication date
Make sure the study is recent enough for your purposes. - Read the abstract.
This will help you get a quick overview before diving into the details. - Skim through all sections.
Skim each section to get a more comprehensive understanding of the study’s scope. - Read the introduction thoroughly.
- Review the discussion section.
- Read the conclusion.
- Examine the results and methods sections. Consider factors like sample size and statistical significance.
Citation Help
- Chicago Style Citation Guide (information and examples on writing your Works Cited and in-text citations)
- NoodleTools User Guide
- Video tutorials on using NoodleTools
- How to Set Up Your NoodleTools Account