How to find references for research paper

For justifying our arguments, developing reliability, and demonstrating that we have completed our project, the ideal references must be identified for our research paper. In order to identify credible, effective references, a detailed instruction is provided by us clearly:

  1. Begin with Scholarly Databases (Ideal for Peer-Reviewed Sources)

As a means to identify theses, conference papers, and journal articles, utilize these academic databases.

Top Scholarly Databases

  • Google Scholar – scholar.google.com
  • IEEE Xplore – It is highly ideal for CS, tech, and engineering fields.
  • ScienceDirect – For STEM topics, this database is more useful.
  • JSTOR – It is suitable for social sciences, arts, and humanities.
  • PubMed – Make use of this for medicine, biology, and health.
  • Wiley Online Library, SpringerLink, Taylor & Francis – They are appropriate for common academic sources.
  • ResearchGate – Mostly, scholars distribute complete-texts in this database.

Valuable hint: To access complete-text articles which are supporting paywalls, we have to utilize our university login.

  1. Utilize the Library’s Online Catalog

Online portals are presented in several universities, where databases, ebooks, and journals can be acquired through free access. Use the following aspects for searching:

  • Keywords
  • Author
  • Title
  • Subject area

To get assistance, discuss with librarians as they are aware of some valuable tactics.

  1. Utilize Reference Lists of Other Papers

It is significant to verify the reference list after identifying one ideal article.

  • Other basic sources can be detected through this reference list.
  • Probably, these references are also relevant to our topic and reliable.
  1. Employ Citation Tools

Use these tools to identify novel references and arrange them:

  • EndNote
  • Mendeley
  • Zotero (free)
  • Connected Papers (visual map of relevant papers)
  1. Government & Official Reports (for policy or data)
  • Focus on CDC, WHO, OECD, UN, World Bank, and others.
  • For actual-world data and reports, these are more useful and ideal.

Neglect These as Major Sources:

  • Wikipedia (It should not be a source, but can be an initial point).
  • Forums or blogs (In the case of not exploring them, these cannot be used as a source).
  • It is not approachable to use partial or unofficial websites (such as personal blogs).

Clever Search Hints

  • Focus on utilizing Boolean operators:
  • AND, OR, NOT
  • “particular phrase”
  • site:edu or filetype:pdf in Google
  • Keywords must be more particular:

Try searching “climate change impact on agriculture in India” rather than “Climate”.

Verify for These When Assessing a Source

  • Information regarding the author.
  • Date of publication (Apart from a standard, the latest source is effective).
  • Examine whether the publisher is reliable or not.
  • The sources must be peer-reviewed.
  • It should be related to our chosen topic.

With the aim of supporting you to identify best references for a research paper, phdprojects.org suggested a procedural instruction in an explicit way. Some academic databases and citation tools are also listed out by us, which could be highly helpful looking for experts guidance call us we will help you