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WTMC

Find and evaluate information for your research projects.

growing up research

Step 1: Brainstorm Search Terms

Brainstorm keywords and phrases that could be used as search terms to help you find information. Are there synonyms or alternate phrases that might be helpful? Example:

TOPIC: GROWING UP     SUB-TOPIC: PSYCHOLOGY

adult

emerging adult

young adult

adulthood

early adulthood

transition to adulthood

conception of adulthood

coming of age

maturity

adult development

psychological aspects

psychological maturity

autonomy

self-actualization

emotional intelligence

intellectual maturity

impulse control

 

Step 2: Browse Topic in One Search

Use One Search to search across multiple databases at once. Use the Advanced Search to break your search into keywords and concepts such as "emerging adult" and "psychology."

  • Practice click restraint. Browse your topic by scanning titles and subject terms in the results for additional keywords to add to your list. 

  • Change your search terms and see how your results change. Highlight the most useful terms on your worksheet!

 

Step 3: Find Articles

  • Once you've refined your search terms, find the most relevant articles by narrowing your database results by type of article, date, full-text, and more. 

  • You can also try searching in a subject-specific database. Some recommendations are listed below, or you can view the full list of databases by subject using the link below. 

Psychology & Sociology Databases

Science & Health Databases

Pro/Con & Current Event Databases

Legal Databases

Background & Encyclopedia Articles

Choosing Keywords