BIO 2200 Humans and the Environment

Is your article primary research?

Your article is likely original research if it includes

• Abstract or Methods section states the specific population being studied
• Methods section describes how the researchers collected data
• Authors presenting on a study that they conducted themselves
• Title or Abstract states a type of primary research study
  • Examples: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Study, Clinical Trial, Cross-Sectional Study

Is your article a review?

Your article is likely a review if it includes

• Abstract or Methods sections states the type and scope of studies being reviewed
• Methods section explains how researchers searched for the studies
• Methods section lists the databases and keywords used to search for studies
• Authors are giving an overview and analysis of studies conducted by other researchers, not their own
• Title or Abstract states a type of review
  • Examples: Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review

Try These Tricks When Searching Online

Tools like these help you find better search results more quickly.

Use the limiter site: to filter which websites your results are from. Add your own search terms after that.

Domain Name

Ask for websites that end with a certain domain name that may be more reliable or relevant.

• site:.gov  only returns sites that end with .gov (federally funded government sites)
• site:.edu only returns sites that end in .edu (higher education sites)

Website

Search an entire website from the back end with Google.

Add quotation marks around a word or phrase in a Google search to:

• require all results include that word or phase
• specify an exact phrase or spelling

Find the Tools button at the top of your search results. When toggled, new options will be revealed, like the option to filter results by the date they were published. You may also choose to use the Google advanced search to get more specific!