Follow the below step-by-step instructions to help you locate peer-reviewed (scholarly/academic) articles. 

1. Write down your research topic.
2. What do you want to learn about your topic?
3. Based on what you want to learn about your topic, write out two draft research questions.
4. What are the main concepts identified in your research question(s)?
5. Brainstorm synonyms, broader terms, and narrower terms for each of the main concepts identified above. Below is an example of this exercise.
6. Use these concepts to help you build a search in the advanced library search
7. Read the abstract of titles that catch your interest
8. Once you find an article you are interested in learning more about, consider exploring their references to find additional resources, related research, etc.

Need some extra help on your research paper or project? 

Talk to a librarian on 24/7 chat (look for the "Ask Us" icon on a library page ) or visit the Using the Libraries page for other ways to connect. You can also set up an appointment with me! Get help on the following:  Clarifying information needed for an assignment Clarifying information sources from prompts/instructions Refining your research topic/question Searching for a known item (i.e. you know the title, author of a specific item you need) Brainstorming keywords Developing a search strategy Searching the library catalog Using a specific database Evaluating potential resources Citation help Copyright information/help Reviewing the ILL/CSU+ process

Add the csueb library as a library in your Google Scholar searches - this helps pull up articles that we might have in the library or point you to resources you can request using Interlibrary Loan (ILL) - This service is free of charge to you to get pdfs or the books/items through the library with your csueb student, faculty, staff affiliation.

To find scholarly articles using Google, use Google Scholar. Be sure to edit your Google Scholar Settings to turn on a feature to check if Google Scholar results are available in the CSUEB Library databases. To do this, in the Library Links area of Google Scholar Settings, search for East Bay, and select the CSUEB options. Click save, and then you will see the "Find it @ CSUEB" link when you search for articles.

JSTOR is a great database and you can focus your searches using these links. I recommend always using the Advanced Search option. You may find this tutorial (a pdf file) from JSTOR helpful.