Research paper resources

Research papers can be a daunting task. I’ve been there before! But I’ve found that they’ve gotten easier over the years thanks to a few amazing websites. 

Google Scholar 

The first place I tend to look for journal articles is on Google Scholar! It’s super easy to access and always provides me with helpful resources. The features I use most are the custom ranges and citation listings. The custom range is helpful if a professor requires me to use current sources, for example, no older than 2018. I put 2018 in the lower entry to 2021 in the upper entry and hit search, and now I have results directed within the dates that I need them. As well, I didn’t learn this until way later on, but under each article description on Google Scholar there is a quotation icon that generates citations! This is such a lifesaver! Although it is helpful, I always suggest double-checking the citation before using it. For example, with the new release of APA 7th edition, the Google Scholar citation might be slightly different. 

Purdue Online Writing Lab 

A professor actually introduced me to this resource and I always have it open every time I’m writing a paper. I really like this resource because it’s a comprehensive guide for paper formatting and citations. Some of the tabs that I use most and find extremely helpful are: 

• In-Text Citations: Author/Authors
• Reference List: Electronic Sources
• APA Sample Paper

Sci-Hub 

I only learned about Sci-Hub this year! Countless times I’ve used Google Scholar and come across a great article, only to find out that it cannot be accessed. Sci-Hub eliminates this problem! If you paste the URL in the search engine, it will unlock the article for you. It also provides a citation. Very rarely have I not been able to access an article through Sci-Hub, it is amazing! 

Omni Search

The Ontario Tech library’s search engine is great! I had a project I had to work on and I couldn’t find any good sources on my topic from Google Scholar and the Omni Search came in handy. It provided me with lots of awesome articles that I could use. I also really appreciate that ability to refine the searches by date, peer-reviewed, etc. 

If you need any extra writing help, Student Life also offers a variety of resources to aid in academic writing including Stride,  Writing Room, and Power Academic Writing. Check out the Student Life Portal for writing workshop times and offerings.