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Biological Sciences @ UTSC

Before You Begin Your Research

Do some background reading so you understand your topic
Don't quote from Wikipedia, but it is actually a good place to begin your research. Entries in Wikipedia frequently contain links to useful resources that are considered academic
Check out the list of resources for your subject area

Key Databases

Ovid Medline
Medline is the premiere database for biomedical citations. The Ovid interface is a powerful way to navigate the collection. You may access the same resources using Pubmed.

PubMed This link opens in a new window
Public version of Medline, the core database for health sciences disciplines. This platform is best for quick clinical searches.
Web of Science: Core Collection This link opens in a new window
Scopus This link opens in a new window
Abstract and citation information for peer-reviewed scientific research, including journals, books, and conference papers.

EMBASE
EMBASE is database of primarily biomedical and pharmaceutical citations.
Subject A-Z
Still not finding what you need? Explore our thousands of other resources by subject.

Steps to Successful Searching

Step 1: Brainstorm keywords that represent aspects of your topic.

Step 2: Select appropriate databases for your research topic.

Step 3: Build your search using search terms and Boolean operators.

Step 4: Review your results.

Step 5: Evaluate the quality of your sources.

Step 6: Get the full-text of relevant articles.

For the visually inclined: step-by-step searching infographic