Find@Farley doesn't have everything! Check out the information below to search for more specific types of information. For more help searching, visit the Search Effectively page.
What are journal articles?Visit the Evaluate Sources tab for more information on how to identify scholarly journals.
Visit the Research Metrics Guide for more information on how articles, journals and authors are rated.
In Find@Farley and EBSCOhost databases such as CINAHL Ultimate, full text articles can be easily accessed by using the "Access Now" button in the search results.
Sometimes there will be a drop-down menu with different access options.
If an article is listed as available in full text but does not give you access, contact a librarian.
If Wilkes does not have access to the article, try looking for the article in Google Scholar. Occasionally, the authors of the article will post a copy of their paper in ResearchGate or similar website. These sources will likely not appear in a Wilkes database search.
If you still cannot access the article, you can click on the "Request via InterLibrary Loan" link and we can try to obtain the article from another library. Visit the InterLibrary Loan page for more information on how to register for an account.
After clicking on the "Request via InterLibrary Loan" link, you may see a link to an open access version of the article, if available. Otherwise, click on "Request via InterLibrary Loan" again to access ILLiad.
How do books differ from journal articles?Visit the Evaluate Sources tab for more information on scholarly book sources.
Primary sources (unfiltered information) are publications that report the results of original research may be in the form of conference papers, journal articles, technical reports, theses and dissertations or journal articles. The information is present in its original form (that is, it has not been interpreted or condensed or otherwise "repackaged" by other writers). The works present new thinking/discoveries/results and unite them with the existing knowledge base.
Secondary sources (filtered information) are those which are published about the primary literature, that generalize, analyze, interpret, evaluate or otherwise "add value" to the original information, OR which simplify the process of finding and evaluating the primary literature. Some examples of secondary sources are "review" articles, and indexes such as PubMed or the Cochrane Library.
Tertiary Sources (filtered information) compile or digest information from primary or secondary sources that has become widely accepted. They aim to provide a broad overview of a topic, or data, already proven facts and definitions, often presented in a convenient form. They provide no new information. These include "reference" types of works such as textbooks, encyclopedias, factbooks, guides and handbooks, and drug databases such as Micromedex and Facts & Comparisons.
Resources like DynaMed are often considered both secondary and tertiary sources.
| Primary | Secondary | Tertiary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Very specific, sometimes states a position | Very general title | Very general title |
| Definition | An article where researchers have conducted original research and/or a study. Presented in its original form. | An article that summarizes or reviews work of a primary source on a particular topic. | An article that compiles or digests information from either (or both) primary and secondary sources. |
| Includes | Methods, Results, Tables, Figures | Methods may include a literature review, tables can list other articles | History, Diagnosis, Evaluation, Management |
| Example Words | Clinical trial, Controlled trial, Study | Review, Meta-analysis, Systematic Review | Overview, General Information |
| Example Title | Prospective Study on Food Fortification with Vitamin D Among Adolescent Females in Finland: Minor Effects | Malnutrition: Supplements and Food Fortification in the Older Population | Vitamin D Deficiency in Adults (DynaMed) |
| Example Publications | journal articles, technical reports, conference papers, theses and dissertations, patents, field notes, interviews, lab notebooks, specimens | books, science magazine articles, review articles, | almanacs, encyclopedias. handbooks, bibliographies, clinical point-of-care databases |
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Quantitative Studies: |
Qualitative Studies: |
| Have results that can be counted numerically, quantifiable | Have results that cannot be counted numerically |
| Focus on measurements rather than descriptions | Focus on descriptions of qualities rather than measurements |
| Often take place in a controlled environment or study | Often take place in naturalistic environments |
| Use statistical analysis | Often don't use statistical analysis |
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What to look for:
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What to look for:
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You can specify the type of study in the CINAHL Ultimate database. You can find this option in advanced search in the right column.
Unfortunately, many other databases lack the ability to limit results to quantitative or qualitative research. However, adding "quantitative" or "quantitative" to your keyword searches will often give you these studies in your results, as many researchers often use these terms in their abstracts or article text.
Here is an example using Summon search:
Note that "All Fields" is another term for a keyword search.
Make sure to verify the methods are quantitative or qualitative by reviewing the article itself. Most articles will have a "Methods" or "Methodology" section that explains how the researchers conducted their study.