Quick Click to Search Engines
When writing research papers, it is common knowledge that there are strict limitations when it comes to the sources used. These sources must be written by qualified and credible experts or organizations, and they must adhere to strict standards of quality, clarity, language, formatting, and presentation, depending on the type of content, whether it is a publication or a database. Academic sources are created by following these high standards, so they convey truth rather than falsehoods, myths, misconceptions, and flawed research. By using high-quality sources in research papers, authors ensure that they are engaging with truth rather than inaccuracies.
In today’s world, online research often begins with a search engine, which is just as relevant for researchers as it is for anyone else seeking information. An effective search engine should provide users with relevant results, have a simple design and user-friendly interface, and offer useful tools to refine or expand a search. Google has been the most popular search engine for many years.
However, no single search engine can find everything. It is wise to use multiple search engines for advanced and more detailed web searches. To avoid unnecessary pages, advertisements, and find exactly what you need, you must carefully refine your search query and spend time analyzing the results.
Search engines can be general or specific. General engines are commonly known, while specific engines help to find information on a particular topic. You should choose one or several of them depending on your purpose.
To aid individuals in finding credible information for research purposes, we have compiled a list of databases and search tools that can be useful in gathering the necessary data for a research paper. Additionally, if further assistance is needed for the paper, it is recommended to explore available services.
Google Scholar
This tool specializes in searching through scholarly articles and publications, although it is related to the most popular generic search engine. Many academic professionals use it regularly due to its significant advantages such as comprehensiveness and automation. Unlike a manually curated database, the tool retrieves the majority of the information automatically from all over the internet using algorithms.
PubMed
This search engine is linked to the Medline database, which is maintained by the National Institutes of Health and contains abstracts and references from publications in the fields of life sciences and biomedicine. The fact that the database includes only abstracts and references makes it more manageable, well-organized, and easy to maintain, with a total of 30 million records. Among them, 13 million contain abstracts, 14 million have links to full-text articles, and 3.8 million are freely accessible full-text articles.
BioMedCentral
This resource brings together around 300 peer-reviewed journals covering various fields such as medicine, engineering, science, and technology. The most highly-rated journal titles belong to the categories of medicine and biology, including BMC Biology, BMC Medicine, Genome Medicine, Genome Biology, Microbiome, and Journal of Hematology & Oncology. This website was a pioneer and advocate of the concept of open research and continues to promote free access to most articles.
Web of Science
This is a subscription-based online service that grants access to databases containing detailed reference information for various academic disciplines. Its notable feature is its precise and reliable representation of reference indexes. In fact, the service is a direct legacy of Eugene Garfield’s love for citation indexing, which he shares with his daughter. The service provides a comprehensive and complete reference network that includes 1.7 billion cited references from over 159 million records.
Library of Congress
The online version of the Library of Congress, situated in Capitol Hill, is a comprehensive resource for information on American history. It features digital archives of historical documents, photographs, maps, and music, as well as a library of philosophy and US copyright information. Moreover, a humanities curator is available to assist users in locating specific sources of information.
Project Gutenberg
This is an online library that has been in existence for a long time and contains over 60,000 e-books in several languages available in plain text, HTML, PDF, ePub, or MOBI formats for on-site reading. What sets this resource apart is that it has always been completely free. It can be extremely useful for those who need to work with rare or unique texts, especially those studying humanities such as literature, philosophy, and history.
Artcyclopedia
This web database specializes in fine art and includes information on 9,000 artists and 2,900 art sites with over 160,000 links. It enables users to search for artwork by title, artist name, or the museum where the piece is located. Users can also search for artists by nationality, medium, subject, and more. As a result, this is a comprehensive and highly useful tool for those studying visual arts..
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
This resource houses a wide range of primary and secondary sources, such as maps, documents, images, bibliographies, and music, that cover the ancient, medieval, and modern periods of history. Its focus is primarily on the history of Jewish, Islamic, Byzantine, Indian, East Asian, and African cultures, as well as the history of science, LGBT communities, and women. It boasts the largest online collection of medieval and Byzantine text sources. Moreover, all the texts are freely available and can be easily searched using the built-in search tool.
Regardless of their academic background, many researchers who use these databases or search tools may feel somewhat overwhelmed. After all, these resources act as magical repositories of human civilization, starting from papers on the laws governing this universe and ending with historical records and visual art. Being able to access and connect to this wealth of knowledge, understanding its vastness, can make one feel small yet mindful and grateful for its creation and the memories defining our human progress.