Database Search Tips
Universal search tips for most databases:
Use AND to combine terms representing the different concepts of your topic. This will only retrieve items that contain both terms and narrow your results: Columbia Plateau AND Aquifer.
Use OR to combine terms that describe the same concept or that are synonymous in nature. This will retrieve items that contain either term and expand your results: Hydrogeology OR Groundwater.
Limit your search to subject headings or descriptors to make the results more precise.
Add * to the root of a word to retrieve different spelling variations: stratigraph* gets stratigraphy or stratigraphic.
Use "" to search terms as an exact phrase: "Long Island".
Tips for searching GeoRef:
While viewing your results in GeoRef, use the Narrow results by . . . feature on your left.
Limit results to Peer Reviewed publications; this will only retrieve peer reviewed journal articles.
If you limit Source Type to Scholarly Journals instead of limiting to Peer Reviewed, you will retrieve journal articles, field trip guidebooks, and USGS publications.
Exclude the Document type Abstract Only to avoid retrieving items that only provide abstracts (choose More options . . ).
The journal literature is the main forum by which research is published and the primary way that researchers share their work with the rest of the scientific community.
Find Journal Articles - Key Databases
In addition to the library's main search engine on the home page, the following more specialized databases are good places to search the geoscience literature.
- GeoRef This link opens in a new windowOver 2 million references to geoscience journal articles, books, maps, conference papers, reports and theses.
Covers: 1785 - present - Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowUse this search engine to find scholarly works, including many online journals. You can set your preferences to link to Penfield's many databases in this way: 1) choose settings from menu in upper left corner; 2) click library links in the left navigation bar and type 'SUNY Oswego' in box; 3) select the link provided; 4) click 'save.'
Google Scholar can also be used to find cited references for scholarly literature. Simply click on the "Cited by" link for any given item in your results list.
- ScienceDirect This link opens in a new windowA collection of journals and other publications covering life sciences, health sciences, physical sciences and engineering as well as social sciences, humanities and business. (use buttons at top of page to go to journals or do a search)
Find Journal Articles - Multidisciplinary Databases
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowThis interdisciplinary scholarly collection offers information in nearly every area of academic study, including: sciences, social sciences, arts & literature, ethnic studies, and many more. Full-text for over 6,100 titles (5,100 peer-reviewed); indexing and abstracting for 10,600 titles; complete historical coverage and citation searching for select titles.
Covers: Varies by journal title (many 1975 - present)
- Research LibrarySearch over 2,700 periodicals for information on a broad range of general reference subjects including arts, business, humanities, social sciences, and the sciences.
Preprints
- Earth and Space Science Open ArchivePreprint archive including scholarly manuscripts not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal and poster presentations.
Geology Librarian
Get Research Help
askalibrarian@oswego.edu