Finding Science Articles For Your Paper
Finding credible information to support your research and achieve credibility is crucial to writing an interesting scientific paper.
However, contrary to what people may think, the Internet has made the search for credible resources much more difficult. This is why any scientific paper should reference as many scientific articles that are relevant to your specific topic as humanly possible.
Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind when looking for science articles to write your own papers:
Don’t overuse the Internet. Regardless of how valuable it may be, the World Wide Web is not the only source of information available. Public libraries still exist for a very good reason: they hold great knowledge! Dare to commute and take a trip to your local library –you won’t regret it!
Learn to skim through text. Sometimes poorly written titles can be misleading, and can ultimately cost you a lot of precious time. Before you spend too much time reading an entire paper which may or may not aid you in writing your own, quickly sweep through the text to determine whether or not that specific article is relevant to your own work. This way, you’ll be able to cut your losses and move on without wasting too much time.
Commit to your original idea. When researching, you may find articles that are directly related to the topic you are researching, but some of them will expand to a different field or tackle the same topic from a slightly different angle as it progresses. However, stay focused on your original topic no matter what; allowing yourself to get sidetracked will double or even triple the time you’ll invest in your research.
Don’t believe everything you read. You probably already know that Wikipedia isn’t exactly the most trustworthy resource for information. Use your critical thinking skills and trust your instincts to determine if an article is a valid resource for your paper. Basic rule of thumb is: if there are too many inconsistencies, or if the author calls himself “Crazy Carl”, chances are that specific article has very little to contribute to your research.
Follow leads to the sources. Some well-researched articles may be based on other well-researched materials. Check the referenced literature (when available) to see if you can find more information that will support your research and help you finish your own paper.