Hit The Library: Using Library Resources for Social Work

Courtesy of The University of West Florida Libraries

Citation searching, or using the references cited by authors, not only leads researchers to other relevant articles on their subject of interest, it can also indicate the importance of a piece of research.

This is where you will want to use the library's "discovery tool", or the main search box on the library homepage.  This feature is best used for a known item, such as an article that you know the title and author, or a book or ISBN number.

Most databases allow you to narrow your search results according to certain criteria.

Some common limiters (also called filters) include:

• Peer-Reviewed or Scholarly
• Publication Date
• Publication Type
• Language
• Subject: Major Heading
• Age
• Geography
• Population

Limiters vary by database.  Please check the database's Help page, for specific information.