If you don't have a particular article in mind, but just need to find articles on a specific topic, check out the tips on this page. 

Although you can use URI Libraries Search and limit format to "articles", you'll typically get better results by searching in a library database. Databases are searchable collections of published sources and they can be interdisciplinary (covering many different academic fields) or subject-specific (focusing on just one discipline). Databases are the best place to look for articles!

You can browse the full list of databases URI subscribes to by clicking on Articles & Databases under the search bar on the library homepage. 

URI subscribes to many databases, and it can be intimidating to choose the right one! If you're just starting out with research for a 100 or 200 level class, consider beginning with Academic Search Complete - an interdisciplinary database that has articles covering a wide range of topics (you'll find it near the top of the list). 

If you are doing research for an upper level class or if your research question is highly specific, use the Subjects filter above the Databases @ URI list to narrow the results to your major or area of study. Be sure to start with the Best Bets section at the top, as these recommendations are specially selected by librarians! 

Read the short database description to make sure the database is a good fit for your needs!

To get better results, keep the following tips in mind!

Choose keywords

Don't put your entire research question into a database search bar! You'll get better results by searching with single words or short two-word phrases (like "climate change" or "college students"). 

Take some time to brainstorm keywords and individual terms that best capture your research question or topic before you start searching! 

Combine keywords

Create a Boolean search by combining your keywords together using the Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT. For example, you could combine "first-generation" AND "college students" to find articles about the experiences of first-generation students in higher education. 

Keep it simple

Start out by searching with 2-3 of your keywords. You can add more keywords or experiment with different searches if you get too many results. 

Recover from a bad search

If you aren't getting good results, try to broaden your search. Once you find a promising article or two, see what keywords or subjects are used to classify that article and try using those in a new search to find similar materials.

For more step-by-step tutorials on finding and using library resources, check out the InfoRhode Tutorials.