Biology 120 Cellular and Molecular Biology

How to Find Scholarly Research from Studies Mentioned in Newspapers or Magazines

Sometimes you come across a mention of a study in a news broadcast or magazine article.The newspaper, magazine, or website may be putting its biases on the study, so it is best to find the original study to read. 

There are multiple ways to find a study referred to in a magazine, newspaper, or news site. 

• Select keywords or phrases used in the news article to search in Google or the OneSearch box to find the original research article.
• Search the researcher(s) named in the news source using Google or the OneSearch box.
  • What scholarly papers have they presented before?
  • Where do they work?
  • How do other scholars view or review their research?
  • Are their studies referenced favorably in other scholarly papers?

 

Example: Finding a research paper from a Guardian magazine article

The example below shows a Guardian article found in one of the library databases. It refers to a study that is on the topic of stem cell therapy.

 

 

 

The Guardian article refers to a study published in the Cell Stem Cell. Highlighted in yellow are a few of the main search phrases. 

 

 

Using Google, create a keyword search using the AND Boolean operator/connector: 

Cell Stem Cell AND Pluchino AND multiple sclerosis

 

 

The site links directly to the full text of the study. It is an open source journal. 

 

 

Many reputable publishers and scholars are choosing to publish their material as open source, meaning you or your library does not have to pay for the article. It can still be considered a scholarly source if the publication meets the requirement for being a peer reviewed publication. 

 

 

There are multiple ways to find out more about a journal.

• Google the title of the journal and click on "About."
• Click on the title of the journal if the article is found in a library database.