Unlocking the Potential of Research Sources for Graduate Learners - Essay Sample

Introduction

Research is a critical part of every graduate course. It equips the learner with the requisite knowledge in their area of study while at the same time offering the learners a chance to contribute positively to the existing body of knowledge. In research, several sources, such as periodicals, are essential for information and data source. Additionally, following the advancement in technology and the internet, search criteria have been boosted through various search engines. This paper will analyze the periodicals that are essential in college-level research and search criteria used in the various search engines.

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What Periodicals Offer Substantial, College-Level Articles?

Periodicals can be termed as articles published in a series. Periodical can either be primary or secondary. Primary sources are firsthand accounts of the topic of interest. Examples of primary sources include magazines, newspapers, and journals. On the other hand, Secondary sources analyze, critique, review, and interpret the primary sources. They include case studies, technical reports, and statistical data. These sources also include textbook articles, book reviews, scholarly journals, and comprehensive articles. There are various types of periodicals, including popular, trade, and scholarly periodicals. Popular periodicals consist of articles published by journalists for a general audience. Trade periodicals are issued by and for professional use and include jargon and ads. A good example can be the monthly medical journal. Scholarly periodical, are authored by experts, peer-reviewed, contains references and contains few or no advertisement. College-level research utilizes these types of publications but under the classification of either primary or secondary sources.

What Search Engines, Or Search Criteria, Do You Feel Are Most Helpful?

The most helpful search engines include google or google scholar, which is the most popular among scholars and researchers. For most of the primary sources, google news is excellent and reliable. Other alternatives include Microsoft academics, semantic scholar, and science.gov. Best search criteria are, being creative and using alternate keywords for the search. To improve the search strategy, it is essential to phrase your search properly, for example, the use of double quotes on the key terms, i.e., "sustainable development." Use of truncation on key word, i.e., develop*. Lastly, use the conjunction 'AND" to combine the key words or concepts, e.g., Business and Ethics, Global Warming AND Effects.

Conclusion

Research is a detailed and careful study of a particular problem using available scientific methods. Research heavily depends on publications from other studies, and periodicals categorized as primary or secondary sources. Development in technology has introduced very resourceful online data and powerful search engines making research and or finding related studies easier. Several search engines and search criteria can be applied for effectiveness and finding the right materials for the study.