Vanderbilt University Library Search
Selecting the best search scope for your research needs:
Everything vs. Library Catalog vs. Articles
Search Scope | What is included? | When should I use it? |
Everything |
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Library Catalog |
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Articles |
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For a more detailed explanation of your search scope options consult What am I searching?
1. Use quotes around phrases
2. Use the "Quick Filters" if you want just books, articles, etc.
3. If you need peer reviewed sources, apply that filter
4. Use "Format" for other types of sources such as newspaper articles, book chapters, etc.
5. Use the date limiter
A complete list of limiters can be found on the left hand side of the screen below "Refine your results".
What is gray literature? Grey literature is information produced outside of traditional publishing and distribution channels, and can include reports, policy literature, working papers, newsletters, government documents, speeches, white papers, urban plans, and so on. Many of our databases have "format" or "source" filters for gray literature such as "reports"
You can also use Google to find gray literature.
To find grey literature, try keywords such as report, "think tank," "white paper," policy, statistics, or limiting by domain to (.org, .edu, .gov)
Scholarly |
News |
Gray Literature |
Scholarly articles publish original research on events related to a specific discipline written by professors, researchers, or professionals. These articles are written by an expert for other experts in the same field and generally go through a process called "peer review," in which they are vetted by other experts. Scholarly sources typically include references to other sources (bibliography) and are written with the assumption that the audience already has significant background knowledge in the topic. |
Grey literature is information produced outside of traditional publishing and distribution channels, and can include reports, policy literature, working papers, newsletters, government documents, speeches, white papers, urban plans, and so on. Many of our databases have "format" or "source" filters for gray literature such as "reports" |