Public Health: Bachelors/Undergraduate

Choosing the right topic is the key to research. If your topic is too big, or too broad, you'll find too many articles. If your topic is too narrow, you won't find enough information for your assignment.

Watch this video to learn more about how to brainstorm and create a research question and topic:

The words you use to search make a difference when searching in library databases. Use these tips to help you find sources more quickly:

• Don't search for an entire research question -- pick the main keywords and search for those
• Alternatively, don't search for a single concept -- narrow down your search terms by adding other aspects of your topic
• Use synonyms or related words and search for those -- every time you change your search terms, you'll find different sources

Examples:

• social determinants AND health disparities
• community-based AND disease prevention
• vaccination programs AND effectiveness OR impact

Watch this video for more help developing keywords:

Peer-reviewed journals go through a rigorous process. Other scholars in the field review articles to ensure they meet scholarly and research standards. 

Peer-reviewed articles and journals are considered 'scholarly' -- they are created by scholars and for scholars.

Note that all peer-reviewed journals are scholarly, but not all scholarly journals are peer-reviewed. For example, a scholarly journal might publish essays or editorials that are not peer-reviewed. Only research articles that go through peer review process are considered ‘peer-reviewed.’

Use this tutorial to learn more about the peer review process:

Find more tips for research on these guides: