 So your professor expects you to use the library catalog and databases to find scholarly sources, but you can't find much on your topic. Searching the library is somewhat different than searching Google. The following tips will help you search better and find what you need. Tip 1. Search in more than one place. If you start with Omni, which is our library catalog, then also search at least one database relevant to your topic. The more places you search, the better your chances of finding good sources. Here is a link to our database subject page. Click on a pertinent subject for databases in your area. Tip 2. Experiment with your search words. Replacing a keyword with a similar one is one of the most important things to do if you can't find anything on your topic. Tip 3. If a database has two or three boxes, don't put all your search terms in one. The search engines work best when you put different parts of your topic into separate boxes. In the library catalog, click on Advanced Search to get multiple search boxes. This can produce better results. Tip 4. To get scholarly articles, click on the peer reviewed box. This option is available in Omni and most of our databases. Tip 5. Sometimes you aren't finding sources because your topic is too narrow. So for example, if you're looking for articles about first year students, try undergraduates or university students instead. Other times you might find lots of articles about a topic, but they are about all different aspects of it. In this case, you need to focus your topic. Tip 6. Sometimes all you need is one good source to get you started. The bibliography of this source is a goldmine of other sources on the topic. To find if the library has these new sources, copy and paste their titles into the library catalog. Tip 7. Save yourself some time by asking a librarian to assist. Our job is to help you and we are happy to do so. Here is the list of the librarians for each subject area.