Student Research Resources: Solid Foundation of Your Successful Paper

When an average research assignment is written, the first thing that is always checked by university professors is the thesis statement and the reliable sources that have been used. Since any research project must represent a synthesis of primary and secondary sources, it has to be valid and represent a clear relation to the original paper’s structure, methodology, and purpose. When the resource implemented is weak or does not pose credibility in terms of the author’s credentials, it brings in various plagiarism risks. It is crucial to know the background of your source, which is why skilled students turn to encyclopedias and scientific magazines to ensure that their content is safe to use. Take your time to look through the databases and copy or write down the included citing information to save yourself some time when you work with your References or Bibliography page. 

20 Research Resources for Students 

As you start with your research project, trust only academic resources to avoid any disputes or conflicts with your university professors. When you turn to the sites in the list below, you will always keep safe. 

1. The most famous entry in any list for student research is the JSTOR archive, which is one of those database examples that represent an academic community with scholarly articles that can act as webinars, keyword libraries, and various open community collections. It also offers free access to many commercial articles until the end of 2020 due to a pandemic situation. It will make it possible to read the data that usually relates to the invisible web content. 
2. The Library of Congress. One of the best scientific libraries where you can look for a primary source in a digital format. It is also a great time-saver since most resources can be cited electronically. You can choose anything from articles on Civil Rights in the USA, Native Americans, or even look through the news archives. It has a good structure that makes it easy to find what you require. 
3. The Directory of Open Access Journals. Some universities in the United States and other countries require sources that grant full access. Thankfully, this academic archive offers help in various disciplines. You can browse by subject and look through over 15,000 journals. Launched in 2003, you can help yourself in Science, Technology, Nursing & Healthcare, and Humanities. 
4. Project Gutenberg. If you write an assignment on a famous book and need to find something instantly with the different editions in a digital format, you should check this resource. It includes over 50,000 free books, including classics and even those rare titles. It is also a helpful reference for those cases when you need to find a quick quote and mention a page or a paragraph. 
5. Project MUSE. If you study Humanities and Social Sciences, this great catalog is one of the best solutions. Check if your university or college is subscribed to these resources. If not, you can ask your college professor or a librarian for access because you can find various journals, magazines, and books that will include both new and older publications. 
6. PubMed Database. It is an excellent solution for healthcare specialists because this archive has various medical citations and information based on keywords and subjects. It is a great way to pick reliable sources. The majority of articles are free to access. Consider this for nursing reflection journals or when discussing theoretical aspects. 
7. SciTech Connect. The US Department of Energy came up with a good resource that will be good for engineering students and those who study Environmental Science as well. 
8. WorldWideScience. You can enter various terms for your subject or a keyword. The best part is that you can access articles that are in 10 languages, including Russian, French, German, and even Japanese. It is a global science gateway that will help you look through national and global scientific archives for your assignment. 
9. Science News for Students. Just when you need something informative and with the basic information to avoid plagiarism, check out this archive of STEM articles. If you aim for evaluation or something that covers the latest events, it is the best choice. 
10. PBS NewsHour Extra. Sometimes we have to quote political discussions or need a journalistic approach to the latest events or things happening in a particular area. If you need to start a discussion or participate in a college debate, consider this archive.  
11. The National Museum of African American History & Culture. The majority of the content that you can find is great for a check-up or a reference when you have to include a quote or provide something that you have learned at school. Turning to these helpful datasets will keep you safe. 
12. Smithsonian Open Access Museums. Do not ignore placing a reference for a famous museum object or an exhibition. Look for paintings, various artifacts, historical letters, and more. If you reference multimedia in your paper, graphics must be quoted correctly as well. 
13. The National Archives. It goes without saying because it is a life-saver for students who study Law or Political Science. The journalists can check for various magazines or publications to make sure that they are on the right track when comparing different views. 
14. Digital Public Library of America. It has mostly primary resources in a very good scientific hierarchy. If you want to find some classic sources on Psychology, Nursing, Literature, Geography, or any other subject, it is one of those quick solutions. 
15. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Check this resource regardless of your course because it will act as a multimedia journey to improve your skills in Arts, History, Culture, Media Studies, and more. 
16. Questia. It has one of the largest databases of various publications online. You can look through the books, periodicals, magazines, and those articles that contain the required keyword or an expression that you will use for your thesis. You can browse through both literary to peer-reviewed scholarly sources. 
17. Digital History. Check this resource for documents and various publications dealing with the peculiarities of American history. The various multimedia files and original pictures (open domain access), legal documents, court hearings, and primary source research papers will be of great help for any learner. 
18. Highbeam. Register and browse through the hundreds of scientific journals and specific publications that range from Law and Nursing to Media Studies and Literature. It includes both old and new publications in many subjects and it is constantly updated. 
19. The University of California Riverside Library. As you work on your research project, visiting a full-bodied online library is not always possible, which makes this resource one of the fastest and safest solutions. This online portal offers a unique chance to browse through the vast catalog of books, newspapers, and magazines included in a physical library. 
20. The Labyrinth. If you study various Medieval aspects of life ranging from culture to history and science, this is the place for you. It includes databases sorted by category, various journals, old-time dictionaries that can be referenced, and information for academic citing in various writing formats. 

5 Educational Search Engines For Students 

Remember that as a researcher, you do not want to see Facebook posts or blogs that do not pose a reliable reference. It is a reason why there are science-based search engines that will help you to look through the peer-reviewed or academic sources. 

1. Google Scholar. One of the most popular search engines for students that brings up scientific sources on the surface (usual Internet) web environment, which means that you will have peer-reviewed articles, books, academic journals, and research theses on various subjects. 
2. Refseek.You can use this search engine much alike to how you implement the invisible Internet since (unlike Google) it focuses on those academic resources, journals, newspapers, PDF research projects, reports, and encyclopedia articles that are not listed by most web crawlers.    
3. WayBack Machine. As one of those sites that helps to preserve various web pages, it lets you check a part of the web page (even if it is not online) or see the news report that once was there, this great archive is second to none. 
4. iSeek. If you want to find an alternative to the usual search engines, check this resource as a way to browse through the topics, specific tools, or scholastic references that will help you to save some time and let you look through trustworthy resources and safe websites. 
5. ResearchGate. While it is not a search engine per se, this unique network is aimed at researchers or those people who are involved in scientific projects and require access to global academic publications (both internal and external hosting). 

Avoiding The Possible Plagiarism Issues 

Now that you have extensive possibilities for your research project, remember about plagiarism risks as you quote and include information that does not represent your personal knowledge. The safest bet is using the scientific pattern of “introduction - thesis - quote - explanation” where you keep to the right balance of information that you find in a certain resource and an analytical part that represents your skills. 

Another aspect is remembering the writing format that is required by your grading rubric. Check these requirements twice and make sure that you check each database for already available citations. The majority of sites like PubMed or JStor already have citations as it is in every publication. If you cannot find the information, check the bottom of a page in a newspaper or a magazine. Such an approach will help you to get things done faster as you prepare your citations and avoid the possible academic integrity matters.