Using Search Engine

Using Search Engine

Free/Subscribed Resources

What is a search engine?

A tool that helps you find information on the internet using keywords. Not all results are reliable for academic use.1 Some are commercial, outdated or unverified.

From General Search Engines to Scholarly Resources

General Search Engines

Academic Search Engines

Your Library!

Not Sure Where to Start? Follow This Search Flow!

Subscribed (paid) by institution

Free to access

Free to use

+Info

+Info

+Info

1. Coghlan, S., Chia, H.X., Scholer, F. et al. Control search rankings, control the world: what is a good search engine?. AI Ethics. 2025;5:4117–4133. AAccessed Aug 11, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-025-00695-8

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Academic Sources

Step 1: Understand Your Topic

Step 4: Use IMU Library Subscribed Databases

• Break your topic into main keywords or concepts
• Use simple words and synonyms

• EBSCO Discovery Service (searches across multiple databases)
• Scopus – Abstracts, citations
• UpToDate – Clinical decision support
• Science Direct
• Nature
• EBSCOhost, and

Step 2: Start Broad – Use General Search Engines

More!

• Examples: Google, Bing (for background understanding only)
• Goal: Get a basic overview of your topic and find related terms

Step 5: Apply Search Techniques

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• Use Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT
• Use filters: date, full text, peer-reviewed
• Try MeSH terms or subject headings

Step 3: Move to Academic Search Engines/Open Access Platforms

Try this

• Google Scholar – General academic
• PubMed ,Trip – Health/biomedical
• DOAJ , BASE , CORE – Open access research
• ResearchGate – Author-shared papers (request full texts if not available)

Step 6: Evaluate and Organize

• Check for: author, publication year, journal name,

and citations

• Save articles or export them to RefWorks or another reference manager
• Use the correct reference citation style for your list of references and bibliography

+ BONUS Step

Read more

Try this

How to Retrieve Articles Using EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) Search Engine

It is a one-stop search engine that allows users to search for articles & other resources available via EBSCOhost and all subscribed databases by IMU Library.

5 reasons why Scopus can be your research companion

Get Started with SCOPUS: The Easy Way to Begin Your Search

Scopus is a comprehensive, expertly curated abstract and citation database with enriched data and linked scholarly literature across a wide variety of disciplines.

UpToDate

Up to Date is a clinical resource specifically created to assist with diagnosis and treatment. UpToDate also provides links to Lexicomp that includes more than 6300 unique drug entries. This video is an introduction to the platform and its basic features.

Guide to Mendeley: How to Install Mendeley Desktop

Introduction to RefWorks

Reference managers (RMs) are software tools that help you create web-based libraries to organize, annotate, and cite literature while conducting and writing research.2

2. Meade M, DiCiurcio W, Radack T, Michael M, Woods B. Reference managers. Clin Spine Surg. 2024;37(2):77–78. doi:10.1097/BSD.0000000000001532

Examples: Ebsco Discovery Service(EDS), EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, Scopus ClinicalKey, UptoDate, AccessMedicine & many more. Description:

• Access to high-quality subscribed databases and journals
• Includes reliable, full-text academic resources
• Accessible via IMU Library portal

💡 Tip: A strong search strategy improves the quality and efficiency of your research!

A search strategy is a structured approach to finding information using keywords, filters, Boolean operators, and databases. It helps retrieve relevant, high-quality, and targeted results from academic resources.

Use these to locate peer-reviewed and reliable academic sources.

For comprehensive and full-text access, we recommend using the following resources via the IMU Library Portal.

Examples: Google Scholar, PubMed, ResearchGate, DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals), BASE (Bielefed Academic Search Engine), CORE Description:

• Focused on scholarly and peer-reviewed content
• Not all full-text articles are available

Have You Heard of PICO & Who Uses It?

PICO is a framework commonly used in evidence-based practice (EBP) to form focused clinical questions and develop effective search strategies. P – Patient / Population / Problem I – Intervention C – Comparison O – Outcome Used by: Healthcare professionals, medical students, researchers. Once a PICO question is formulated, each element (P, I, C, O) is then translated into relevant keywords.

+ LEARN MORE

Examples: Google, Bing, Yahoo Description:

• Quick and easy
• Results may not always be academic or reliable

Step 7: Ask for Help If Needed

IMU University Librarians can assist with:o Search strategy o Access issues o Full-text requests