Finding Original Research Articles
Search for articles in one of the library databases recommend for your subject area.
If you are using Google, try searching in Google Scholar instead and you will get results that are more likely to be original research articles than what will come up in a regular Google search!
For tips on using library databases to find articles, see our Library DIY guides.
Finding the Source of a News Report about Science
If you've seen or heard a report about a new scientific finding or claim, these tips can help you find the original source:
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Often, the report will mention where the original research was published; look for sentences like "In an article published yesterday in the journal Nature..." You can use this to find the issue of the journal where the research was published, and look at the table of contents to find the original article.
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The report will often name the researchers involved. You can search relevant databases for their name and the topic of the report to find the original research that way.
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Sometimes you may have to go through multiple articles to find the original source. For example, a video or blog post may be based on a newspaper article, which in turn is reporting on a scientific discovery published in another journal; be sure to find the original research article.
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Don't be afraid to ask a librarian for help!
