Searching for SoTL Literature

To perform a effective search for SoTL literature, it's important to use a variety of different tools – all of which will lead you to a unique set of results. Try using a selection of search platforms, such as:

Education databases, like ERIC
Other disciplinary databases, selected based on your field of study
1. Try using the "Subject" filter on our Databases homepage to find databases for your discipline!
Interdisciplinary search tools, such as Google Scholar, Scopus, or Web of Science
McMaster's discovery layer, Omni

Since they all vary in their scope and coverage, one search platform may produce too many or too few results – or results that are irrelevant to your research question. That's all part of the process! Use what you can find and then try another one.

For more inspiration, see a list of suggested databases below.

Suggested databases

ERIC
ERIC comprehensively indexes the educational research literature, containing content all the way from preschool education to post-secondary and adult learners.
APA PsycInfo
APA PsycInfo covers the international literature in psychology, including applied psychology, developmental psychology, and educational psychology.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites.
SAGE Research Methods
SAGE Research Methods is a web-based research methods tool that covers quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Researchers can explore methods and concepts to help design research projects, understand a particular method or identify a new method, and write up research.
JSTOR
JSTOR contains fulltext academic journals in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences.
Project MUSE
Project Muse provides full text access to journals in literary theory, classics, history and cultural studies, philosophy, film, theatre and performing arts, political science, and mathematics.
Dissertations & Theses @ McMaster University
Provides previews of dissertations and theses published after 1996 by McMaster University students.

Constructing a search

Many of the Library's subscription databases contain SoTL-related articles. Performing a strategic search in several of these databases should provide you with a strong start.

Identifying key concepts

To construct an effective search string, begin by distilling your research question into its key concepts. Think about focusing on teaching interventions, student populations, learning contexts, and your outcomes of interest.

Using a SoTL topic as an example:

How does integrating clicker questions into lessons affect student learning?

For this research question, your key concepts might include:

Clicker questions
Lessons
Student learning

Adding synonyms and related terms

Then, expand upon those key concepts by generating synonyms and related terms that will increase your search results.

Using our example from above:

Key concept	Synonym #1	Synonym #2	Synonym #3
Clicker questions	Online polling	Student response systems	iClickers
Lessons	Class time	Classrooms	Instructional design
Student learning	Student success	Student achievement	Student performance

Connecting it with AND and OR

Group your key concepts and their synonyms together with OR, and then put your groupings together with AND. You can also use Boolean modifiers, like " " and *, to make your search more precise.

"clicker questions" OR "online polling" OR "student response systems" OR iClickers

AND

lesson* OR "class time" OR classroom* OR "instructional design"

AND

"student learning" OR "student success" OR "student achievement" OR "student performance"