Math & Science

When starting research on your chosen topic, you can do a keyword search in the Research & Discover quick search bar on the library homepage. This will provide you with resources from across our library catalog, e-journals, and databases. You can refine your search results using the limiters on the left side of the results page. 

Alternatively, you can visit scientific journals and databases directly. Journals are publications in which academics share their research and findings. Databases can contain journals, articles from those journals, and more. Browsing them is useful if you're not quite sure what you want to research yet, and you'd like to read about what's new in the field.

Illustration by James Baxter for Arizona State University.

Read the sections of an article in this order:

1. Abstract
2. Keywords
3. Conclusion

Don't try to read articles in order from beginning to end. The most effective way to read an academic article is to start by reading the abstract, then the keywords (if listed), then the conclusion. Once you've done this, you can evaluate whether it contains information that will be relevant to your argument. If you've determined that it does, then you can go back and read the article from the beginning to see how the authors reached their conclusions.

Read these two resources to learn how to efficiently read a scientific article:

Don't cite an article you don't understand.

The purpose of citing articles is to provide evidence supporting your argument. Allow your audience to meet you at your level of understanding. Find articles that clearly relate to the points you are making in your paper or presentation. 

The library provides access to over 30 math & science databases. Below are some best bets:

Hit a paywall? Find something we don't have? Don't pay for it!

We can get articles and books for you from other institutions through Interlibrary Loan.