Researching academic sources means searching systematically for specialist literature, checking it for reliability and recording it so that you can cite it cleanly later. The search does not begin on Google but with a precise question and the catalogue of your university library. With a clear search plan, two or three suitable databases and a reference manager, you save many hours in every term paper or thesis.
Quick answer
Researching academic sources means starting with a narrow question, searching your university library catalogue and specialist databases, and adding Google Scholar. You assess each source by authorship, currency, place of publication and purpose, and record it from the start in Zotero or Citavi.
The most important points at a glance
- Start with a narrow question and derive search terms from it, including synonyms and English translations.
- Begin with the library catalogue and the specialist databases of your university, and add Google Scholar.
- Assess each source by authorship, currency, place of publication and purpose.
- Read the bibliographies of articles you find to discover further sources (snowballing).
- Record sources from the start in Zotero, Citavi or a similar program, including page numbers.
How do you start researching academic sources?
You start with a question, not with a topic. “Climate change” becomes a question such as “What consequences does rising sea level have for the coastal regions of northern Germany?” The narrower the question, the more targeted your search and the faster you recognise irrelevant hits.
If you do not have a topic yet, the article on finding the right topic for your thesis (in German) helps you. Also plan time for research, because it stretches over several weeks and continues alongside writing. How to organise your studies well (in German) is covered in our article on study organisation.
How do you develop search terms and search strings?
For each core concept, collect synonyms, broader and narrower terms, and the English translation. From these you build a search string that you can reuse in catalogues and databases. Note every variant so that you can later reconstruct what you searched for and where.
| Technique | Notation | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| AND operator | Sea level AND coast | Both terms must appear, which narrows the hits |
| OR operator | Sea level OR water level | At least one term must appear, which widens the hits |
| Exclusion | Coast NOT inland lake | Excludes hits containing the second term |
| Phrase search | “sea level rise” | Searches for the exact word sequence |
| Truncation | Climat* | Finds climate, climate change, climate policy and other word endings |
Which notations a database accepts differs. The help page of each platform gives the exact syntax. If you search in English, you usually find considerably more journal articles, because a large part of research is published in English.
Where do you find academic sources?
The best starting points are the catalogue of your university library, specialist databases and Google Scholar. Access to paid databases usually runs through the university network or a library login, so you can read many full texts at no cost to you.
- Library catalogue and discovery system: Here you find books, edited volumes, e-books and journals. Many universities offer a search that covers both holdings and licensed databases at the same time.
- Specialist databases: Web of Science and Scopus cover many disciplines, PubMed covers medicine and life sciences, JSTOR covers the humanities and social sciences. Which of these your university subscribes to, the library will tell you, and it can also recommend a subject portal for your field.
- Google Scholar: Useful for a first overview and for cross-references. “Cited by” shows newer work, “Related articles” shows connected texts, and “All versions” sometimes leads to freely accessible versions.
- Repositories and subject portals: University theses, preprints and research reports are often on freely accessible servers.
Google Scholar does not replace specialist databases. Its list of results is not transparently sorted, and not every entry comes from a checked source. Treat it as a starting point and check every hit in the original.
How do you evaluate sources?
You evaluate a source with four questions. Who wrote it, when was it published, where was it published, and for whom or for what purpose was it written? If you cannot answer one of these questions, you should not use the source for central claims.
- Authorship: Is the person professionally qualified? Look at the university, field of study and other publications.
- Currency: In medicine, technology and law, statements age faster than in historical subjects. Classics often remain citable, though.
- Place of publication: Peer-reviewed journals, publishers with an academic programme and university publications are more reliable than blogs or advertising texts.
- Purpose and perspective: Does the text want to inform, persuade or sell? Check whether conflicts of interest are disclosed.
In peer review, experts check a manuscript before it is printed. This is a mark of quality, but not a guarantee of error-free content. Indicators such as the impact factor say something about a journal, not about the quality of an individual article.
Which types of source are there?
For final papers you rely mainly on monographs, edited volumes and journal articles. How far other types are permitted is set by the requirements of your chair.
| Type of source | Strength | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Monograph | In-depth treatment of a topic | Year of publication, publisher, edition |
| Edited volume | Several perspectives on one overarching topic | Evaluate the individual contributions, not only the volume as a whole |
| Journal article | Current research, often peer-reviewed | Review process, method |
| Conference paper | Very early results | Quality standard varies |
| Thesis | Detailed literature overview | Quality varies, consider the supervision |
| Grey literature | Reports, statistics, official documents | Check the publisher and data source |
Encyclopaedias and Wikipedia are suitable for getting into a subject, but usually not as a reference in your paper. Use the literature they cite and cite that.
How do you work with snowballing?
With snowballing you follow the references of a good article further. Backwards, you read its bibliography and find the foundational works. Forwards, you search Scopus, Web of Science or Google Scholar for work that has cited the article later.
If certain names and titles appear in several bibliographies, you have probably found the standard literature of your topic. Start with a current review article, because it bundles many relevant sources.
How do you read and take notes efficiently?
Read the abstract, introduction and conclusion first, then decide whether the main part is worth your time. For central sources, examine the method, data basis and argument more closely. Does the method fit the question? Do the data support the conclusion?
For each source, note the key statement in your own words and relate it to your research question. Mark word-for-word takeovers clearly and record the page number. This avoids errors that can later count as deception. How this works is explained in our article on avoiding plagiarism (in German).
Which reference manager is worth it?
Zotero and Citavi are widely used at German universities and take work off you for the bibliography and citation style. Which one suits you depends on your word processor, your operating system and what your university offers.
- Zotero: Open source, runs on various systems and saves sources directly from the browser.
- Citavi: Widely used in German-speaking countries, with functions for organising knowledge. Many universities provide licences, so ask your library.
Create a separate project for each paper, assign keywords along your outline and store the PDFs with it. The program formats the bibliography for you, but you choose the citation style according to your chair’s requirements. The basics are in our guide on how to cite correctly (in German).
When is the research finished?
Research is largely complete when new searches hardly turn up any relevant sources anymore and you can support your research question with the literature you have. Some gaps always remain. Shortly before submission, check whether important new articles have appeared that you should add.
A research log with date, database, search string and number of hits is especially helpful for a final thesis. It shows your supervisor how you proceeded and saves you from repeating searches. For an overview of the whole process, see the guide on writing a bachelor’s thesis (in German). For smaller papers, the tips for a term paper (in German) are helpful.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use Google Scholar sensibly?
Use Google Scholar for the first overview and for cross-references. Put phrases in quotation marks, limit the time period and use “Cited by” to find newer work. For reliable searching you also need your university’s databases, because Scholar does not check every source.
How do I find the literature databases of my university?
The website of your university library usually has a database information system sorted by subject. There you see which databases are licensed and how you access them from home. For questions, subject librarians or the library information desk can help.
Are Wikipedia and blogs allowed as sources?
As evidence in an academic paper they are usually unsuitable, because authorship and review are unclear. They still help you get into a topic and find pointers to primary sources. Cite the specialist literature they mention, after you have read it yourself. In case of doubt, your supervisor decides.
How many sources do I need?
There is no fixed number. What matters is that your sources support the research question and reflect current research. Some chairs state guideline figures in their handout. Ask for them rather than guessing.
How to proceed now
- Formulate your research question in one sentence.
- Create a list of search terms with synonyms and English translations.
- Check the catalogue and database list of your university library and choose two to three databases.
- Set up Zotero or Citavi before you save the first source.
- Find a current review article and follow its references.
- Keep a short research log.
Related articles
- Writing a bachelor’s thesis, guide, timeline and tips (in German)
- Finding a topic for your final thesis, step by step (in German)
- Avoiding plagiarism, what to watch for when writing (in German)
Sources
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
