Business Problem Research:

Search for Statistics & Data in Articles

The Library's databases contain peer-reviewed articles that include data to support an argument or position. Peer-reviewed articles may also contain statistics or data not found in government sites. 

To search for articles, select a subject-specific research database from the library. You can locate subject research databases, including business or IT,  from our Subject Resources page.

1. In your chosen database, type keywords that describe your topic in the first or later boxes.
2. In a separate search box, use keywords for terms that can help imply data or statistics, such as:

• findings
• results
• analysis
• price
• dollars 
• percentage
• data
• statistic* (Using an asterisk tells the database to look for the root word you've used with any possible endings.  Using the term, statistic* tells the database to look for statistic, statistics, statistical, etc.)

Note: The databases and Google Scholar do not search for special characters such as $ or %. That is why we use the words that describe them instead.

Keep an eye on the following sections of the article to scan for relevant data or statistics:

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Data Collection 
• Discussion or Conclusion 

The following search terms are an example of how you could search for a topic with data-related keywords. If you're looking for statistics related to the sustainability of small businesses, try the following keyword search in one of the Business & Management databases:

First Search Box:

sustainability 

Second Search Box:

"small business"

Note: Be sure to use the quotation marks. They search for that exact phrase.

Third Search Box:

findings OR data OR statistic* OR result OR analysis

Note: Learn more about Boolean terms: AND, OR, NOT.
 

Get an overview of resources inside and outside of the library to use when looking for data and statistics. This will help you find research for your hook and anchor.