In evidence synthesis, you're trying to be as comprehensive as possible. That means searching in more than one place. Best practice for scoping reviews is to use at least 3 databases, and one should be a multidisciplinary database. You may opt to search more than three. Whatever number you choose, you should include:
For example, subject databases for a research question in educational psychology might include APA PsycInfo and ERIC. For a research question related to exercise for stress reduction, you might consult PubMed, APA PsycInfo, and SPORTDiscus. These are suggestions, and are not intended to be comprehensive lists for these hypothetical research questions. The databases you choose will depend on your research question. Below are some of the databases related to the Social Sciences.
See our Databases A-Z list for a complete list of all the databases we subscribe to.
This link opens in a new windowAccess multidisciplinary research delivered with info on emerging trends, subject specific content, and analysis tools. Includes Emerging Sources Citation Index: 2005-present, the Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Arts & Humanities Citation Index, 1980-present.
This link opens in a new windowSocial Science Premium Collection is the parent collection that contains all social sciences content available through ProQuest. It covers anthropology, criminology, economics, education, international relations, library science, linguistics, political science, public policy, social work, sociology, and more.
This link opens in a new windowAn expansive abstracting and indexing database devoted to peer-reviewed literature in the behavioral sciences and mental health.
This link opens in a new windowThis resource covers essential areas related to criminal justice and criminology. The increasing globalization of criminology is reflected in the database’s coverage of hundreds of journals from around the world.
This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive and high-quality sociology research database encompassing the broad spectrum of sociological study.
This link opens in a new windowPSC has a worldwide focus reflecting the globalization of contemporary political discourse.
A service of the National Library of Medicine that provides access to over 11 million citations from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full-text articles and other related resources.
This link opens in a new windowEducation Resource Information Center provides access to education literature and resources. Consists of journals included in the Current Index of Journals in Education and Resources in Education Index.
Grey Literature is material that is published outside of traditional publishing. Grey literature examples could include government publications, conference proceedings, a thesis, and/or conference abstracts. Grey literature can be notoriously difficult to identify, and some topics will rely on it more heavily than others. Some databases have grey literature, so check what is available. You can also do a basic Google search for organization or government websites that may be publishing reports, white papers, or presentations on your topic. Below are a few examples.
This link opens in a new windowThe ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (PQDT) ™ ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (PQDT) ™ database is the world's most comprehensive curated collection of multi-disciplinary dissertations and theses from around the world, offering over 5 million citations and 3 million full-text works from thousands of universities.
A federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.