Answers

Getting started with GenderWatch Collection

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GenderWatch is a comprehensive and distinctive database that examines the influence of gender across a broad spectrum of topics and disciplines. It offers access to an extensive range of publications, including scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, books, and reports from NGOs and government agencies.

With archival coverage dating back to the 1970s, GenderWatch provides both historical and contemporary perspectives on gender roles, movements, and identities.

Key topics include gender and politics, LGBTQ+ studies, feminism and women’s movements, masculinity studies, workplace equality, health and reproductive rights, media representation, and cultural norms.

Why use GenderWatch?

• Comprehensive coverage: Includes scholarly, regional, grassroots, and popular literature
• Historical depth: Access content dating back over 50 years
• Diverse perspectives: Covers women’s studies, men’s studies, LGBTQ+ issues, and evolving gender roles
• Variety of sources: From academic journals to NGO/government reports
• Research support: Ideal for essays, theses, and projects on gender-related subjects

How do I search GenderWatch Collection?

Start by entering your main topics into the search bar.  Since this is a dedicated database, your results will consist exclusively of high-quality academic journals.

• Use Keywords: Keep it simple (e.g. Masculinity, depression, equality)
   
• Search for Phrases: Use quotation marks for exact phrases (e.g., "Transgender rights")  to get more relevant results..
   
• Combine Terms: Use AND to link different ideas (e.g., Gender AND Education).
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Refining your results

On the left-hand side of the results page, you’ll see the Filters panel. This is your toolkit for narrowing down your search and finding exactly what you need. There are plenty of options to explore, but here are two of the most useful to start with:

• Subject: this is a good way of narrowing down the results to a specific topic.
• Publication Date: Set a custom date range to find the most recent research or target a particular time period.​​​​​

Saving and exporting your results

Once you've selected the results you want to save, you have a few different options: Click on the following links to view the guide for each option.

• My Research Account: Creating a free My Research account allows you to permanently save documents, searches, and alerts. Items saved here are stored in the "My Documents" area. 
• Download as PDF: For offline access, use the "Download PDF" button or "Save as PDF" (which converts full-text articles into a PDF file).
• Permanent Links: Use the "Copy URL" or "Permalink" tool to save a stable link to the article for future reference or sharing.
• Email & Print: You can email selected articles directly to yourself, including the full text and a formatted citation, or use the print function to generate hard copies

Try Advanced Search for more control

If your basic search returns too many (or too few) results, switch to Advanced Search. You can find this by clicking the three horizontal lines (menu icon) on the left side of the page.

In this mode, you can use "Boolean Operators" to tell the database exactly how to combine your search terms:

• AND (Narrow your search): Use this to link different ideas. The database will only find articles that contain both terms (e.g., gender AND education).
• OR (Broaden your search): Use this to search for synonyms or related concepts. This is perfect if you aren’t sure which word an author might use. The database will find articles containing either term (e.g., feminism OR women's rights – Retrieves results with either term).
• NOT (Exclude results): Use this to filter out irrelevant topics. The database will ignore any articles containing the second term (e.g.,gender NOT advertising – Removes results related to advertising).
• Specific Fields: Use the dropdown menus next to the search boxes to search specifically for an Author, Document Title, or Subject Heading for much more precise results.
• Limiters: filter for publication date, document type, Peer reviewed or Source type  only before you even hit search.

Want to explore more?

You can find several specialised search tools positioned above the main query box on the Basic Search page:

• Publications: Access a specific publication's homepage to search or browse its archives.
• Browse: Discover research by exploring predefined topics and curated content.
• Change Databases: Select or modify which ProQuest databases (such as APA PsycInfo) you are currently searching

To find these options on the Advanced Search page, click on the menu.

Check out the ProQuest help centre for guides, videos, tutorials  and more on:

• Basic Searching – Start your research with confidence
• Search Strategy Tips – Find exactly what you need, faster
• Viewing and Saving Articles – Keep your best finds handy
• ProQuest Basic Search Tutorial – Perfect for beginners
• ProQuest Advanced Search Tutorial – Take your searching to the next level

Need more help 

If you would like more help, email us at Library@arden.ac.uk or book a librarian appointment 

Related FAQs

• How do I save results in the APA databases