Biology  Tags: biology life_sciences  

In order to successfully complete several of the lab assignments in Biology 124L, you will need to know how to use different resources provided by the library. This page will guide you through the use of these information sources - and the skills you learn here can be applied to assignments in other classes, too!

By the end of the semester, you should know how to find articles on a topic for a scientific paper; how to format citations for a bibliography; and what to do if you are asked to find a copy of a specific article.

If you find that you have questions or need additional help using library resources, don't forget that you can come to the library for help! Stop by the Centennial Science & Engineering Library and visit the reference desk. You can e-mail the biology librarian (Anne) or call the helpline - 277-9100.

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The first step in finding articles on a topic is choosing a database. Databases are like internet search engines - they search for information based upon the words you type into a search box. With a database, you are searching the content of journals, newspapers, magazines, and other sources. Some databases are highly specialized - they focus on content in particular academic fields, like art history, or biology. Other databases are multidisciplinary - they cover a broad range of sources in many subject areas. We'll use a great multidisciplinary database called Academic Search Complete for the 124 assignments.

Academic Search Complete will help you find peer-reviewed journal articles, newspaper articles, stories in popular magazines, and more. Some of the articles are available in full-text right there in the database; if the article you need doesn't have full-text, use the linker button to check for the full-text from another library resource.

Let's go over some tips and skills for finding articles. Taking a little time to think about what you need to find before you actually begin your search will save you time in the end.

1. Summarize your search topic. What question - or questions - are you trying to answer? Clearly state your hypothesis or thesis statement.

example: "We predict that we will find these macromolecules in peanut butter: protein, sugars, and fats."

2. Most searches have at least two major ideas - some may have three or four distinct concepts. Split your search apart into each of the major ideas.

example: concept 1 = peanut butter

              concept 2 = protein, sugars, fats

3. Are there synonyms or related terms for the concepts you've expressed? The database takes everything literally - it won't correct your spelling or suggest related terms for you.

example: concept 1 = peanuts or peanut butter

               concept 2 = protein or proteins; sugar or sugars; fat or fats; carbohydrates; macromolecules

4. Type your search into the search box(es) in Academic Search Complete. It may look something like this:

example: peanut* or peanut butter IN "Select a Field (optional)" [remember, this means a keyword search, which is a good way to start]

AND protein* or sugar* or fat* or carbohydrate* or macromolecule* IN "Title" [searching for words in the article title is much more specific than a keyword search]

The asterisk (*) is a great tool to use when searching. It tells the database to allow for any variation of the word ending, so you can get both the singular and plural forms of a word as well as other closely related words.

5. Review your results. Read through the article titles listed and pick out results that are related to your paper topic. Select the best ones and read the abstracts. DON'T just pick the top results in the list - you might miss the perfect article!

For some of your lab assignments, you will be asked to find an electronic copy of an article. You'll be given a citation - the same reference to a source that you see in the bibliography of a paper. To get to the article, you have two options. You can search for that article inside a database, like Academic Search Complete or Lexis-Nexis. Use the author's last name, keywords from the title, and the name of the journal. The database may have the article in full-text, or you may have to follow the linker to find full-text from another source.

Your other option is to search for the journal name in the eJournal Finder. Once you've found our electronic copy, follow the link to that journal's homepage. You will be able to look at all available issues or search (using the same search terms you would in a database) to locate your specific article.