1. LIBRARY RESEARCH FOR BIOL/BIOT 6838
Clarke Iakovakis
Research & Instruction Librarian
Neumann Library
“Improving Crop Yields” image courtesy BASF via Flickr. Licensed under CC
BY-NC-ND 2.0
3. OUTLINE FOR TODAY
Academic Research
Principles of Good Searching
Searching in the Research Databases &
Library Catalog
Citing Sources & EndNote
5. A literature review is part of the published work referencing
related research, theory, and background information
A review of the literature (literature search) may be conducted
to…
understand a topic
help you form a research question
provide confirmation of an already existing
hypothesis
analyze and interpret your own data
gain exposure to past, current, and ongoing
research about a subject you are exploring for
research of your own
REVIEWING LITERATURE
6. PEER REVIEW
A process for establishing authority of
scholarly research
Experts in the field/discipline review the
original ideas to certify the accuracy, validity,
and value of the results
Chubin, D. E., & Hackett, E. J. (2005). Peer Review. In C. Mitcham (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and
Ethics (Vol. 3, pp. 1390-1394). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. Retrieved from
http://libproxy.uhcl.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3434900491&v=2.1&u=txshr
acd2589&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&asid=67e06d81c0d758521a67ba637722e45c
“AUTHORITATIVE” INFORMATION:
7. WHAT ARE SOME SOURCES OF
SCHOLARLY INFORMATION?
Peer-reviewed journal articles
Books
Reference works (encyclopedias, textbooks)
Gray literature
Reports (government, industry,
non-governmental organizations)
Theses & dissertations
Conference proceedings
Archives
“Computer laptop” by Steve Hillebrand, licensed under public domain
9. DISSECT THIS CITATION
What is the…
Article title
Authors
Journal name
Volume number
Issue number
Page number range
Year of publication
DOI
Hails RS, Morley K. 2005. Genes invading
new populations: a risk assessment
perspective. Trends Ecol Evol. 20(5):245-
252. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2005.02.006
10. HOW DO I FIND AN ARTICLE
WHEN I HAVE A CITATION?
A. Google
B. OneSearch
C. A subscription database, such as
Biological Abstracts or BioOne
11. Hails RS, Morley K. 2005. Genes invading
new populations: a risk assessment
perspective. Trends Ecol Evol. 20(5):245-
252. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2005.02.006
12. EXERCISE 1: SEE PAPER HANDOUT
Title: Proposed Definition of Environmental Damage Illustrated
by the Cases of Genetically Modified Crops and Invasive Species
Lead Author: Bartz
Journal name? Database? Year of Publication?
Using OneSearch, search for the subject:
genetically modified crops invasiveness
Use the refinement tools on the left to limit the results to journal articles
published in the last 10 years and browse the results for a relevant article
13. SECTION 2: PRINCIPLES OF GOOD
SEARCHING
On the Scent. Image licensed CC-BY on Flickr by stephen bowler.
14. • Determine your research question1
• Identify the key concepts2
• List alternate keywords, synonyms, and related words3
• Join terms and concepts with appropriate Boolean operators4
• Make use of database’s limiters & suggested subject terms5
• Organize and cite your sources6
SEARCH PROCESS
15. One
• What are some ecological risks of introducing
genetically modified crops into the environment?
Two
• What effects do genetically modified crops have
on invasiveness, vertical/horizontal gene flow,
biodiversity, and influence on other products?
Three
• What are the risks of genetically modified crops
invading natural communities?
1. DETERMINE YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION
16. 2. IDENTIFY THE KEY CONCEPTS
Genetically modified crops
invasiveness
risks
What are the risks of genetically
modified crops invading natural
communities?
30. • State your research topic1
• Identify the key concepts2
• List alternate keywords, synonyms, and related words3
• Join terms and concepts with appropriate Boolean operators4
• Make use of database’s limiters & suggested subject terms5
• Organize and cite your sources6
SEARCH STRATEGIES
34. EXERCISE 2: SEE PAPER HANDOUT
Write down two key concepts for the topic:
How has three dimensional printing been developed for use in bone
and tissue?
Write down 1-3 alternate terms, synonyms, and related words
for each concept
Go to Biological Abstracts, Environment Complete, BioOne, or
MEDLINE
Join terms together with parentheses () and Boolean operators
(AND/OR)
Use database limiters to narrow and refine your results. Write
down additional alternate terms above as you browse the results
37. Ask a Librarian
Stop by the reference desk or schedule a
research consultation!In person
library@uhcl.edu
Email
281-283-3910
Phone
Text
http://libanswers.uhcl.edu
281-816-4341
IM