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CHEM 4030/4031 Biochemistry: Library Research Session

Databases Review

Basic Research Strategy

1. Identify and develop your topic:

      --Find a topic that interests you

      --State your topic as a question
         (e.g. "What effect does the plastic debris have on the marine ecology?" )

      --Identify the main concepts and keywords
         "What effect does the plastic debris have on the marine ecology?"

2. Locate a background information on your topic using 
   Specialized/Subject-specific Encyclopedias and Online Encyclopedias 
 
       --Provide more extensive coverage of a topic than a General Encyclopedia.

       --Help you to get a better understanding of your topic and clarify your ideas

       --Supply the keywords that are commonly used in a discipline

       --Provide related articles in Bibliography (References)

3. Create a list including;

       --Search terms: relevant terms, synonyms, brooder & narrower terms, or 
         descriptive phrases that describe your topic

       --Call numbers you discovered for relevant books 

       --Subject Headings: browse LCSH online to look up broader terms, narrower 
         terms, variants, and related terms.
         (Enter keyword or phrase, select "LC Subject Headings," and then click "Search")
 
       --Names of experts and organizations

       --Titles of scholarly journals related to your topic

4. Select Resources considering;    

       --What are you going to research?

       --What are your information requirements?
         (Consider the type, quantity, and format)

       --What kind of assignment do you have to complete?

       --How much information do you need?

       --What types of publications do you want to read?
        (books, newspaper, journal, or consumer magazine articles, government
         documents, & primary sources)

       --What format do you need? (audio-Visual, print, electronic)

5. Search library’s HPU Discovery to locate:

       --Articles

       --Books & Ebooks 

       -- Reference Books

       -- VHS, DVD, & Streaming Videos


6. Browse your libraries’ shelves for the call number discovered in step 5.

7. Search library’s A-Z Databases to locate:

       --E-Books

       --Online Encyclopedias (Reference & Statistics)

       --Journal & Magazine (Consumer or Trade) Articles

       --Newspaper Articles

       --HPU Graduate Professional Papers
        (On Campus Access Only)

8. Search Tips

       --Do a trial search, using a few of the specific key terms for your topic.

       --Review the first few articles and focus on the subject terms used.

       --Revise your search using;

             *Boolean Operators [ AND, OR, NOT ] to combine 
              more than two search terms.

             *Quotation marks [ "  " ] for searching  phrases.

             * Wild card characters [ ? & * ]

       --Refine or narrow your search using limiters such as date range, article 
           type, full-text availability, etc.

       --Revise search again for more focus, if necessary 

9. Evaluate what you found: skim everything you locate to determine which resources may be the most useful.

10.Revise/refine your search as necessary: repeat steps 5 through 9 as necessary.


Source:
George, M. W., (2008). Strategy and Tools for Discovery.  The Elements of Library Research (pp. 67-69). New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Library Research Session

PRESENTATION:

  • Types of Scientific Sources
    • Peer-reviewed
    • Primary vs. Secondary Sources
       
  • Use Boolean Operators & Building a Search Query

 SEARCH DEMONSTRATION:

  • Searching Databases:
    ​---ACS Publications
    ---ScienceDirect
    ---SciFinder​ (Overview & Introduction to SciFinder)
    ---NCBI
  • Research Guides: CHEM 4030/4032: Biochemistry Lab Research Guides

ACS Citation Style

Information Literacy Resources

About Information Literacy e-learning Module 
(developed by the University of Otago, Dunedin College of Education and Otago Polytechnic

-Digital Information Literacy

-Ethical Use of Information

-Evaluating Information Sources

-How to write a scientific report?

-What is Information Literacy?
(Springboard Module For Teachers)
 

A Checklist of Information Competencies for College Students 
(created by by a team of California State University and California community
college librarians)

Biology Information Competence Assignments

Chemical Information Sources/ Molecular Visualization Tools and Sites

Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education (filed February 2, 2015 as one of the constellation of information literacy documents from the association.)   

    PDF Version

Information Literacy for Students of Chemistry

-CCIIM: Clearinghouse for Chemical Information Instructional Materials

Information Literacy Game 
(The University of North Carolina, Greensboro)

Information Literacy Standards for Science and Technology (June 2006)