Finding Research Articles for Biology Courses

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Finding Research Articles forBiology Courses

• Houston Cole Library
• Jacksonville State University
• 2007

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Objectives

• Use the librarys online catalog to find journal
  titles
• Use the librarys databases to find scholarly
  research articles in Biological Sciences,
  Elsevier Science Direct, others

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Is It a Scholarly Article?

• Where did you find it? Web or database search?
• Who is the publisher?
• Often a professional organization
• Is it peer-reviewed or refereed?
• Does it have an editorial board?
• Look in the front of the print journal to see
• Look for journal description or information
  online

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Is It a Scholarly Article? Cont.
Does it have at least two of the following
sections?
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Where Do I Find Articles?

• Library Catalog-find journal titles
• Databases-find journal articles
• Serials Solutions-search by title or subject
  areas to see if the journal is available in
  electronic format in a database

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Where Do I Find Articles,Cont.

• Full text articles may be found in
  library-subscribed databases (restricted access
  for registered users)
• Biological Sciences
• Elsevier Science Direct
• Wiley InterScience Life Science Journals
• Some general databases Academic Search Premier,
  Expanded Academic ASAP

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Where Do I Find Articles, Cont.

• Citation/abstract databases
• Biological Sciences
• Library subscribed database
• PubMed
• free from NIH, Web accessible
• When you find a citation, look for the full text
  of the article in the JSU catalog and/or
  databases

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What's a Citation?What's an Abstract?

• Citations are information about the article,
  including author, article title, journal title,
  volume and issue numbers, and page numbers
• Abstracts are article summaries, often with
  outline of methodology, other components

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Click Here for Catalog Access
Find Journal Titles
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Where Do I Find Articles, Cont.

• Limited reputable full text sources are available
  free on the Web, such as the sites below,
  although there may be a delay of up to one year
  before articles are on the site.
• PubMed Central
• BioMed Central
• (free, but requires registration)
• HighWire Press

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Examples of Research Journals and Where to Find
Them

• Ecology Expanded Academic ASAP, InfoTrac
• American Journal of Botany General Science Full
  Text
• Journal of Mammalogy ASM Online Journals,
  Academic Search Premier, in print in the library

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How Do I Find a Full-text Article?

• Check library's online catalog for the journal
  title to see if we subscribe
• Find electronic format with Serials Solutions
• Web sources, including PubMed Central, HighWire
  Press, BioMed Central
• Links from the database record to the catalog and
  Serials Solutions

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Why can't I get access to the article text?

• Some databases may restrict access to current
  text online for six months to a year, so check
  available dates. See example entry below
• Annual review of phytopathology  (0066-4286)
  from 01/01/1996 to 1 year ago in Academic Search
  Premier
• from 01/01/1997 to 1 year ago in Wilson OmniFile
  Full Text Mega Edition
• This delay is called an embargo

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Biological Sciences database

• Go to the library home page
• Click on Databases/Electronic Resources
• Choose Biological Sciences from title list
• Type a word or phrase in the search box, click
  the Search button

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Click Databases/Electronic Resources
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Type in term(s), click Search
Biological Sciences search screen
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Click on Full Text Linking for article.
Biological Sciences result screen
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Text of linked article in another database
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Elsevier Science Direct

• Start at the library home page
• Click on Find Articles (Databases)
• Choose Elsevier Science Direct from Databases by
  Title, then click on GO
• In the search box, type one or more words or a
  phrase related to your topic

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Type term(s), click Search button
Science Direct search screen
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Click for .pdf of article, opens with Adobe reader
Science Direct results list
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Image of article (pdf)
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The Article Is Not in This Database. Now What?

• Serials Solutions is linked from the Librarys
  home page and "Find Articles" page.
• Check to see if the journal is available
  full-text in a database with Serials Solutions.
  If it is, you can click on a link to go to that
  database.

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Searching Serials Solutions
Type name of journal, click Search
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Search Results for Ecology
Click on a link to go to database
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Access the Journal in Expanded Academic ASAP
Database
Click on "full-text" to go to article
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Text of Article
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Additional Resources

• Houston Cole Library Distance Education Services
  page
• Frequently Asked Questions

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Contact Paula Barnett Ellis

• Health and Sciences Librarian
• Office on Library's 9th Floor
• phone [phone]
• e-mail pbarnett_at_jsu.edu
• Toll-free number for Library Reference Desk
• 1-800-231-5291

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My hours

• Monday 330 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Tuesday 730 a.m. to 430 p.m.
• Wednesday 730 a.m. to 430 p.m.
• Thursday 730 a.m. to 430 p.m.
• Friday 730 a.m. to 430 p.m.
• Lunch Usually 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.