SCIENTIFIC WRITING SUPPORT FROM THE LIBRARY

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SCIENTIFIC WRITING SUPPORT FROM THE LIBRARY

• Presentation of information sources offered from
  the Geoscience Library, with emphasize on
  electronic sources

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One Institute ..

• But unfortunately two libraries
• Geology library
• Kristin Rangnes
• Marit Sørlie
• Geophysics and geography library
• Frode Kværner

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How to write a scientific report, thesis or paper?

• To write an essay or a thesis, how to build it up
  to be presented on Wednesday
• Today and tomorrow
• How to and why use sources
• How to evaluate information
• How to make a reference list
• Searching databases finding literature

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SOURCES

• You will have to search for and use knowledge of
  your subject, you will have to find information
  from different sources.
• Sources can appear in your document as you
  briefly mention it, you can summarize main ideas,
  paraphrase statements or quote directly.
• When you use information from others (scientist,
  research groups eg.) you must cite their work
  corrrectly. To cite or refer to means both to
  refer to in a text and to write a corrrect
  reference list.

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Correct use of sources shows that you

• acknowledge other scientists work
• have read literature about your subject
• is able to put your subject into a larger context
• have been able to produce own results, reach own
  conclusions
• (if you dont cite right, you may be accused for
  plagiarism!)

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Quoting

• Harvard-style or similar (APA, MLA) with
  author/year in text, is the most used at our
  institute.
• Vancouver-style (numbering system) is used by eg.
  Nature and Science.
• Always check with your tutor which style to
  choose!

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Citations and references

• Essays og similar texts all sources have to be
  in a reference list.
• Scientific works
• Citations in the text
• All citations have to be in the reference list
• All references must be written in the same style
  (same name on the same journal, do not mix
  abbreviations and full titles, consistent use of
  bold, italics eg.)

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Text

• The mid-Carboniferous Minkinfjellet Member of the
  Nordenskioldbreen Formation in central
  Spitsbergen has recently been raised to formation
  rank (Dallmann et al. 1999). Several authors have
  described the succession (Gee et al. 1951 McWhae
  1953 Cutbill and Challinor 1965 Tucker and
  Wright 1990 Keilen 1992 Dallmann 1993 Lønøy
  1995),

• but little detailed work has been carried out
  describing and interpreting its sedimentary
  facies and depositional environment which has an
  average thickness of more than 200 meters. ....
  Solution-collapse breccias produced by
  dissolution of underlying evaporite beds are one
  of the dominant lithologies within the
  Minkinfjellet basin (McWhae 1953 Eliassen 2002).

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REFERENCE LIST

• Cutbill, J.L. and Challinor, A. 1965 Revision of
  the stratigraphical scheme for the Carboniferous
  and Permian Rocks of Spitsbergen and Bjørnøya.
  Geological Magazine 102, 418-439
• Dallmann, W.K., Gjeldberg, J.G., Harland, W.B.,
  Johannessen, E.P., Keilen, H.B., Lønøy, A.,
  Nilsson, I. And Worsley, D. 1999 Upper Paleozoic
  lithostratigraphy. In Dallmann, W.K. (ed.)
  Lithostratigraphic Lexicon of Svalbard Review
  and recommendations for nomenclature use. Upper
  Paleozoic to Quaternary Bedrock 25-126. Norsk
  Polarinstitutt, Tromsø.

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• Dallmann, W.K. 1993 Notes on the stratigraphy,
  extent and tectonic implications of the
  Minikfjellet Basin, Middle Carboniferous of
  central Spitsbergen. Polar research 12, 153-160
• Eliassen, A. 2002 Sedimentological and
  diagenetic investigations of the Minikfjellet
  Formation, central Spitsbergen, Svalbard with
  particualr emphasis on the origin and evolution
  of a large gypsum paleokarst system. Unpublished
  dr.scient thesis, University of Bergen, 127 pp.
• --------- Gee et al, Keilen, Lønøy and McWhae is
  missing!
• Tucker, M.E. and Wright, V.P. 1990 Carbonate
  Sedimentology. Blackwell Scientific Publications,
  482 pp.

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To cite webpages

• Electronic sources should be treated as printed
  material, with some additions
• If the authors name is unknown use title
• Accessed or download date is part of the
  reference.
• URL is part of the reference. Make sure the link
  works!
• Take care when you use information from the web,
  is it correct and trustworthy?
• Example
• Hebert, H. (2003) Preliminary modeling of the
  tsunami triggered by the Algiers earthquake, 21
  May 2003. Retrieved 19.08.2005 from
  http//www.emsc-csem.org/Doc/HEBERT/

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How to store references?

• Write your references down in a correct format
  right from the start!
• You can use a simple list in eg Word, or make a
  database
• You can use a reference storage system, such as
  Endnote or Reference Manager

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ENDNOTE

• Is a database that will help you to
• Store your references
• Retrieve references from electronic sources
• Put citation into your written document (Word)
• Make the reference list
• Change the style of citations and references
  easily
• Handle figures, tables eg in your document and
  make figure list
• Contact the library for more information.

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EVERYTHING IS ON THE WEB!How am I supposed to
keep up with the information flow?

• How can I find what Im looking for without going
  through thousands of pages? And how will I know
  that Ive found the best and that my findings
  will be useful and correct?

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Search tools what am I going to use?

• Search engines, metacrawlers
• Google, AllTheWeb, AltaVista, Teoma, Vivisimo,
  GoogleScholar
• Stupid, but efficient machines
• Subject gateways
• Made by subject specialist, build up in a logical
  way based upon knowledge.
• BIBSYS s.g., Yahoo, several of the search engines
  have their own subject gateway.
• The hidden web
• Databases, e-journals, e-books, services with
  limited access, not accessible by most search
  engines.

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Information literacy

• To realize the need for information
• To define and formulate the need for information
• To find information efficiently
• To evaluate and use the information critically
• But how??????

Be a concious information seeker, start by
making a good search strategy!
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You will have to

• Recognize your need and define a search strategy
• Know about the best and most useful sources, eg
  databases, where your search strategy can be used
• Evaluate the sources that you choose

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Search strategy

• Background information
• Use handbooks, encyclopedias eg. Both printed and
  electronic
• Information via topic
• Books, journals. Pick good keywords, remember to
  use synonyms, truncations, combined search,
  evaluate need for precision contra completeness
• Information through sources that you already have
  (name of researchers, literature-lists in
  important articles)

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Systematic searching

• Primary studies, primary litterature and primary
  resources
• Secondary studies, secondary literature and
  secondary resources
• Reviews (add review in keyword)
• No-systematic reviews
• Systematic reviews og meta-analysis

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Reckognize your need

• What kind of information do you need and what is
  the purpose?
• Starting on a new field of interest?
• Background?
• Scientific research?
• Travelling, buying, discussions ??

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What kind of sources?

• Internet searching.
• General search or subject gateways, Google
  Scholar, Wikipedia. Open access is a growing
  business
• The hidden web BIBSYS, ISI, GeoRef, e-journals.
  Some resources are free, available for all,
  others are restricted, accessible through
  username/password or IP adresses

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Source evaluation

• Four useful criteria for evaluating
• Reliability (troverdighet) T
• Objectivity (objektivitet) O
• Accuracy (nøyaktighet) N
• Suitability (egnethet) E
• TONE (or ROSA, if you like it in english!) will
  give you a tool to help evaluate information

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Do not believe everything you read

• This is the case both for printed and electronic
  material. But extra caution has to be made when
  you use information from the web.
• Who evaluate the quality of what is written in a
  book?
• Who evaluate the information on internet?
• Who evaluate the articles in a journal?

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Evaluate the quality

• The open internet is evaluated by you and the
  author(s). Everyone can write whatever they want!
  And change it afterwards.
• What about the so called invisible part of the
  internet?
• Books are evaluated by the author, the editor,
  the publisher, the library that buys the book.
• Articles are evaluated by the author(s), the
  editor, the publisher, a lot of other scientist
  (referees), the library that subscribes on the
  journal.

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Evaluate information reliability

• Who is responsible for the page?
• A well-known organization?
• A public authority?
• A private person, well-known, aknowledged
  scientist?
• A company?
• Who owns the website?
• .edu, .com, .org, .no, .net, .eu, .dep.no

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Evaluate information Objectivity

• Sponsors? Is this a commercial site?
• What is the purpose? Selling, informing,
  discussion?
• Who is the information ment for?
• Is the information objectiv or biased, balanced
  or one-sided?

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Evaluation - accuracy

• Updating and maintenance?
• Is the page dated?
• Is it new or old?
• Are there any dead links?
• How about coverage?
• Are there any references?
• Sources, literature etc.

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Evaluation - suitability

• Which part of your field is covered?
• Is the information relevant?
• Is it scientific, written for academic society
  and fellow researchers?
• Or is it for the reader with poor background in
  your research field?

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Where am I supposed to find information?

• A good place to start will be our homepage
• http//www.ub.uio.no/umn/geol/index.html

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Inspec
Geography
BA
Referansedatabaser
GeoRef
ZR
Geologisk bibliotek
emneportal
W W W
http//www.ub.uio.no/umn/geol/
Elektroniske tidsskrifter
tidsskriftsliste
Geologisk bibliotek
elektroniske tidsskriftsliste
TIDSSKRIFT DIREKTE fra forlag /organisasjon
Diverse leverandører av elektroniske tidsskrifter
i fulltekst
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The new gateway to all electronic sources offered
by the library
Search the library database BIBSYS, reserve
books, order copies or books, renew your loans
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BIBSYS

• Database covering books, journals, thesis,
  conferences, reports found in norwegian
  University- and College libraries. Links to
  electronic journals and books. Does not contain
  articles, only references to journals.
• Must be used to find books in our library.
• Searches are free. You can order literature on
  the web if you have a usernumber (on the back of
  your student-card, uoXXXXXX)
• New platform BIBSYS Ask

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Search history
Sources
Help
Settings
Basket
Printable page
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Boolean searching AND, OR or NOT search
GIS or Norway, GIS and Norway, GIS not Norway
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X-port

• This new search service is a portal that gathers
  all electronic resources offered by the library.
  You will find databases, e-journals, e-books,
  subject gateways, reference works, encyclopedias
  within all subject areas.
• You can link to e-resources, search, set up and
  save quicksearches, save references, search
  multiple databases ..
• X-port is closely linked to the linksolver SFX,
  look for the SFX-symbol to activate this service.

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X-port
Log in
Environment (visit UBB or NTNU)
Language
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Name of database, contains.
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Database information
Search in X-port
Add to my sets
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Add to basket
SFX-service (full-text, links, download to
reference tools)
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Go to fulltext.
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Do the same search in multiple databases or
refine seach
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Log in
Log in when you want to save searches, save
references or make quick-sets for databases or
electronic journals. Use your UiO
username/password.
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Log in on BIBSYS ask
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GeoRef

• Comprehensive database in geoscience. Covers
  world geology, but with emphasize on US-material.
• More than 2.4 mill. entries, 70 000 added every
  year
• Updated three times a year
• Connected to BIBSYS for localizing or ordering

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Direct search in GeoRef. Environment is identical
for Geography, Biological abstracts (BA) and
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SEARCHING IN GEOREF, BA eg.
English. Use and, or eller not between words.
Truncation with asterics, .
Databases are linked to BIBSYS with
This will give you access to fulltext.
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ISI Web of Science

• One of the most important scientific databases,
  covering numerous areas
• 19 000 entries added every week
• Online, high-quality journals
• Science citation index
• Connected to BIBSYS for localizing or ordering

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This is the General search-window of ISI database
English words, phrases or use AND, OR or NOT
between words. Truncate with asterics,
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Sfx for the fulltext or order in BIBSYS
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