Demonstration on Web of Science

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• Demonstration on Web of Science
• (for MDG5214 Research Skills)
• Conducted by
• Hew Yik Suan
• Manager
• Medical/Science Library
• 31 August 2007

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Objectives

• Learn how to
• devise effective literature search strategy
• utilize relevant reference databases for the
  research project

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At the end of this briefing, you would be
able to

• initiate a systematic approach on conducting
  research e.g. how to use Boolean operators to
  construct search strategy
• perform the search effectively in the relevant
  reference databases ( Web of Science )

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Starting a Research Project
Identify the research topic

Initiate literature search
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How to initiate a literature search?

• Start with a simple / quick literature search in
  LINC.
• Follow with an extensive search in relevant
  reference databases.

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How to construct the search statement?
List synonyms for each concept
Identify keywords main concepts
Think of the broader terms for each concept to
get a better perspective on your research topic
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• Research Topic
• Altruism in Animals

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Encyclopedia of Life Sciences

• One of the most comprehensive reference sources
  for life sciences
• It comprises of more than 3,000 specially
  commissioned, peer-reviewed articles from 5,000
  contributors from all over the world
• Updated monthly

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Altruism

• Behavior by an animal that favors the survival of
  other animals of the same species at its own
  expense.
• Selfless concern for the well being of others
• The practice of thinking of the needs and desires
  of other people instead of your own
• Sacrifice, if necessary of life itself, so that
  others, offspring or other genetically close
  younger relatives, may survive or otherwise
  benefit.

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Search ConceptResearch Topic Altruism in
Animals
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Search Statement

• Boolean operators
• OR is used to indicate that any of the terms may
  be present
• AND is used to indicate that both terms must be
  present

NOT is to eliminate an unwanted concept or word
in your search statement
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• Use Boolean operators to formulate
• the search statement
• For example
• (altruis OR unselfish behavi OR selfless) AND
  (animal) NOT (Ant OR Formicidae OR
  Hymenoptera)
• altruism, altruist, altruistic
• behavior, behaviour, behavioral
• animal, animals, animalia (Latin word)

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Recap

• 1. Identify your research topic
• 2. List the keyword, synonyms broader terms
• 3. Use Boolean operators to construct the search
  statement
• 4. Perform the search in the relevant reference
  databases

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Web of Science

• Multi-disciplinary databases to search for
  specific articles.
• Covers about 8,700 high impact research journals
• Unique by its citation search
• Coverage begins from 1900. NUS Libraries
  subscribes from 1980 onwards
• Updated weekly

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NUS Libraries Portal

Live WOS Demo
http//www.lib.nus.edu.sg
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General Search
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General Search
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Cited Reference Search
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Cited Reference Search
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Advanced Search
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WOS (Eliminating author self-citation search)

• To exclude authors self-cited articles
• Perform a Cited Reference Search to find all
  articles that have cited the author.
• Go to General Search and do an author search for
  that cited author.
• Then go to Advanced Search and combine the two
  search sets with a NOT
• (Results of cited reference search) NOT
  (results of author search) X

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Exercise

• How many times Hew CL has been cited by others?
• Which paper from Hew CL is most cited by others?

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Answer

• Question How many times Hew CL has been
  cited by others?
• 1. Go to General Searach
• 2. Use Author Finder search
• Enter the name of the author (Hew C L)
• Select the subject categories associated
  with the
• author (Life Sciences
  Biomedicine)
• Select institutions associated with the author
  (Natl Univ
• Singapore, Univ Toronto, Mem Univ
  Newfoundland )
• 3. Click Citation Report (to view the citation
  count)
• Question Which paper from Hew CL is most cited
  by others?
• Sort by Times cited
• See Total

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Exercise

• Has National University of Singapore published
  any article on dengue virus ?
• Who is the author of NUS who published the most
  papers on dengue virus ?

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Answer

• Question Has National University of Singapore
  published any article on dengue virus?
• 1. Go to General Search
• 2. Type Dengue virus under Topic search field
• 3. Click on Refine Your Result and select
  Institution
• 4. Select Natl Univ Singapore and click on
  View records
• Question Who is the author of NUS who published
  the most papers on dengue virus?
• Click on Analyze under Analyze Result
• Select Author and click on Analyze
•  Field Author    Record Count  
  of 53
• Chow, VTK  16 
  30.1887

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NUS Libraries Portal
Show you how to use the resources available in
the NUS Libraries
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E-Resources Online Guide for Biological
Scienceshttp//www.lib.nus.edu.sg/lion/sg/sc/biol
/biol.html
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This PowerPoint presentation is available
viahttp//libpweb1.nus.edu.sg/lion/slb/WOS.ppt
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Handouts

• 1. PowerPoint notes
• http//libpweb1.nus.edu.sg/lion/slb/WOS.ppt
• 2. 2-pages guide Web of Science (Basic
  Advanced search)

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Need help ?

• Come to the Information Desk
• Tel [phone]
• Hew Yik Suan (Mrs)
• slbhewys_at_nus.edu.sg
• Tel [phone]

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Thank you
Please complete the feedback form

• All the best in your research !