Biology 140

The search for primary & review information resources

at the Mardigian Library

January 2004

What you will learn:

The steps involved in the development of scientific informationThe characteristics of primary, secondary, and review articlesHow to do hands-on searches with the goal of leaving with at least 1 article.

Where does (scientific) information come from?

Suggestions from you:Think about your own research.From what sources does the researcher obtain his or her information?

The Information Process

Investigation of an eventInformation gathering/literature reviewConducting the researchDiscussion of results with others

Conferences & ProceedingsJournals: Peer ReviewedTV, Radio, MagazinesBooks & TextsEncyclopedias & Reference Works

Time

Generally, a year for each step after the research is completed

Conceive, fund, conduct researchPresentation at professional conferences & publish in proceedingsPreparation and submission to a journal for publishingAppearance in secondary sources

Pause

Compressed several years into a few minutes.Went through the major literature/information sources.

Now discuss primary journals and the peer review process.We’ll then discuss secondary journals and their function.

Journals & Primary Resources

JournalsPrimary means of scientific communicationPeer Reviewed

Maintains integrity of research processRigorous questioning ensures that all aspects/interpretations of the results are explored/explained.

Additional Primary Article Characteristics:

Published in a journal: few pictures, little advertising, mostly textWritten by the person doing the researchUsually several pages in lengthLook for these components:

Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References

Secondary Article Characteristics

Written by authors who did not do the research. Article summarizes the research and results, so is easier for general public to understandPublished in a popular magazinesOften in sections of the magazine called Article Summary, Articles, News Reviews, Newscripts, Research Focus, etc.

The Review Article:

Published in primary research journal’s “review” section or in a secondary scientific source such as Scientific American and Science News and can be:

An overview of current research in an areaA background summary of the important developments in this area of research.Extensive bibliography of significant articles important to the development in this field.

More technical secondary article; written for scientists, not general public

Reading the Primary Article

Abstract: Summary of paperIntroduction: Putting research into context of what’s been done beforeMethods/Results: Technical descriptionsDiscussion: Describes what researchers found and whyReferences for developing research

Practice session on identifying article types

DO NOT WRITE ON THE YELLOW HANDOUTS!!

Article 1: Creatine kinase shapes upArticle 2: The development of mitochondrial medicineArticle 3: An Essential Role for Katanin in Severing Microtubules in the NeuronArticle 4: Essential role of the mitochondrial apoptosis-inducing factor in programmed cell deathArticle 5: The Ribosome in ActionArticle 6: Length of the Flagellar Hook and the Capacity of the Type III Export Apparatus

Reading the Primary Article: 2

Replace technical words with general terms:

Example title: “Structure of (F1-ATPase) in mitochondria”. F1-ATPase is an enzyme; that’s what the article is about not about an organelle or cell function.Example title: “Concentration of Intracellular Hepatic Apolipoprotein E in Golgi Apparatus”. This is about a protein concentrated in the golgi apparatus and in endosomes, not Golgi Apparatus.Read the article 5 times to really GET IT.

Hints about primary article searching:

Use Science Direct, Wiley Interscience, or Kluwer online full text resourcesGo to website of the journal CellBrowse the paper issues of Cell, Journal of Cell Biology, Journal of BacteriologyBe aware of gene and protein articles; they are common, but NOT about cells

Finding the review article

Use ScienceDirect and search for your topic word(s) or phrase along with “Trends in”, “Review of”, “Progress in”, or “Current Opinion in” in the journal nameBrowse the paper issues of Review of Medical Microbiology

Library’s Home Page

Click on “Search your

topic”

Select Biology from

pull-down menu

Research Databases Page

Select Science Direct

SelectScience Direct

ScienceDirect: Click on Search

Click on Search to begin

ScienceDirect: Click on Journals

Click on Journals

Enter term(s)

Select Biological Sciences

Set date range

Click on Search

ScienceDirect: Search Screen

Currently sorted by date vs. relevance

ScienceDirect: Search Results

Title we’ll look at…

3 display formats

Science Direct: Entry #91

Format currently displayed

Article type

ScienceDirect: SummaryPlus

Science Direct: Abstract

Search term(s) are

highlighted in red

“mitochondria”, “review”, and All Sciences retrieves

185 articles

Science Direct: Review

“Trends” and “Progress” in the journal title are clues that these

publications contain review articles

In summary format you get abstract, graphics, references

Science Direct: Thumbnail

Graphic from

previous screen

enlarged by clicking icon

Science Direct: Graphic

Research or Review Article?

Would this article qualify to be used for your

review article assignment?

Note the sections

Note the major sections in the article outline

Other full text resources

Blackwell SynergyKluwerProQuestPubMed: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ Wiley InterscienceWilson Select

2nd floor of the library has bound and recently received journals available. They are filed alphabetically by title.

The Handouts

My name and contact informationSelected Primary JournalsHints for searchingDistinguishing between Primary and Secondary articlesAnalyzing Scientific ResearchCell with organellesOff-campus access to library resources