searching for science generalities fred o’bryant applied sciences librarian charles l. brown...
TRANSCRIPT
Searching for Science
Generalities
Fred O’BryantApplied Sciences Librarian
Charles L. Brown Science and Engineering Library
University of Virginia
2006
What We’ll Cover…
• Some basic definitions
• Major resources (mostly online) for researching general science and engineering topics
• History of science resources
• An experiment or two
• Hands-on work
What Is Science?
A way of learning about the physical universe by applying the principles of the scientific method, which include making empirical observations, proposing hypotheses to explain those observations, and testing those hypotheses in valid and reliable ways.
Adapted slightly from NOAA’s Coral Reef Information System webpage
Science also refers to the organized body of knowledge that results from scientific study.
Let’s Do Some Science…
…with Falling Bodies
The “Sapienza” (Place of Wisdom): the oldest building of theUniversity of Pisa.
Aristotle (384 – 322 BC)
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
Go to the experiments…
The Essence of Science
• Observe
• Propose
• Test
• Record
• Modify
• Repeat as often as necessary…
Science ≠ Absolute Truth
Categories of Science
• Physical Sciences
• Life Sciences
• Applied Sciences
• Mathematics
Natural Science
The study of the physical world…
…rather than of divine processes.
Mathematics
Not a science, strictly speaking.
Physical Science
• Astronomy
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Geology
• Weather
Life Science
• Biology & Botany
• Biochemistry• Ecology &
Environment• Genetics• Medicine• Psychology
Applied Science
• Aerospace• Biomedical• Civil• Chemical• Computer Science• Electrical• Mechanical• Materials Science• Systems
LC Science Classifications
• BF Psychology
• HA Mathematical Statistics
• Q Natural Science
• R Medicine
• S Agriculture
• T Applied Sciences and Technology
Generalities
Broad topics
All fields
Typical undergrad or educated layperson
Databases with non-technical coverage
Databases with highly technical coverage but a broad subject base
Life Blood of the Sciences
•InfoTrac OneFile
•Lexis-Nexis
•CQ Researcher
•Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
•Ei Compendex
•Web of Science
•Factiva
Sneak Peek – Compendex Via Engineering Village 2
Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)
History of Science
Scientific Biographies
History of Science
• America: History & LifeCovers the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to present. Covers material published since 1964.
• Historical Abstracts Covers the history of all the world except North America back to 1450 CE. Covers material published since 1954.
• Periodicals Archive Online (PAO) Valuable for its coverage further back in time than America History & Life and Historical Abstracts, and for its links to full text.
• L'Année philologique sur InternetThe standard index for ancient Greece and Rome.
• International Medieval BibliographyThe standard index for the European Middle Ages.
History of Science
• ATLA Religion DatabaseProvides international coverage on all aspects of
religious studies including the religious and ethical aspects of technology and medicine.
• Philosopher’s IndexProvides indexing and abstracting from books and over
300 journals of philosophy and related disciplines. • Iter—Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Includes over 700,000 citations pertaining to the Middle Ages and Renaissance (400-1700).
• Proquest Digital DissertationsInformation on over 2 million dissertations and theses
published since 1861
Biography• Scientific and Engineering Biographies
BSEL subject guide page
• Dictionary of Scientific BiographyBSEL reference collection; covers classical to
modern times but no living persons
• Biographical Dictionary of Women in ScienceBSEL reference collection; from ancient times
to the mid-20th century
• Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century
BSEL reference collection; includes portraits
Science on the Web
More You Can Do with
Still More You Can Do with Calculate:
What is the square root of 4823650? How many cubic feet are ina cubic mile? 50 meters is how many yards? How much does a gallon of liquid weigh?
Dictionary:
Use the define: function to get definitions of terms.
Search by Number:
Parcel tracking IDs, UPCs, patents and other specialized numbers
And There’s More Than Just Google!
Search Engines
• Athenus• EEVL• Globalspec• Science.gov• Scirus
Metasearch Engines
• Ixquick• Mooter
Directories
•BUBL•DefenseLINK•INFOMINE
Any questions???
Want to Do Some More Science?
• Heavy, Heavy Hangs over Your Head: How Much Does a Thunderstorm Weigh?
• It’s a Long Way to Tipperary – and a Whole Lot Farther to the Nearest Star
Now It’s Your Turn!
Time for a Hands-on Exercise…
Thank You!
Fred O’BryantApplied Sciences Librarian
Charles L. Brown Science and Engineering LibraryE-Mail: [email protected]
March 2006