General Information on Searching for Scientific Information
In this exercise you will access various sources where scientific information can be found and then evaluate it for credibility. There are three different types of scientific literature you’ll need to familiarize yourself with: primary, secondary and tertiary literature sources.
A brief summary:
1. Primary literaturepresents original research, is peer reviewed by EXPERTS in the field, and is very current up to date research.
Examples of primary literature include articles from the following rigorously peer reviewed journals:
Science The Journal of Organic Chemistry
Nature Journal of the American Chemical Society
2. Secondary Literaturesummarizes primary literature and tends not to be as current because it synthesizes a number of research articles that have been published over a period of time (after the original primary research has been published). The information is essentially a 'second hand' account of the research. These types of reports or articles can be peer reviewed and often are, but the level of rigor of the peer review can vary.
Examples of secondary literature include: literature reviews summarizing research, some Textbooks, abstracts, indexes, critique articles found in journals
3. Tertiary Literatureis based on primary and secondary sources. The information is written for an interested reader and usually presents factual information. The style of the report is written in popular rather than a scientific writing style. Some tertiary literature is peer reviewed and some is not. Some tertiary literature is high quality, some is not.
Examples of tertiary literature: textbooks, guidebooks, almanacs, science magazines
Not-peer reviewed: science magazines (Scientific American, National Geographic, Science News), newspapersand MOST online science news stories
Peer-reviewed: Introductory Textbooks(some textbooks can be secondary)
As a result, when doing background research for your own report writing you need to determine what type of information is needed and evaluate it for a variety of elements to determine if it is an acceptable source to use.
You should also keep in mind that a source considered secondary in one context may be considered primary in another. The above guidelines are just that 'guidelines'. You'll need to think about how you're using the source.
You can't search effectively for useful sources until you have a pretty good idea of what you're looking for and thus have a grasp of the basic concepts covered in the lab. The textbook is one place to start by taking notes on any information you think might help you better understand your topic of research. The textbook may also direct you to some primary resources.
A point that you should remember is that the goal is not to have dozens of papers to review; rather it is to find several (5-6) papers that are high-quality references and then read them carefully. It's about quality and ability to extract information from the articles so you can synthesize and then summarize information for your report/paper, not quantity.
Before you begin your search you need to do a few things:
1. Using the topic you are investigating in the lab generate a short list of key words/groups of key words that you will use to narrow the focus of the literature search. You may need to start a little more broadly and then narrow your focus as you hone in on what you're looking for.
2. Decide on the best place to start looking for the information. For example, if you know the name of an author that has published on your topic, you might start with using a database or Google Scholar. If you're really not sure what you're looking for, but have a few key words then maybe you need to go to Google Scholar first.
3. Think about the requirements of the assignment. The instructor may decide that you need to have at least two primary references as part of the total required number. Using Google Scholar, Scirus, or SciJournal is one way to remove low quality science information (i.e. prowling the internet and using a non-peer reviewed webpage as a reference is lower quality and tertiary).
4. During your search you'll likely come across many, many articles, so many that it would be nearly impossible to read all of them. Instead read the Abstract and then the Discussion/Conclusion of the paper. This will help you readily discard papers that do not meet your needs and keep those that do for more in depth reading later.
Sources of Scientific Information:
Where can you find scientific information? In databases, online, open access journals, via search engines. Here are some examples:
- Databases--A library database is an organized collection of published works. You will be able to find primary, secondary and tertiary materials through databases. There are numerous databases available online through the Douglas Library. Most of them require that you know your User ID and Password to access them. Academic Search Complete, and ScienceDirect are but two of many databases available to you.
- Open Access Journals- These are scholarly journals that are free and available online! A listing of all open access journals can be found atSciCentral.
- Google Scholar--This is a wonderful scientific search engine that indexes a vast part of the scientific literature. Using Google Scholar is a great way to get started once you have narrowed down the focus of the type of information you’re looking for and use keyword(s) for searches.Scirusis another search engine that focuses exclusively on scientific material.
- Prowling the Internet--It's okay and we all do it, but remember that you need to be very critical of the information presented on any webpage. The majority of pages have not been vetted for accuracy meaning they have NOT been peer reviewed. Prowling the internet is useful in that it could guide you to sources that are peer reviewed. Remember the webpage is likely a tertiary non-peer reviewed source of information.
Evaluating Sources
Evaluation of the source information is critical. Begin thinking about the types of questions you might ask yourself regarding a particular source of scientific information. We all should ask questions about authority, accuracy, currency, objectivity, relevance and audience. Take a look at a few critical questions you might ask yourself in the Quick Guide from Purdue UniversityEvaluating Information Sources. It summarizes nicely the types of questions you should ask yourself when evaluating different sources.
To evaluate a source we will use the CRAAP list and worksheet to guide us.
Currency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose
Citing Sources in APA Format
The Douglas Library is a wonderful online resource for you. Go to theDouglas Libraryand roam around the site. It has a lot to offer and if you haven't already familiarized yourself with the library resources take some time to do so now.
For course purposes we are interested in how to cite sources in APA style. There is a link on the right hand column titled Citing Sources. Click this link and it will bring you to a Citation Source Guide. It provides a variety of different styles. Click on APA (top ribbon) and review the material. There is a lot of information! I did not give you any direct links to the pages because I want you to explore.
In this Course Graded Assignment you will have to cite a variety of different sources in APA format. It's not necessary to memorize much of this information, but having a good idea of how to access it is an EXCELLENT idea! Also, if you've explored well enough you will have found the external links to websites that will help you generate an APA formatted citation.
An additional note: Your instructor may also require or give you an additional option to cite your references in American Chemical Society (ACS) format. If so,Williams College Libraryat is anexcellent resource.Every lab report will likely require you to do background research and find studies related to the experiment being conducted in lab. In the sciences (and social sciences) the preferred citation format is from the American Psychological Association (APA). However, chemists will also use citation and formatting guidelines as developed from the ACS. The Douglas Library has a webpage for both biology and chemistry library resources and can be found under Research Guides.
The preferred citation and formatting style will be instructor dependent. If you are taking a biology course the instructor will likely ask for APA while your chemistry instructor may ask you to use ACS style.
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