GSCI 115 – Finding a Scientific Article

Jerry Gill, 568-5898

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Periodical title abbreviations Ref. Z6945.A2 W34 1996 (Kept at Carrier Reference Desk, call 568-6267)

Periodical Locator – finds journals available through Carrier Library

Example:Environment (St. Louis)

Ulrichsweb – identify “refereed”(scholarly) journals

Example: World Resource Review

Journal article not at library? – UseInterlibrary Loan (ILL = ILLiad)

Early start! Allow for 1 week delivery of electronic copy by e-mail.

IPCC Report - Human Health: Examples:

Kovats et al., 2004

Kovats, R.S., S. Edwards, S. Hajat, B. Armstrong, K.L. Ebi and B. Menne, 2004:

The effect of temperature on food poisoning: time series analysis in 10 European

countries. Epidemiol. Infect., 132, 443-453.–SCIENTIFIC STUDY- OK to use.

Goulson et al., 2005

Goulson, D., L.C. Derwent, M. Hanley, D. Dunn and S.Abolins, 2005: Predicting

calyptrate fly populations from the weather, and the likely consequences of climate

change. J. Appl. Ecol., 42, 784-794.–SCIENTIFIC STUDY- Ok to use.

Matthews, R. and R.Wassmann, 2003:

Modelling the impacts of climate changeandmethane emission reductions on rice production: a review. Eur. J. Agron., 19,573-598.

–REVIEW ARTICLE-Do not use.

Zvereva, E.L andM.V. Kozlov, 2006:

Consequences of simultaneous elevation ofcarbon dioxide and temperature for plantherbivore interactions: a meta-analysis.Glob. Change Biol., 12, 27-41.

–REVIEW ARTICLE-Do not use.

GSCI 115 – Finding a Scientific Article

Peer-Reviewed Scientific Journal Articles

Jerry Gill, 568-5898

A peer-reviewed article must pass the scrutiny of reviewers who are experts in the research topic of the article who are not members of the editorial staff or board. In many cases the article has been subjected to a blind review process by one or more external readers.An external reviewer is one not associated with the editorial board of the journal. In a "double blind" process the author is not known to the reviewers and the reviewers are not known to the author. Two reviewers provide a broader perspective for evaluating the research. The perspective is further broadened by discussion among the editor and the reviewers as they seek to reconcile the perspectives. The manuscript is thus judged on its own merits, free from the influence of the reputation (or lack thereof) of the author.

(from WaldenUniversity Library, Peer Reviewed/ Refereed)

Original Research Articles versus Review Articles

Scientific Study or original research articles contain a description of a hypothesis, scientific methods or results.

Review articles, also known as meta-analyses or meta-studies, summarize the results from many previous (original) scientific research articles.