Spring1999

INFS 470 Special Topics: Scientific Literature and Communication in the Sciences
Project 1. Scientific Literature Research Project

Objectives of Project 1:

• Carry out a scientific literature research project from inception to organization of search results.
• Define the research task
• Develop search strategy
• Select databases
• Carry out searches
• Compile the research into usable bibliography that is organized in a meaningful way (chronological, category, etc.)
• Write a one page introduction to the bibliography

Part 1. Task definition [ Due March 16 ]

Part 1 is the exploratory stage of your research. You will come up with a topic, do some preliminary research to explore it, and ultimately end up with a more focused topic by the end of Part 1. Complete "Section A" using your current knowledge of the topic, without doing any research. In "Section B," you will begin doing preliminary research.

Section A

1. Select a topic in the sciences which you would like to research for this project. A "senior thesis" topic would be a good choice. Or just choose a topic which interests you. Write here your preliminary thesis statement (a one-sentence or one-phrase description of your topic). For example: connections between smoking and heart disease

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2. Consider what individual concepts make up the topic. For example, the sample topic has two concepts: smoking and heart disease [Note: Not all words in the description of a topic represent concepts that need to be part of your search strategy. For example, "connections between" describes what you are seeking, but may not contribute to better search results. Most topics have two to four concepts.]

a. List the important concepts (Add more concepts if needed)

b. For each concept, think of alternate words -- synonyms or related terms. Be as detailed as necessary. Include both common and scientific terms if appropriate.
For example, for "smoking": smokers, tobacco, secondhand smoke
For example, for "heart disease": heart attack, coronary….

Synonyms & related terms for all your concepts:

3. Do you want articles in any language(s) other than English?

If so, please specify ________________________________________

4. What years of publication do you intend to search? _________________________________________

5. Are their other restrictions or limitations on the information you need (for example: geographic, age, school level, human, animal, female, male....)? If so, please specify ______________________________

6. If there are authors or organizations that you suspect might be important in this research, please list names as completely as possible.

Section B

7. Begin exploring the topic by doing preliminary research based on the concepts and terms you identified above. In this stage, you are learning more about issues, dates, terminology, etc. so that you have enough information to focus your topic.

a. Start by searching Expanded Academic Index in Infotrac Searchbank. Cite two (2) good articles you find. [If you cannot find two good articles with this database, write down how you did the search and offer a good explanation for your lack of results. Also, if you found 1 good article, please cite it here.]

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2)

b.. Cite two (2) good articles you find using General Science Index in OCLC Firstsearch. [If you cannot find two good articles with this database, write down how you did the search and offer a good explanation for your lack of results. Also, if you found 1 good article, please cite it here. ]

1)

2)

c. Cite two (2) good books you find using the Library Catalog of the entire SD Library Network. [If you cannot find two good books with this database, write down how you did the search and offer a good explanation for your lack of results. Also, if you found 1 good book, please cite it here.]

1)

2)

d. Cite two (2) more good books you find using Worldcat in OCLC Firstsearch. [If you cannot find two good books in this database, write down how you did the search and offer a good explanation for your lack of results. Also, if you found 1 good book, please cite it here.]

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2)

8. Based on your searches in number 7 above, describe fully the topic on which you are seeking information. You may not have had the opportunity to actually read the articles at this point, so you are basing this description of your search on your discoveries during the online searches. Use your own words, and be as specific as possible as you write this paragraph about the topic. The paragraph should indicate key issues and concepts. If you feel that nothing in your preliminary research in the above databases helped you, then look up the topic in the Encyclopedia Britannica (link to Encyclopedias on the library's homepage, then to Britannica online) and/or in the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (cd-rom available in library). Did you use Encyclopedia Britannica? _______ Did you use McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology? _________

9. Now it's time to revise your research plan, based on what you've learned. Determine what individual concepts make up the topic. [It is possible that you started with a very focused topic and considerable knowledge -- in which case, you may not have any revisions. If so, please make that clear in each of the questions below, rather than leaving them blank.]

a. List the important concepts

b. For each concept, think of alternate words -- synonyms or related terms.

Be as detailed as necessary. Include both common and scientific terms if appropriate.

Synonyms & related terms for:

10. Do you want articles in any language(s) other than English?

If so, please specify ________________________________________

11. What years of publication do you intend to search? _________________________________________

12. Are their other restrictions or limitations on the information you need (for example: geographic, age, school level, human, animal, female, male....)? If so, please specify ______________________________

13. If there are authors or organizations of particular interest, please list names as completely as possible.

14. Show here how you would do this search in an OCLC Firstsearch database.

RLS 3/99