| Research Orientation for
: BI-110 Topics: Environmental Science Spring 2008 Professor: Peter Hope |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The following simple search statement can be broken down to searchable terms. Each term can be broken down to synonymous, broader, or narrower terms. You will find terms as you progress in your research using Reference sources, citation records and journal articles.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| There can be many
possible searches using the above terms in computer database searching. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| B. Reference Materials | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| B. Reference Materials | Reference Materials for the Sciences can
be found in the section: Q. Species can be found in
QL. Botany and Plant topics can be found in QK
and SB-SD. Medicine and Health can be found in the R's.
This can be a good place to find background materials, science specific
encyclopedias or dictionaries, statistical sources, Internet guides, and
field guides. Some sources to start with:
**Reference Sources: Secondary Source (Can lead you to Primary Sources) -ALS0, Statistical Data Access Science - Climate
Modification Biology (4 vol encyclopedia)
Credo Reference Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America
The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Fish Grizimeks Animal Encyclopedia Atlas of North American Freshwater Fisheries Environmental Encyclopedia Encyclopedia of animal
behavior Flora of North America Plants and their names : a concise dictionary More found browsing in the reference area |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| C. Searching the SMC Online Catalog: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| C. Subject and Keyword Searching |
SMC Library Catalog
Other Library
Catalogs: UVM, WorldCat WorldCat The OCLC Online Union Catalog, containing over 50 million records of books, Web resources, and other material owned by libraries worldwide. It is the the world's largest database of bibliographic information, and represents 4,000 years of recorded history. Searching for Books and Materials in the Library Catalog using Subject and Keyword Searching: [Use the LCSH: Library of Congress Subject Headings to find subject headings] **SUBJECT SEARCHING (FOR BOOKS) - possible
headings (not exhaustive) **KEYWORD SEARCHING (For searching Books, Academic Search Premier EX - Environment? and Polic? Keyword allows you to use "natural language" searching &
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D. Science Indexes and Fulltext Databases (use the same techniques of keyword and subject searching used for the online catalog) Truncation symbols for different databases | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| D. Science Indexes and Full text Databases |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| E. Internet Sources | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Internet Sources may be found via search engines, subject directories, or
U.S. Government sites. Remember to evaluate Internet information for bias or being
backed by special interests. Actually, information from any source should be
evaluated by currency, authority, authorship, methodology, or bias. Be cautious of any
source that can not provide that information. See
Evaluating
Internet Sources
Botany.com: the Encyclopedia of Plants EE Link Envirofacts Data
Warehouse and Applications (EPA) Envirolink Environmental News Network Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Library of the
Environment The Scorecard Surf Your Watershed: A Service to
Help You Locate, Use, and Share Environmental Information About Your Place
(EPA) United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Union World Resources Institute |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
F. In-Class Assignment
Write out a search statement in sentence form of a topic that you might are looking for in this class --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Identify the two or three main concepts in your search statement and break them down into synonymous, narrower, or broader terms. You will find terms as you in the process of research - jot them down Concept 1
and
Concept 2
and Concept 3 2 2 2 3 3 3
In the next 45 minutes - Find the following on your topic:
2. Find a guidebook in the reference section or library collection that will answer the following questions about the plant or animal species you are researching A) What is the Latin name and genus? B) What geographic areas of the world is its habitat? C) What are its main food source(s)?
3) Find one Internet source on your topic? 4.Find a book in the collection using the online book catalog on a topic of environmental science. A) Print out the book record citation B) Find the book in the stacks and bring back to the Instruction Room 5) Browse one of the journals provided at the top of this handout/webpage. Find an article and briefly evaluate it by the following criteria-- authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency and coverage (Print out or write down the journal source) 6) - List 2 points about the research process or this assignment that was frustrating or confusing
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
