Transportation researchTransportation research

Fall 2011Fall 2011Engineering & Computer Science LibraryEngineering & Computer Science Library

Cristina SewerinCristina Sewerin

outline

review: major search tools & databasesreview: major search tools & databases

recent changesrecent changes

citation searchingcitation searching

journal impact factorsjournal impact factors

alerting systems, bibliographic management systemsalerting systems, bibliographic management systems

your questions & recommendationsyour questions & recommendations

Guide to library materials in transportation:Guide to library materials in transportation:http://link.library.utoronto.ca/MyUTL/guides/index.cfm?guide=transportation

Article databases

Controlled language (thesauri) overcomes Controlled language (thesauri) overcomes keyword limitationskeyword limitations

Good sorting functionsGood sorting functions

Search by treatment of topic: e.g., lit review, Search by treatment of topic: e.g., lit review, theoretical, experimentaltheoretical, experimental

Advanced citation search features – identify Advanced citation search features – identify significant papers; track development of significant papers; track development of research through timeresearch through time

Refining search using

controlled vocabulary

ScholarsPortal Search: ScholarsPortal Search: where has it gone?where has it gone?

the developers (CSA the developers (CSA Illumina) have Illumina) have discontinued it discontinued it

we are no longer able we are no longer able to provide itto provide it

all other Scholars all other Scholars Portal services are Portal services are continuingcontinuing

other changes in other changes in UofT library searchingUofT library searching

SummonSummon

library.utoronto.ca website changeslibrary.utoronto.ca website changes

Using citation databasesUsing citation databases

Identify key documents using citation dataIdentify key documents using citation data

AncestorsAncestors Aka footnote tracingAka footnote tracing Use reference lists from review articles, Use reference lists from review articles,

significant articlessignificant articles

DescendentsDescendents Take most relevant articles or ‘seeds’Take most relevant articles or ‘seeds’ Follow them forward in timeFollow them forward in time

Best databases with citation info Best databases with citation info

ScopusScopus

Web of ScienceWeb of Science

Google ScholarGoogle Scholar

Journal Impact FactorJournal Impact Factor

Widely used as measure of Widely used as measure of significancesignificance of of journals in a particular fieldjournals in a particular field

Database: Database: ISI Journal Citation ReportsISI Journal Citation Reports

Produced by publishers of Web of Science & Produced by publishers of Web of Science & Web of Knowledge, therefore limited to same Web of Knowledge, therefore limited to same pool of titlespool of titles

ISI journal citation reportsISI journal citation reports

Impact factor

average number of times articles from the journal average number of times articles from the journal published in the past two years have been cited in published in the past two years have been cited in the past year the past year

e.g., Impact Factor of 2.5: on average, articles e.g., Impact Factor of 2.5: on average, articles published one or two years ago have been cited two published one or two years ago have been cited two and a half timesand a half times

citing articles may be from the same journal; most citing articles may be from the same journal; most citing articles are from different journals.citing articles are from different journals.

CriticismsCriticisms

journals mayjournals may

adopt questionable editorial policies that increase adopt questionable editorial policies that increase its impact factor, e.g., requiring a number of journal its impact factor, e.g., requiring a number of journal self-citesself-cites

publish a larger percentage of review articles which publish a larger percentage of review articles which generally are cited more than primary articlesgenerally are cited more than primary articles

change the fraction of "citable items" compared to change the fraction of "citable items" compared to front-matter …which types of articles are front-matter …which types of articles are considered "citable" is negotiable considered "citable" is negotiable

Other possible problemsOther possible problems

a small number of publications are cited much more a small number of publications are cited much more than the majority than the majority

e.g., approx 90% of Nature's 2004 impact factor e.g., approx 90% of Nature's 2004 impact factor based on 1/4 of its articlesbased on 1/4 of its articles

Eigenfactor ScoreEigenfactor Score

the number of times articles from the journal the number of times articles from the journal published in the past five years have been cited in published in the past five years have been cited in the JCR yearthe JCR year

also considers which journals have contributed these also considers which journals have contributed these citations so that highly cited journals will influence citations so that highly cited journals will influence the network more than lesser cited journalsthe network more than lesser cited journals

References from one article in a journal to another References from one article in a journal to another article from the same journal are removed, so that article from the same journal are removed, so that EigenfactorEigenfactor Scores are not influenced by journal self- Scores are not influenced by journal self-citation citation 

Alerting ServicesAlerting Services

Email alerts are sent after every Email alerts are sent after every database updatedatabase update

Sent if the update contains any new Sent if the update contains any new records that match your saved queryrecords that match your saved query

May be daily, weekly or monthlyMay be daily, weekly or monthly

RefWorksRefWorks

refworks.scholarsportal.inforefworks.scholarsportal.info

Free for U of T students, staff, facultyFree for U of T students, staff, faculty

No software installation necessary: browser-basedNo software installation necessary: browser-based

Organize & cite almost anything:Organize & cite almost anything: Journal articlesJournal articles Book chaptersBook chapters Library sourcesLibrary sources Internet sourcesInternet sources ……

Organizing (& presenting) research resultsOrganizing (& presenting) research results

Citation management softwareCitation management software

Select Select AnnotateAnnotate OrganizeOrganize Output approved-style reference listsOutput approved-style reference lists Format bibliographies, in-text citations in documentsFormat bibliographies, in-text citations in documents

refworks.scholarsportal.inforefworks.scholarsportal.info

Thank you!Thank you!

Questions, comments?Questions, comments?

Please feel free to contact me with Please feel free to contact me with questions or recommendationsquestions or recommendations

cris.sewerin@utoronto.ca