Postgraduate Course FeedbackBIO2003

Literature searching

November 2013

Today we will cover…

• How to access and use journal databases

• How to search effectively to find relevant articles

• How to access the articles you have found in full-text

What is a journal?

• Similar format to a magazine

• Published regularly

• Focuses on a particular academic discipline

• Contains articles by different authors

• Also contains book reviews & editorials

What is in a journal database?

• This is an example of a record from the database Medline.• Can you find these pieces of information in the record?

Journal Title, Issue, Article title, Volume,

Page Numbers, Date, Author/s

• Is there an Abstract available? (What is an Abstract?)

Quick ways to find journal articles:

1) Google Scholar

MyUniHub

My Study

My Library

Summon

Quick ways to find journal articles:

2) Summon

Quick ways to find journal articles:

2) Summon

Journal databases

• The chance to search a collection of journals that is specifically for your subject/s

• More options to refine your search results

• Journals are usually all peer-reviewed

Peer review

• A formal procedure for checking the quality of research before it is published.  

• If a publication is peer reviewed it means it has been read, checked and authenticated by independent, third party academics (peers).

• The quality-control system of academic publishing for hundreds of years.

Accessing journal databases

MyUniHub

My Study

My Library

Library subject guides (choose your guide)

Resources tab

Finding journal articles / Using databases

Key databases

Web of Science (Science Citation Index)The leading science and technical journals

Science DirectElsevier’s excellent online journal package

Medline

The premier biomedical database

A few search tips…

• Look for an ‘Advanced search’ page

• Use specific keywords (not long sentences) and combine them in separate search boxes.e.g. flood AND policy

A few search tips…

• Try synonyms for your keywords

e.g. congenital malformation / birth defects

• To search for a phrase, use “ ”

e.g. “climate change”

• To find different word endings, use *

e.g. flood* (finds flood, floods, flooding)

Web of Science (Science Citation Index)

Choose only thedatabases thatare relevant:

Science Direct

To get full-text only:

Choose AdvancedSearch, then the Journals tab

Select Subscribed journals and Open Access articles

Select 2003 to present

Medline

Have we got access to the full-text?

• A link to the full-text article may appear.

• If it does not, go to the Library Catalogue and do an A-Z Search for the journal title.

Have we got access to the full-text?

Search the Library Catalogue to see if we have access to the full-text of this article:

If we do not have access…

• Go to My Study > My Library > Inter-Library Loans, log in and complete a request form

• You will receive a PDF link to the article via email

• Takes 1-2 weeks.

• There is a charge of £3 for this service

Other libraries

• Sconul Access Scheme http://www.sconul.ac.uk/using_other_libraries/access/

• British Library http://www.bl.uk/

Referencing

Referencing

Need help?

• Librarians in the Specialist Zone (1st floor) 11-3 Monday – Friday (on call 9-11, 3-5)

• Ask a Librarian http://askalibrarian.mdx.ac.uk/ • BMS Library Subject Guide

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/biomedicalsciences