BIO2003Literature Searching

Searching, retrieving information and locating library materials

Kathy McGowan and Lesley Curtis-Brown

By the end of this session you should be able to:

Understand the range of library resources available to you.

Locate useful starting points such as the Library and IT pages on UniHub, including the Library Subject Guides

Be able to use the relevant online subject databases to find out what has been published in journals.

Getting started

A good starting point is the Library & IT pages on uniHub: http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/study/library/

From here you will find links to:- Library Catalogue - to see what is available at

Middlesex University Library Subject Guides - useful starting points

and links created by your subject librarian Electronic Resources - such as bibliographic

databases and on-line journals Also opening times, campus information &

helpsheets, especially Referencing Guide

What kind of information should I use and where do I get it from?

Books

Middlesex University Library catalogue Journals

To check availability, use the library catalogue. A journal may be available in print or online.

Example

Subject Support

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk

Evaluating Internet Resources - Questions to ask

Who has written the material?

Is this a reliable source?

Is it peer reviewed?

Is it accurate and up to date?

Evaluation Presentation (Are the aims/methods/results clear?)

Relevance (Is this what I need? Will it answer my question?)

Objectivity (Balanced view? Opposing views represented?)

Method (How was the data collected? Were the methods appropriate?)

Provenance (Who is the author, site creator, organisation, scholarly/peer reviewed journals?)

Timeliness (How old is this information? Is it still accurate/relevant?)

Principles of Literature Searching

Define your question

Identify significant keywords

Identify related terms

Identify broader and narrower terms

Watch out for spelling and terminology e.g. English vs American

How do I log in to use online journals and databases?

Most online journals and databases require University subscription - not freely available.

Need to log in to show you are from a

subscribing institution

Login to My UniHub. Go to My Study, then My Library

Access e-resources from home & university

Occasionally...You may see this screen

Click on the link and login with your myUniHubusername and password.

If so, simply follow the link

...and if asked to login again, use your network/uniHub username and password

DatabasesMost databases provide bibliographic details of

articles published in professional journals including.…

- Author and Title of an article

- Journal in which it is printed

- Volume, Part and Page Numbers of the article

- Abstract, a brief summary of the article

- Subject KeywordsIn some cases there will be a link providing access to the full text

and/or information regarding the Library’s print holdings

Useful databases

Use these Databases to find out what journal articles have been published on your topic:

Medline - database of international biomedical literature Pubmed Central – freely available full text articles Science Citation Index - not full-text Social Science Citation Index - not full-text Science Direct – full text science database

Other useful resources

Law databases: Lexis Library & Westlaw– full text access to

international case law and legislation

Newspapers: Proquest - full text UK newspaper articles

Select Database list in My Library...

Science Citation Index (SCI) Search Screen

Combining Searches in SCI

SCI Results Screen

SCI results may not provide full text

Checking the library catalogue

Full Text

Full Text

Searching Science Direct

Restrict search to subscribed journals

Search results

The full text

Useful databases for EH students

Barbour - full text health & safety, fire safety, food safety and environment and environmental health information

Business Source Complete - full text & abstracting database includes peer reviewed (scholarly) and business journals. Coverage includes OHS & EH topics

Barbour

Barbour Document Library

Barbour Full Text

A Quick Search Demonstration

To look for peer reviewed journal articles on one of the following:

Hygiene & the transmission of cholera Health impact of asbestos exposure Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) & detection of

salmonella Land use and biodiversity Climate change and public health

Now it’s your turn

Try using one or more of the following:

Barbour Science Citation Index Science Direct

You may choose your own topic

Remember: Not all databases provide access to full-

text journal articles

Use library catalogue to check availability

You may use inter-library loan/other libraries

http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/study/library/resources/ill/index.aspx

SCONUL Access Scheme

SCONUL Access Scheme provides access to other academic libraries

For more information on the scheme visit the website

http://www.sconul.ac.uk/using_other_libraries/access/

To apply, ask at the library helpdesk

British Library

Use the British Library catalogue to check if material you require is held at St Pancras Reading Rooms

You will find a link to the catalogue & information on applying for a reader’s pass and the forms of ID required on the website:

http://www.bl.uk

Referencing

You must reference your work properly with full details of all resources used, e.g. books, journal articles, websites

Keep a record of what you are using from the start of your literature searching

For information on how to reference your work, see the Natural Sciences referencing guide in your module handbooks in My Learning

And finally...

Library and IT pages: on uniHub http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/study/library/index.aspx

Library Subject Guides:http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/biomedicalsciences

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/risksafetyhealthenvironment Ask a Librarian http://askalibrarian.mdx.ac.uk/