Postgraduate Course FeedbackPRS4799

Literature searching

November 2013

Today we will cover…

• Using your Library Subject Guide

• Searching Barbour and British Standards Online

• Searching journal databases effectively for relevant articles

• Accessing the articles you have found in full-text

Finding your Library Subject Guide

MyUniHub

My Study

My Library

Library subject guides

Public Health, Risk, Safety & Environment

Library Subject Guide

Accessing today’s resources

Library subject guide: Public Health, Risk, Safety & Environment

Resources tab

Finding journal articles / Using databases

Barbour

• The first time you use Barbour you need to register yourself• Do this when on campus, after logging into MyUniHub

British Standards Online

If necessary,click here to log in

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?)

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.

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 from 2 days to 1 week.

• 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

Managing your references

• Use bibliographic management software

• RefWorks

• myUniHub > MyStudy > MyLibrary > Databases > R

• How to guides:– http://bit.ly/RefWorkshelp

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