PDI Searching the Scientific Literature
Guide for the PDI session on searching the scientific literature for non-scientists
Last Updated: Jan 7, 2011
URL: http://libguides.colostate.edu/pdinonscientist
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Getting Started: Databases
The following databases are the best "go to" science databases. If you don't know where to begin, start here.
- Web of ScienceStart here. This powerful database encompasses all science, medicine, and engineering areas.
- CAB Abstracts
- Medline via OVIDMedline is also available for free via PubMed.
- PsycInfo
- Compendex Engineering Index
- Academic Search Premier (general database)
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PDI Outline
Welcome
Introductions
Get it for me now: searching for a known item
Potato vs. Solanum tuberosum: searching for something using keywords or terms
You want what? Searching for something that you aren't quite sure of
The meaning of life: Making sense out of the data or research information
Searching time & Questions
Tools for Effective Searching
1. Keywords, Broader terms, Narrower terms
Use a variety of keywords to describe your
topic. Use the common name and scientific name, if you know both of those words/terms. If you begin your research by using reference materials such as
encyclopedias, you will often run across vocabulary to describe your topic.
- global warming or climate change
- "mountain pine beetle" OR dendroctonus ponderosae
- "alternative fuel*" OR ethanol OR biofuel*
You should remove all "stop words" from
your search. Stop words include articles, prepositions, or essentially any word
that is not a crucial, meaningful word.
2. Use quotation marks for phrase
searching
- "war on drugs"
- "alternative fuel*"
3. Use truncation to get the database to
search for a root word plus any possible endings
- flood* → flood, floods, flooded, flooding
- psycholog* → psychology, psychological, psychologist
4. Use AND, OR, and NOT to combine your
search terms
- ("mountain pine beetle" OR dendroctonus ponderosae) AND (colorado OR rocky mountain)
- "war on drugs" AND Mexico AND United States
- dolphins NOT football
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