Database assignment

For this assignment, it’s best if you have chosen a topic for your paper. You could still change your topic after this, but this assignment can get you started on researching your paper.

1. For the topic you have chosen, brainstorm at least five search terms here.

2. Now find one background resource on the Web by searching Google. List the URL of the Website here. Figure out who wrote the text and assess their credibility. Is this a trusted site? What is your evidence? What might you not trust about this information?

 

3. From your background resource, find at least three new search terms:

 

4. Now take your search terms and go to Georef. Find the truncation symbol, and do one search using that symbol. Find a minimum of three relevant sources and add them to your search folder (icon on right-hand side of each entry). Open your folder (folder icon at the top right-hand side). The mail the references to yourself. Print out the e-mail and attach it to this handout to turn in.

5. Now go back to the Library database page, and look at the Biology databases. Choose PubMed. Perform the same search in PubMed, and find a minimum of three new sources. Click on one reference, and find one new article in the “related citations” box. E-mail the results to yourself (find instructions in the FAQs – see menu on left side of PubMed home screen). Print out the e-mail and attach it to this handout.

6. Take one author from your reference list, and run a search on Google to find a publications list for that person. Find a minimum of one new reference this way. List it here.

 

7. Now take one reference and run a citation search in Google Scholar. Find instructions for setting up Google Scholar here: http://csus.libguides.com/GoogleScholar. Choose an older reference, and enter the author and a word or two from the title into Google Scholar. Find your article on your results page, and look at the bottom line of the entry. In light blue, it should say "Cited by" and a number. Click on that link. These are the papers that cited your paper since it was published. Record at least one relevant reference here.