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This guide supports students' research
when completing the required lab write-ups.
The focus of this guide is on
understanding how to produce a literature
review/introduction section of a lab write-up. Assistance
with searching recommended databases is also provided.
Contact Yvonne Nalani Meulemans with
any questions.
Research literature
terminology
Confirm you have
an accurate understanding of the various terms used to
describe scientific publishing and research.
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Terminology review |
Journal
(or 'scholarly journal' or 'academic journal' or
'professional journal')
The main mode of communication by professionals
in a field; this regular publication provides
the venue where researches share research,
perspectives, and other scholarly communication.
Published every week, month, or every few months
like a normal magazine.
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Electronic journal
A journal that happens to be 'published' online.
There is no difference between a journal that is
published in print (like a normal magazine) and
a journal that is published online.
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Peer-review
The process by which original research submitted
for publication in a journal is reviewed by
other experts (peers) in a particular field.
Research is checked by these other experts for
data quality, methodology, and if the research
is a unique contribution to knowledge in a
particular field.
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Peer-reviewed journal article
A journal article that has undergone
peer-review. .
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Primary literature
(or 'professional
literature' or 'research literature')
Another way to describe journal articles that
provide the actual data collected, how it was
collected, and data analysis.
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Research article
(or 'empirical study')
Another way to describe journal articles that
provide the actual data collected, how it was
collected, and data analysis.
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Literature review
(or 'reviews' or 'introduction' or
'background')
Either an entire article or part of an article
that discusses what is already know on the topic
being discussed, and what is not known.When
it is part of a research article, the literature
review will also discuss how the research that
is to be discussed helps to provide further
knowledge on the subject.
Articles that are entirely literature reviews
are especially useful when you don't know much
about an topic, because they summarize what is
known and not known.
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Databases and searching
Below are
strategies and links to journal article databases.
Chunking
your search
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AND |
OR |
NOT |
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"proteasome*"
and
"protein inhibitor*" |
"ghrelin" or "leptin" |
"ghrelin" not "leptin" |
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gets results
with both
terms
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-
gets results on either or both terms
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-
gets results on ghrelin, but nothing about
leptin
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-an * at the word roots retrieves
plurals/variations:
sex* = sexual, sexes, sexism, etc. |
Search examples
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Example topic |
Sample search |
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I need articles on how Weddell seals
can dive as deep as they do.
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Leptonychotes weddellii
and
(div*)
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I need to articles on how ghrelin
affects appetite in humans.
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"ghrelin"
and
appetite*
and ( human* or "homo sapien")
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-an * at the word roots retrieves
plurals/variations:
sex* = sexual, sexes, sexism, etc.
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Article databases
Students are expected to rely heavily on the databases below
to find the journal articles required to complete their lab
write-up literature reviews/introductions.
Biological Abstracts
(BIOSIS)
A complete
collection of bibliographic references covering life
science and biomedical research literature published
from more than 4,000 journals internationally.
BioOne is
collection of about 100 journals in the
biosciences and is searchable via
Biological Abstracts.
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PubMed @ CSUSM
The primary database of world biomedical literature.
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Scirus
A science-focused search engine that also searches
for journal articles. Links to our library's
collection when accessed via the campus network.
Does not
link to our library's collections when accessed
outside of the campus network.
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GoogleScholar
Search the research literature using Google.
Does not link to our library's collections when
accessed outside of the campus network.
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Citing information
When using the primary literature,
there is a standard protocol for citing information in the
literature review/introduction as well as your reference
list.
For the in-class assignment, we will be using the style
required by the American Physiological Society, found here:
APS Style Guide
The Council of Science Editors produces a guide to
appropriate scientific style.
If you need some quick help, the following
are web sites on CSE citation style:
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