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Wednesday, October 22. Searching for Scientific Literature Writing Process Map. Selecting a Topic and Refining a Research Issue. 1. Select a topic that interests you and that is personally meaningful.
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Wednesday, October 22 Searching for Scientific Literature Writing Process Map
Selecting a Topic and Refining a Research Issue 1. Select a topic that interests you and that is personally meaningful. 2. Look for "hot" research issues—look in science as well as in society. To find out whether topics that interest you are hot in society, google them. 3. Use your task and audience analyses to refine a research issue. 4. Make sure that you can get the scientific literature that you need. 5. Make sure that you'll be able understand the science that you'll be reading and writing about. 6. Ask for help from someone who knows the research field that you're interested in.
A Few Ground Rules for Searching for Scientific Literature 1. Some types of literature don't qualify as good, “primary” sources of knowledge for scientific writing projects. These types include newspapers, popular magazines, television reports, informational and advertising brochures, personal interviews with so-called experts, encyclopedias, and Web sites that aren't associated with reputable scientific organizations. 2. The publication of a scientific article, book, or Web site doesn't automatically ensure its quality and credibility. That is, all publications that look and "sound" scientific aren't necessarily accurate, representative of consensus views, and valid in the arguments that they contain. 3. Your search for scientific literature should cost relatively little time and no money.
Appropriate Sources of Scientific Knowledge 1. Peer-reviewed journal articles: research papers and review papers. 2. Scientific books: edited volumes of peer-reviewed research papers and review papers, monographs, textbooks 3. Reputable scientific Web sites (for example, National Library of Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
About Peer-reviewed Journal Articles Well-written, peer-reviewed research and review papers in reputable journals are generally the most comprehensive and trustworthy sources of scientific knowledge. But you shouldn't assume that all journal articles are well written, peer reviewed, and published in reputable journals.
Tips for Searching for Journal Articles 1. Ask your professors for suggestions and copies of articles that they might have. 2. Use the reference lists of journal articles on your research issue. 3. Go directly to the journals that you know specialize on your topic. (LSG’s example: American Journal of Sports Medicine) 4. Use databases of scientific literature.
PubMed Tutorials If you don't have extensive experience using PubMed, refer to the NLM's tutorials at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/disted/pubmedtutorial/