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Chapter 4 - Literature Sources - Coggle Diagram
Chapter 4 - Literature Sources
Searching the literature
Know where to find sources
Books contain more dated information due to the time it takes to publish
Newspapers and journals contain more recent information
Internet sources can be hard to distinguish relevant, reliable, and authoritative information
Google scholar gives access to primary literature
PubMed and university library databases are more reliable and structured
Distinguish between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources
Primary: peer-reviewed scientific journals (reporting for the first time on new research)
Secondary: analyzes and discusses information from primary sources (includes review articles, some textbooks, and other literature)
Tertiary: complies and reorganizes from mainly secondary sources (includes: textbooks, wikipedia, dictionaries, etc.)
Become familiar with the most important science databases
PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, HighWire, Web of Science, Scopus, BIOSIS, and Current Contents
Sources material
Use appropriate search terms
Use key terms
Limit searches on time of publication for most recent results
Search for cited references
Search for a specific researcher for more publications on a specific topic
Select most relevant references
Only use what applies to the content of your writing and aids in flow
Look at number of references
Look at impact factor
Use mainly primary sources
Evaluate web sources before use
Look for primary sources such as journal websites, organizational websites, societal websites, or library databases
Look for reputable secondary resources based on the domain name: .edu, .gov, or .ac
Verify references against the original document
Citing references
Know where to place references in a lab report
Abstract = no references, summarizes paper
Introduction = most relevant resources to provide background information when needed
Materials and Methods = where relevant
Results = usually none unless needed to clarify
Discussion = used to provide explanations, describe the significance of the findings, or to compare and contrast findings
Cite the references in the requested form and order
Text citations within the document are in short version (name and year)
Reference List/Literature Cited section includes the full citation
Multiple references are done in chronological order for in text citations. If the references are published in the same year, add a lowercase letter after the year
Know where to place references in a sentence
To emphasize science, place the reference citation after a concept, idea, or finding
To emphasize a scientist, place the reference after their name(s)
Common reference style
List references in requested style in reference list
"Author, year" citations are listed in alphabetical order
References done with numbers in text are listed in the reference list by the order in which they were referenced
Know how to properly cite and list references from a webpage
Managing sources
Manage your sources from the very beginning - you can use a managing program to keep track of and organize your references
Plagiarism and paraphrasing
Ensure you are not plagiarizing
You must cite sources when summarizing or paraphrasing information from a source
You do not have to document facts that are considered common knowledge
Other forms of dishonesty include: fabrication of data or results, fudging findings, stealing data, and more
Know how to paraphrase -- information must be presented in your own words (no "word smithing", etc.)
Keep track of ideas and references
Keep track of ideas and references and save them when you find useful information
Keep a detailed list of sources
Use quotation marks for things copied word for word then go back and paraphrase in your own words and cite correctly
Use bullet points for most important ideas
Take notes with the book or web page closed to help you write in your own words
Double-check your references and make sure the information is correct