Literature searching for Biomedical Sciences

BMS2113Oct 2013

Today we are going to cover...

• Refresher on the library resources available and how to access them

• Useful starting points:– MyUniHub– Library Subject Guide for Biomedical Sciences

• Using databases to find articles

Getting started...

• myUniHub > My Study > My Library

• Library Subject Guide for Biomedical Sciences:http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/biomedicalsciences

Finding a specific journal article• If you have a reference to a specific journal article,

find it by searching the Library Catalogue for the journal title.

• Use the A-Z search, Journal A-Z:

Google Scholar

• Freely available to search

• Tip: set the Library Links so you can access MDX full text (Settings > Library Links)

• What’s included? – There is no definitive list, so be aware you may

miss things.

Key Databases For BMS Literature

• Medline Database of international biomedical literature

• PubMed … + some full text

• Web of Science Leading science(Science Citation Index) & technical journals

• Science Direct Full-text science journals

Principles of literature searching

• Define your question – what do you want to know? What’s the topic?

• Identify significant keywords• Identify related terms• Identify broader and narrower concepts• Watch out for spelling & terminology,

e.g. UK/US, abbreviations

Search tips

• Narrow search e.g. tetanus AND vaccine• Widen search e.g. Vaccination OR immunization• Exclude words e.g. clostridium NOT difficile• Search for phrases e.g. “Methicillin-resistant

Staphylococcus aureus” (remember abbreviations, e.g. MRSA)

• Broaden search e.g. Vaccin* (finds vaccine, vaccination, vaccinated etc)

• Find different spellings e.g. Immuni?ation (finds immunisation and immunization)

Searching the databases

Over to you...

• Medline• Science Direct• Web of Science (Science Citation Index)

Look for full text via the library catalogue if necessary

But it’s not in the library!

• Don’t panic. Have you checked the catalogue? (Search for journal title)

• Is there a similar alternative?

• Inter-Library Loan (via UniHub)

• SCONUL Access scheme

Referencing

• Vital!

• Follow the referencing guidelines provided by your tutor.

• This and further help in the Plagiarism & Referencing guide http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/plagiarismreferencing

Help also available from LDU

Need help?

• Librarians in the Specialist Zone (1st floor) 11-3 Monday - Friday

• Ask a Librarian http://askalibrarian.mdx.ac.uk/ • BMS Library Subject Guide

http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/biomedicalsciences