Library Orientation for Conservation Biology

Using the IUP Libraries Information Sources for Conservation Biology Chris Clouser Science Librarian Fall 2007

Contents
Information Levels
Evaluating Primary Sources
Print Resources
Finding Books
Electronic Resources
Useful Databases
Journals
The Reference Collection
Interlibrary Loan
Questions?

Information Classes
Scholars usually refer to three levels of information resource when talking about research.
They are imaginatively named Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary sources.
The difference between each level and the next is based on how much information is provided, and how the information is used.

Primary Sources
Firsthand reports of scientific efforts, including research methodology, results, and conclusions.
Provide sufficient information to reproduce the research by someone competent in the art.
Critical for understanding the latest information--the state of the art
Examples:
Published primary sources: journal articles, conference papers, expedition reports, theses and dissertations, patents
Unpublished (usually): lab notebooks, internal correspondence, meeting notes

Secondary Sources
Secondary sources collect information from primary sources according to some defined plan
Typically summarize, analyze, or comment on primary sources--these sources use primary information to develop additional conclusions.
They can serve as a guides to the original primary source
Examples
review articles, abstracts, encyclopedias, handbooks, textbooks

Tertiary Sources
These are essentially search aids to help locate both primary and secondary sources
Usually do not provide subject knowledge.
Examples
bibliographies, directories, research-in-progress listings

Evaluating Primary Sources*
Once you have identified a primary source, you must evaluate its relevance to your research. There are three aspects of the article to evaluate:
Credibility of the Author
Validity of the Research
Relevance of the Study
* Adapted From: http:// ucblibraries.colorado.edu/how/evaluate.htm

Credibility: It is important to determine whether the author is a credible expert in the discipline.
Is he/she formally educated in the field?
Does he/she work for a university or research center?
Is he/she a recognized scholar in this area?
Does he/she have a history with the subject (i.e., a track record of publications in the topic area?)
Tools to evaluate authors:
Citation Counts – Google Scholar, CSA, and other tools provide citation counting ability.
Search by author name to find other articles.
Look at author affiliation.

Validity: It is important to determine whether the article is valid primary research.
Does the article cite/state all sources?
Is there a full list of references included?
Does the evidence described in the research support the claims made by the author?
Is the research objective?
Is the research peer reviewed?
Tools to evaluate validity:
Ulrich’s Guide to Periodicals (for determining peer review); most databases also provide this information
Examine article for proper reference list and citations

Relevance: It is important to determine whether the article is useful to your research.
Is it broad enough to address your topic?
Can the conclusions be generalized to broader concepts, or narrowed to specific instances?

Print Resources
The Online Catalog (PILOT) contains records for all of IUP’s library materials (books, videos, journals, etc).
The Online Catalog is available on the IUP Libraries home page, http://www.lib.iup.edu , located under “Books & More”

Print Resources
Books: use PILOT to search for titles, authors, or subjects
Stapleton Library uses the Library of Congress classification system to organize books. Books on Ecology, Conservation Biology, and general Biology are found in the QH section.
QH1-278.5 Natural history (General)
QH1-(199.5) General
Including nature conservation, geographical distribution
QH201-278.5 Microscopy
QH301-705.5 Biology (General)
QH359-425 Evolution
QH426-470 Genetics
QH471-489 Reproduction
QH501-531 Life
QH540-549.5 Ecology
QH573-671 Cytology
QH705-705.5 Economic biology

Print Resources
Journals: use PILOT to find titles (finding specific articles is best done using the electronic databases)
The Print Journal collection is located on the ground floor of the library.
Back issues of journals are bound and stored in the “back stacks” in alphabetical order, by title. In some cases, however, older issues are stored on microform, also located on the ground floor.
Articles may be photocopied, but journals cannot be checked out.

Electronic Books
IUP has access to thousands of electronic books via NetLibrary
Access NetLibrary from the library home page: http://www.lib.iup.edu under “Books and more…”
Web Guides
IUP librarians assemble web guides to cover popular or critical topics
They can be accessed from the library home page under “Research Guides”
Guides you might be interested in:
Science Research Guides : http://scilib.edublogs.org

Electronic Journals
Accessible from the E-Journal Portal, IUP currently owns more than 400 electronic journals in conservation biology, ecology, animal sciences, and related disciplines.
These electronic journals are directly accessible from the E-Journal Portal – if you know the title, you can search for a journal directly; you can also browse journals by subject.
Each electronic journal is contained in or more of our databases, which means if you search in a database (such as Biological Sciences or Zoological Records Plus) and find an article that you want in an e-journal we own, you can click the Article Linker button to have our cataloging system attempt to locate a full-text copy of the article for you.

Databases
IUP’s databases contain citations and links to articles from thousands of scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers.
An alphabetical list of databases is available from the library home page under “Articles and more…” A list of databases by subject is also available, linked from the Alphabetical Listing.

Biological Sciences
Access to literature from over 6000 sources including serials, conference proceedings, technical reports, monographs, and selected books and patents. 1994-present.
BioOne
BioOne is the product of innovative collaboration between scientific societies, academe and the private sector. This database brings to the Web a valuable aggregation of the full-text of high-impact bioscience research journals. Coverage: 2000-present
Environment Index
Covers nearly 1,000 journals in the earth and environmental sciences.
JSTOR (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Collection)
Archival database that provides full-text access to back issues of major journals across dozens of subjects. The Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Collection archives articles from 36 journals, some going back as far as 1867. JSTOR’s archival purpose means that the most recent 3-5 years of a journal are not included.
Zoological Record Plus
The database provides an easily searched collection of references from over 4,500 international serial publications, plus books, meetings, reviews and other non serial literature from over 100 countries. Zoological Record has long been recognized as the "unofficial register" for taxonomy and systematics
Useful Databases for Conservation Biology

General Databases
Academic Search Premier
Interdisciplinary database covering humanities, sciences, social sciences. Useful to add to almost any search.
Wilson Omnifile – General Sciences Full Text
Provides full-text articles in the sciences.
Note: descriptive text for database entries paraphrased from Library’s “All Databases” page, http://www.lib.iup.edu/databases/databases.shtm . For more detail, including coverage, please visit the All Databases page.

The Reference Desk
For times when you need to look up something quickly, the IUP reference collection is located on the first floor of Stapleton Library.
Additionally, reference librarians are on duty from 7:45AM to 10:00PM to assist with any questions you might have regarding locating materials in the IUP libraries.

What if we don’t have it?
If we don’t have what you need…we can get it.
PALCI
Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc. lets you request books from other Pennsylvania libraries.
Books will be sent to the IUP Library for pickup by the requester.
Allow 3-5 days to get the requested item
PALCI only works for books. For journal articles, use ILLIAD.
ILLIAD
ILLIAD lets you request books (if they can’t be found in PALCI) or copies of journal articles, which will be sent either in paper or electronically.
You will need to set up an account with ILLIAD
Allow 3-4 days for delivery.

ILLIAD is the Interlibrary Loan system used to obtain copies of journal articles that IUP does not have in its own collections.
Articles are usually sent as PDF’s via email; occasionally a photocopy is mailed.
Turnaround time varies between 3 days and 2 weeks, depending on how obscure or difficult to find an article is. We’ve found that it’s usually around 3-4 days to receive an article.
There is no cost to you for the ILLIAD service .
Interlibrary Loan

1. Access the Interlibrary Loan page at http://www.lib.iup.edu/depts/ill/ill_dept.html
2. Click on the ILLIAD link in the left column.
Using ILLIAD

3. If you have no ILLIAD login, click “First Time Users.” Otherwise, log in to ILLIAD.
Using ILLIAD

4. To request an article, click “request photocopy.”
Using ILLIAD

5. Enter article information (journal, title, author, etc.), and click “Submit Request” at bottom of screen.
Using ILLIAD

Remember: if you have a question, ask a librarian ! Chris Clouser Science Librarian [email_address]

Library Orientation for Conservation Biology

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