This document provides instruction on how to conduct academic research. It begins by outlining the session's learning objectives, which are to learn how to search the library catalog for books, determine journal holdings at different libraries, identify primary and secondary research articles, and complete a library assignment. It then covers topics like searching the catalog for books, checking if a library has a specific journal, and determining if a library has access to a particular article based on its publication date range. The document explains the peer review process and distinguishes between primary research articles, review articles, and secondary sources. It provides examples and guidelines for identifying different article types and determining if they are peer reviewed. The document concludes by offering next steps and resources for research help.

1. BIO 181
Danielle Carlock
d.carlock@sccmail.maricopa.edu
480-425-6765

2. BY THE END OF TODAY’S SESSION
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
 Conduct a search for books in the library
catalog
 Determine journal holdings at various
libraries
 Determine the nature of an article
 Conduct a search for peer reviewed
articles
 Complete the library lab assignment!

3. How to find books
 Question 1
 How to look up books in the library
catalog

4. Does the library have journal
X????
 Question 2… determining whether a library
has a given journal
 SCC-SCC periodical holdings
 ASU-One Search (journals)
 UA-Other Search Options (ejournals)


5. Does the library have article X???
 A library may have access to a particular
journal, but not a particular article in that
journal
 Must look at the year the article was
published & compare that to the range of
years listed to determine availability.
◦ EX: SCC has access to the journal
Evolution, but only in a certain date range.
What is it?

6. Scientific Communication
 As a student of biology it is important to
understand how scientific results are
communicated.
 What are the main ways scientists
communicate their findings?

7. Scientific communication
 Books
 Conferences
◦ Papers
◦ Posters
 Scholarly journals
◦ Also known as academic or peer reviewed
journals

8. What is contained in a peer
reviewed journal?
 News  Advertisements
 Letters to the editor  **Research
articles
 Job announcements
 **Review articles
 Obituaries
 Book reviews
**=peer reviewed

9. PEER REVIEW
 Expert in the field of study (peers)
evaluate an article’s
methodology, merit, and overall unique
contribution to knowledge PRIOR to
publication
 In the sciences and medicine, research is
almost universally peer reviewed

10. PRIMARY RESEARCH ARTICLES
 Report the results of a single study or experiment
 The author(s) is/are the person(s) who conducted
the study or experiment; i.e. it is firsthand
information
 It undergoes peer review
 Answers: Why, how, what was found, what
does it mean……
Example: Morphological response of songbirds to 100
years of landscape change in North America

11. TYPICAL FORMAT OF A FULL LENGTH
PRIMARY RESEARCH ARTICLE
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 Works cited
Not all primary research articles will follow
this format. Some brief reports, etc do
not.

12. SECONDARY ARTICLES
 Anything that’s not primary is secondary
 Could come in the form of :
1. An editorial, commentary, magazine
article, news article……
2. A review article or literature review-
summarizes the results of several studies or
experiments, often attempting to identify
trends or draw broader conclusions

13. Is the author
presenting their
own research?
Yes No
It is a Secondary
It is a Primary article.
article
Is it a summary or
and it is peer critique of previous
reviewed. research?
Yes No
It is peer It is not peer
reviewed reviewed

14. TYPES OF ARTICLES HOW REVIEWED
Primary research
By peers (peer review)
Review articles (secondary)
Editorials/commentaries
(secondary)
News items (secondary)
By editor (i.e. no peer
Letters (secondary) review)
Book reviews (secondary)
Any secondary article (including
magazine articles)
NOTE: ALL OF THESE ARTICLE TYPES CAN APPEAR IN A PEER
REVIEWED JOURNAL

15. QUESTION 5-Finding a known
citation
Find the volume number and authors of
an article called “The Hallmarks of Cancer”
published in the journal Cell in 2000.
 Use the SCC Periodical list on the library
homepage. It takes you to the
database(s) where this journal is available
electronically, which allows you to get the
information you need.

16. FINDING ARTICLES
 When you want to find articles use article
databases available thru library website
 These search engines are not available
freely thru the web (ie. by googling)
 For question 6 and your Research
Assignment you will need to use article
databases

17. SUGGESTED DATABASES
 Science Direct
 PubMed (health/medical topics)
 JSTOR
 Wiley Online Library
 OR try searching all of our databases at
once (Discover tool)

18. NEXT STEPS
 Complete Question 6
 Begin Research Assignment if time
remains

19. GETTING HELP WITH
RESEARCH
 Call the library 480-423-6650
 Use the 24/7 chat service
 Visit the library information desk
 Contact me at 480 425 6765 or
d.carlock@sccmail.maricopa.edu
 Refer to the BIO 181 libguide