How to Read Scholarly Articles in Biology
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Reading Primary Literature in Biology"The tutorial is intended to introduce non-majors and beginning biology majors to the most effective ways to read and evaluate primary biology literature. It emphasizes understanding the structure of scientific papers, identifying hypotheses, examining experimental designs, and interpreting graphs. This website is a collaboration with contributions from faculty, Library and Information Services, and students at Kenyon College."
Animal Science-related articles from library databases
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Academic OneFile (Gale) This link opens in a new windowMulti-disciplinary database containing mostly peer-reviewed, scholarly articles from the world's leading journals and reference sources. Over 8,000 academic journal titles are included with extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature and many other subjects. Also includes hundreds of podcasts and transcripts from NPR, CNN, and CBC, as well as full text New York Times content back to 1995. Coverage 1964 – present.
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ScienceDirect College Edition This link opens in a new windowScience Direct College Edition is a database of full-text, high quality journals published by Elsevier. This database consists of 2 different collections--Physical Sciences, and Health & Life Sciences. Citations & abstracts are provided for pre-1995 information and for Elsevier journals the library does not subscribe to. Most titles are from 1995 - present.
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Science In Context This link opens in a new windowScience in Context is an engaging online experience for those seeking contextual information on hundreds of today’s most significant science topics. The new solution merges Gale’s authoritative reference content with full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, experiments, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites organized into a user-friendly portal experience.
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Scientific & Medical ART (SMART) Imagebase This link opens in a new windowA collection of 20,000+ high quality illustrations and animations depicting anatomy, physiology, surgery, diseases, conditions, trauma, embryology, histology, and other health science topics. SMART Imagebase users may download images for educational, non-commercial use in lectures, presentations, slide shows, web sites and more. Common types of visual presentations include PowerPoint shows, handouts, poster sessions, and interactive Flash animations.
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MEDLINE This link opens in a new windowMEDLINE provides authoritative medical information on medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, pre-clinical sciences, and much more. Created by the National Library of Medicine, MEDLINE allows users to search citations and abstracts from over 4,800 current biomedical journals.
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CINAHL This link opens in a new windowThis database provides indexing for over 2,818 journals from the fields of nursing and allied health, including nursing, biomedicine, health sciences librarianship, alternative/complementary medicine, consumer health and 17 allied health disciplines. Full text material includes more than 70 journals plus legal cases, clinical innovations, critical paths, drug records, research instruments and clinical trials. Coverage: 1982 – present.
Why should I look for academic articles?
Why should you do research in academic journals?
- Academic journal articles are often authored by scholars active in a particular field
- Academic journal articles provide a close look at a particular topic
- Academic journal articles often provide data to support their findings
- Academic journal articles can lead readers to other sources through their bibliographies
If you find one good article that supports your research, you can use the bibliography at the end of the paper to locate further research.
Search for science articles from Open Access Journals
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Directory of Open Access Journals"The aim of the DOAJ is to increase the visibility and ease of use of open access scientific and scholarly journals, thereby promoting their increased usage and impact. The DOAJ aims to be comprehensive and cover all open access scientific and scholarly journals that use a quality control system to guarantee the content."
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Public Library of Science - Biology"PLOS Biology features works of exceptional significance, originality, and relevance in all areas of biological science, from molecules to ecosystems, including works at the interface of other disciplines, such as chemistry, medicine, and mathematics. [The PLOS] audience is the international scientific community as well as educators, policy makers, patient advocacy groups, and interested members of the public around the world."
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