Marine Biology 250 Fall 2007 Choosing a Topic | Finding Journal Articles | Locating Journal Articles Directions to the Suzzallo Instruction Lab

1. Choose a topic by browsing journal issues or through a general database search:
   murres and behavior
2. Create a topic question:
   What examples of predator and prey behavior are associated with the common murre?
3. Gather keywords
   Broader: Murres, seabirds
   Narrower: Common murre, Uria aalge, bald eagle, capelin

• What is a scholarly article? It is a journal article that has been evaluated by other scholars in the field for its accuracy,timeliness, and usefulness to other researchers.
• Web sites are usually not considered scholarly because they have not been evaluated by other scholars.
• Other common synonyms for scholarly are "peer-reviewed" and "refereed."

Suggested databases to use for finding Marine Biology articles:

• ASFA
• Biosis
• Expanded Academic Index (both scholarly and non-scholarly articles)
• Web of Science
• Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide
• Zoological Record

All UW Libraries resources, including databases, CAN be accessed from off-campus by clicking on the Off-Campus Access link and then logging in with your UWNetID. The link can be found in the upper-right-hand corner of any UW Libraries web page (including this one).

**NOTE: The following example was done in BIOSIS. While the exact procedure may be different across other databases, the same general process applies.**

Limit search results by date to receive most recent articles.
In BIOSIS, use Select Timespan when first entering database or Change Settings from within the database.

Using a keyword search, type in 2 or 3 keywords you gathered earlier.

• Use AND between keywords to narrow your search.
• Use OR between keywords to broaden your search.
• Using keyword strings (without an AND or OR) will result in searching phrases instead of multiple terms.
• The * is to truncate the word so the database will look for words starting with that root (e.g. behavior, behaviors, behavioral, behaviour, etc.)

Combine search results of keyword searches to further narrow your results. In BIOSIS, use Search History to combine results.

EXAMPLE:

1. Perform a General Search using keywords common murre* OR Uria aalge.
2. Perform another General Search using keywords prey OR predator.
3. Do one more General Search using truncated keyword behav*.
4. Go into Search History and use the checkboxes to Combine the three previous searches using AND.

• Begin looking at and marking references that are of interest to you. You can read the abstract by clicking on the article title link.
• Mark citations by clicking on MARK in the upper right hand corner of the full record or by clicking to the left of the record in the search results.
• When you've finished marking the citations you want, click on the MARKED LIST button at the top of the window.
• At the next screen, you can print your results or email them to yourself to print out later.

You can search for the journal directly in the UW Libraries Catalog.

• Select Titles from the left drop-down box.
• Type the SO (Source) title (that's the journal title, not the article title) into the catalog search box.
• Limit your title search by selecting Journals in the right drop-down box.

After clicking the Search button you will be directed to the record for the journal, The Auk.

• This catalog record shows where the journal is located:
  Natural Sciences Stacks at the call number: QL671 .N9



• The box above the call number shows that full-text articles of this title are available electronically for various years through multiple sources. Click on one of the links to access articles published in the years indicated to the right.



• Don't forget for this assignment you need the first pages from two scholarly articles and a summary paragraph about each article for your lab book.

Suzzallo Library is located off of Red Square in the upper campus. For a map click here.
You can find the Suzzallo Instruction Lab (Room 102A) behind the Exhibition Room, which is located on the left when you enter Suzzallo Library's Red Square entrance.

If you have any questions feel free to contact any of the instructors by e-mail:

• Kari Anderson: karia@u.washington.edu
• Louise Richards: machung@u.washington.edu
• Lori Tschirhart: loriann@u.washington.edu

Connect to the Marine Biology 250 Home Page.

Photo of murre courtesy of Julia Parrish.