Homework 1.5 Getting Peer-Reviewed Articles
Homework must be typed;but there is notone point of extra credit if all of it is emailed to me because you will probably need access to a scanner in order to email it and this is too difficult for many. If you cannot email all of it, only turn it in as a hard copy. (Do not turn in a partial hard copy and an email. Also do not turn in an extra hard copy if you are emailing it.) If you can scan it, make sure your scanner does not blow up a page into something bigger than a page (most modern scanners do) because when I print it out, only a part of it will print on the page and you will receive no credit if your scanner does this. You will need to reduce the size of the image before or after the scan. Follow the directions to obtain three peer-reviewed articles, submit proof that they are peer reviewed, and answer the few questions in this homework.
1. Go to a library, such as PCC’s
ww.pcc.edu/library
2. Click on one of the research links such as “Find Articles”
“Find Articles
3. Look up and answer what is a database, what is a journal, and what is a peer-reviewed article from the links on the left of the page. Write your answers here.
“A database is a collection of organized information. Believe it or not, a grocery list scribbled on a scrap of paper is a database. So is a printed phone book. Usually, when people talk about databases though, they are talking about a searchable online service. Some databases such as the DMV database are only available to people who have permission to use them. Others, like the library catalog or Dex Knows are freely viewable.
A journal is a periodical that contains articles written by experts in a particular field of study, based on research that the author, or authors, did. The research might include case studies in the medical field, or primary source research in the field of history. Journal articles are written for experts or students of that particular field. They assume that readers have an advanced vocabulary and knowledge of the field.
In libraryland and in classes, the word database can mean subscription database. A subscription database is a searchable collection of published information from a variety of sources, such as academic journals, magazines, government documents, essays multimedia. The library buys subscriptions to databases (the way it subscribes to individual magazines and journals) for student use.
Peer reviewed articles are written by experts in a field of study. Articles from databases have the same academic value as the print versions.”
-from PCC’s library web page. Extra credit was provided if you gave a better answer for what a peer review article was.
4. Select one of the databases under “Find peer reviewed articles” such as Ebscohost
Academic Search Premier [database]
EBSCOhost.
5. If searching from home, you’ll need to login using your PCC G number (if in the PCC library, I think you do not need to login).
6. Select the box “Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals” if it is not already checked.
7. Type in your search terms and do a search.
8. Turn in three REFERENCES to peer-reviewed articles. I suggest you do a search on a genetic disease of your choosing or on the enzyme catecholase because you can use these articles later this term. I also suggest you learn how to write a reference in the correct format.
All references must provide an author (or web administer), a date (year of publication), a title, and the location of the article (either the journal and location in the journal, or a book, or a web address. The format varies depending on the article’s source.)
Example:
Stella Opendi Sasanya, Susan Olet, Robert Littlefield and Margaret L. Khaitsa. 2009. Characterization of the 2007 outbreak of nephrotoxicity among dogs and cats associated with melamine in pet food. Proceedings of the North Dakota Academy of Science, April 2009; Vol.63, p63.
9. Once you have a peer-reviewed article, submit proof that it is peer-reviewed (see below).
Answers vary.
10. Please answer these: What is your full name, your lab day and time, and your lecture time?
Answers vary.
11. Pick one article and answer what is the title of the article and what was it about? In your own words write a paragraph about what it was about. (Peer-reviewed articles are written for scientists and assume you know the vocabulary so that students often have trouble reading them. I suggest you first read the introduction and discussion because these parts of an article are easier to read and understand than the other sections. Also look at the figures early as these likely contain the major points or findings of the article.)
12. Before submitting your homework, make sure that 3, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are completed for 25 points.
Getting Proof that you have Peer-Reviewed Articles
Remember, you need proof, but it should be kept separate from your other work because in real life scientists assume that other scientists always reference a peer-reviewed article. There are several ways to get and prove that you have peer-reviewed articles. Yet, be aware that peer-reviewed journals publish editorials, opinions, and news articles that are not peer-reviewed. You need to be aware of these and exclude them from your search yourself because your search will not. Here are several ways to get and prove that you have a peer-reviewed article.
1. Ask a librarian for help and get them to sign off that you have peer-reviewed articles. As you are in college and this will annoy our librarians, this method will not be accepted, but they will help you if you ask politely. They can also show you how to get proof.
2. Use one of PCC’s or another school’s library databases and select the box that says “peer-reviewed” articles and books. You need to print this page out before you do the search because after you do the search, this proof will disappear. Print-out this page and circle the box, it is acceptable proof.
3. After doing a web search of a peer-reviewed article, click on the source (the name of the journal or book or etc.). This link will bring up a page about the source containing a line that says “Peer Reviewed: (Yes/No)”. Print this page, and circle the “peer Reviewed: yes”, this proves that the article is peer reviewed.
4. In many peer-reviewed articles, the first page will have the lines “submitted on date” and “accepted on date” (usually on the bottom or near the top). If these two dates differ, then the article was sent out for peer-review. Print out this first page and circle the lines “submitted on and accepted on date”, this is proof of peer-review. Only print the first page (penalty for each additional page).
5. Get a list of peer-reviewed journals (there are many and you can find them from doing a search online). Check to see that your article is from a journal on this list. Print out the source of the list, a page on the list, and circle your journal on the page. Be aware that there are many thousands of peer-reviewed journals so that this is not simple task and I do not wanta print out of the entire list (penalty for each additional page). This is acceptable proof.
6. Scientific books are always peer-reviewed before publication. Your texts included. Find the acknowledgments and reviewers section and copy the first page (it is usually in the preface). Circle the “acknowledgments” and this is acceptable proof.
7. Recall that if your proof is from number 2, 3, or 5 above, that you will need to exclude any articles that are editorials, opinions, or news articles, as these are not peer-reviewed even though they are found in a peer-reviewed journal.