wiser science electronic resources for biology

Workshops in Information Skills and Electronic Resources

Oxford University Library Services – Information Skills Training

WISER ScienceElectronic Resources for

Biology

Roger Mills and Kate WilliamsJanuary 2006


Types of resource Electronic journals

Some packages with own search interface

Bibliographic databases with abstracts Various search interfaces

‘Hard’ data bases Especially in molecular biology

Gateways to web sites Some subject-specific e.g. BIOME


Getting together The different types are converging Molecular biology model likely to

extend Important to be clear what you are

searching; the same data can be accessed in different ways and interfaces look very different


E-journals Access via TDNet Publisher packages – Elsevier

ScienceDirect Subject-based packages – BioOne TOUR links from other bibliographic

databases Alerts available from most collections


RSS feeds Increasingly popular for ‘keeping up’ Easy to set up, use an RSS reader or

Firefox Look for the RSS logo


Secondary sources

Bibliographic databases: Web of Knowledge (sub) SCOPUS (sub) Electronic Reference Library (sub) SciFinder (Chemical Abstracts) (sub) PubMed (free)


Hard data sources Entrez


Gateways to web sites Resources selected by subject

specialists Much more focussed than Google Independent evaluation UK Resource Discovery Network

BIOME


Why use an abstracting service?

Plus points: Wide coverage Content chosen by independent subject

specialists Publisher independent Long back runs

Minus points: No full text within database Complex searching


Biological abstracting services Leading products available in Oxford

Biological Abstracts CAB Abstracts Zoological Record Forest Science Database (TreeCD) Medline Cambridge Scientific Abstracts


Access Via OxLIP

Biological Abstracts CAB Abstracts Zoological Record TreeCD Medline [moving to OVID Web gateway Feb 06]

All above are on ERL (using Ovid [SilverPlatter] software)

CSA uses different software


Access outside Oxford For ERL use Virtual Private Network

(VPN) – set up BEFORE leaving Oxford

http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/network/vpn/oucs-service/

For CSA use ATHENS http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/athens/


ERL databases Choice of web or windows software Multiple database selection Cross- searching of different services

simultaneously possible BUT Thesauri will not work Some fields are database-specific


Main scope Very broadly: Biological Abstracts: pure science CAB Abstracts: applied science Zoological Record: zoology Forest Science Database: forest science Medline: medicine CSA: all, particularly environmental


Overlap Significant across all, but: High proportion of references unique

to one database Duplicates may be abstracted/indexed

from different viewpoints No automatic de-duplication


Today Biological Abstracts (BA) CAB Abstracts (CAB) Zoological Record (ZR) For others see other talks For more detail on above see

individual talks www.plantlib.ox.ac.uk/courses


Biological Abstracts

Over 5.5 million records from 1980 to date

Annual growth c. 360,000 records OXFORD:

electronic version 1985-date print version 1926-1984 (in RSL)


BA geographical coverage 4000 journals from

90 countries

Asia, Australasia (14%)

North America (31%)

Europe &Middle East (52%)

Africa (1%)

Central & S. America (2%)


BA subject coverage Traditional topics:

Molecular biology, Botany, Zoology, Ecology and the Environment,Microbiology

Interdisciplinary areas Experimental, Clinical and Veterinary Medicine,

Biotechnology and Genetics,Agriculture and Nutrition, Biochemistry,Pharmacology, Public Health

Related areas Methods, Instrumentation


Zoological Record

Over 1.5 million records from 1978-present

Annual growth c.72,000 Monthly updates


ZR First published 1865 as The Record of

Zoological Literature Originally produced by a group of zoologists

associated with the Zoological Society of London and the British Museum

From 1980-2002 published jointly by BIOSIS and the Zoological Society of London

2003- published by BIOSIS 2004 BIOSIS sold to Thomson


ZR in Oxford Available in Oxford

Printed version: 1864 – date: RSL pt. 1-20. (1864- date) OUM (1864-1965) pt. 1. Comprehensive

Zoology; pt.12. Aracnida; (1864-1989) pt.13. Insecta; pt. 20; List of new taxonomic names

ZOO-AL (1870-1998) pt.18. Aves

ZOO-EL (1902-1990 imp.) pt.19.Mammalia Electronic version: 1978 – date


ZR subject coverage All aspects of zoology and animal science Experimental and domestic animals (and humans)

generally not included Behaviour, biodiversity, biochemistry, conservation,

ecology, evolution, freshwater biology, genetics, marine biology, morphology, palaeontology, parasitology and diseases, reproduction, systematics, techniques, zoogeography


ZR geographical coverage Source material

from 100+ countries


North America (20%)


Africa (2%)



CAB Abstracts Over 4 million abstracts Print publication in numerous separate

subject sections, with different start dates – 1930’s on

Online since 1972 Certain sections from vol 1, including

forestry (1939-)


CAB subject coverage Plant Science, Animal Science,

Human Health, Parasitology, Ecology, Forestry, Soil Science, Food Science & products, Agricultural Economics, Biotechnology, Agricultural Engineering, Leisure and Tourism.


CAB geographical coverage Source material

from 100+ countries


North America (26%)


Africa (2%)



Common fields AU, TI, SO, PY, AB Sort by these to identify duplicates

when cross-searching Note that author names are always in

the form Bloggs-AB Controlled terms linked with hyphen if

more than one word e.g. forest-ecology


Database-specific fields Indexing terms differ Field labels for controlled terms MAY

differ They may be the same e.g. DE but the

contents may not be equivalent – so hyperlinks may mislead


In general Start with a general search across all likely

databases Refine by searching within individual

databases on their own Use the help to discover what is in index

fields and how the controlled vocabularies work

More help on database websites See links from www.plantlib.ox.ac.uk/courses

Today’s search topicToday’s search topic

Research into establishing the Research into establishing the

feeding behaviour of elephants.feeding behaviour of elephants.

What are the 3 key concepts to use in What are the 3 key concepts to use in your search?your search?

Search termsSearch terms

The main concepts to search for: The main concepts to search for:

• elephantelephant• feeding feeding • behaviourbehaviour

Searching techniquesSearching techniques

To combine search terms:To combine search terms:

• AND, OR (Boolean connectors)AND, OR (Boolean connectors)• AND to narrow the searchAND to narrow the search• OR to broaden the search OR to broaden the search

(British/American spellings, synonyms)(British/American spellings, synonyms)

OR, ANDOR, AND

elephant

behaviourfeeding

Search tipsSearch tips

WildcardsWildcards Use a question mark (?) to replace a single Use a question mark (?) to replace a single

character character E.g. Wom?n finds woman or womenE.g. Wom?n finds woman or women

Use an asterisk (*) to truncate termsUse an asterisk (*) to truncate terms E.g. enzym* for enzyme, enzymes, enzymology etcE.g. enzym* for enzyme, enzymes, enzymology etc

Search for an exact phrase using double quotes Search for an exact phrase using double quotes E.g. “feeding behaviour” will retrieve different results E.g. “feeding behaviour” will retrieve different results

from from feeding behaviour.feeding behaviour.

Search stringSearch string Search termsSearch terms::

elephant* elephant* AND AND Behavio?r OR habit* Behavio?r OR habit* AND AND eating OR feeding OR diet*eating OR feeding OR diet*

You will probably find more search terms from You will probably find more search terms from retrieved records while searching.retrieved records while searching.

wiser science electronic resources for biology

Documents

search stringsearch

search termsthe main

lilac circle

feeding behaviour of

term genetics

green circle

populationblue circle

lilacblue overlapgenetics