Skip to Main Content

BIOL131: General Biology II: Search for Journal Articles

Search Biology Databases

Animal Diversity Resources

Search Tips

Finding Search Terms/Keywords

Examine the lab brief.  This is a great place to get search terms.

  • What were you attempting to examine or demonstrate?  What was the reaction of one variable to another?
    • The main purpose of the lab is what you are trying to find articles on
    • It is not usually about how you collected the data
  • Identify the variables.  
    • You want information about how your variables interact or behave in general so even basic information about them will help.  

Selecting articles

  1. It is unlikely that journal articles will replicate the lab experiment exactly.  BE OPEN MINDED!!​  Several articles may be necessary to cover what you did in lab.
  2. Do not only search for both variables, try searching for one variable at a time.  You may find general information about a variable this way.​
  3. You will find articles that examine your variables and add in another, look at these too.
  4. Examine each variable in relation to a variable you didn't use.  It may demonstrate general characteristics about your variable.
  5. Don't confine yourself to sources that agree with your findings. Differences are just as useful as similarities.
  6. Don't turn away basic information, even if it doesn't get used, it is helpful so that you can better understand the big picture beyond the lab setting.

FoxHunt

FoxHunt logoFoxHunt

 

Search the Library databases and the catalog

Contact

James A. Cannavino Library

3399 North Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
(845) 575-3106

In the Library