| Library Research Coverage |
I: Write/Rewrite introduction to your lab report paper on in light of the research literature found in the library session.
What subject areas do you need more background so that you can more fully understand the project you are going to pursue?
Find published research that verifies and expands on questions derived from your sand plain forest field studies. Find books and reference sources that give background information on forests and plant species and invertebrates. Find 1-3 journal articles in this session that could be cited in your introduction that do the following
A. “Setting the stage” or context for this project - Are there similar studies done and reported on in the research literature?
- Find background materials on Sand Plain Forests (Vermont and other regions)
- Find research journal articles covering biodiversity in studies related to the ones you have done.
B. Main Question.- Read the journal articles and determine how the authors frame and relate their studies to the larger scientific context - Community Ecology
For Example:
Succession
Community Structure
Microhabitats
etc.....
What other subsets might be addressed in their articles?
C. Predictions: How do the researchers frame and justify their predictions in the journal articles you found? What background information or direct observations led to their predictions?
D. Similar or complementary findings: Do any articles have similar or complementary findings to the results you found and interpreted in your field studies?
Main Outcome of the Library Lab:
By reviewing the research literature, students expand their knowledge of how their research in the field addresses the scientific principles covered in this course: succession, specie diversity, community & population ecology, etc. In addition, students gain an understanding of how predictions in the research literature are based on background information and observations made by scientists.
II: How to Find Resources
A. Example Search Statement
B. Journal Databases for Biology
C. Reference Sources
D. Online Catalog
E. Evaluating Sources
F. In-Lab Assignment - Find sources for your lab reports and poster sessions
G. Journal Finder - Find online and print journals by title or subject.
A. Example Search Statements
The following simple search statement can be broken down to searchable terms. Identify main concepts brake them down to synonymous, broader, or narrower terms.
| Sand Plain Forests and Biodiversity of Invertebrates/Plants |
Search Terms can be combined to expand or narrow your resultsin database searching
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