Overview: In this section you will learn search strategies specific to perform searches on primary sources of information.
Primary literature presents results of original research in formats such as articles, pre-publication prints of articles, and conference proceedings. Of the sources in this category, you are most likely to find and use journal articles, whether traditional paper journals or those you will find online.
When you see the word "article," don't assume that you will be consulting Time or Rolling Stone to find primary materials. True, those publications carry many articles, but the type you want will be found in scholarly and academic journals like Nature and the Journal of Experimental Biology. These articles contain original data and have been "peer-reviewed" by scientists familiar with the area being researched.
Why Use Primary Literature?
Use journal articles to learn the latest results of fairly specific scientific studies. Journal articles will also acquaint you with the names of scientists working in particular areas and lead you to related articles cited in the bibliography. The information you'll find in primary literature is more focused than that found in secondary literature.
GUIDELINES
STEP 1: Retrieve the list of refined concepts you compiled in previous steps
CONCEPT |
Alternative
Descriptor |
Type of source(s) of information:
R=reference,
S=secondary,
P=primary,
W=web |
Priority
1=highest |
Location |
Human genes and chromosome |
same |
Reference, secondary |
1 |
Biology library |
Central dogma |
same |
Reference, secondary |
2 |
Biology library |
Gene Mutation |
same |
Reference, secondary |
3 |
Biology library |
Hemoglobin and red blood cells |
same |
Reference, secondary |
4 |
Biology library |
Human genetic disease |
same |
Reference, secondary |
5 |
Biology library |
Sickle cell anemia aka sickle cell disease aka SCD |
same |
Reference, secondary |
6 |
Biology library |
Name of gene for SCD |
TBD |
Primary, web-based |
7 |
NCBI PubMed |
Gene database record |
TBD |
web-based |
8 |
NCBI Entrez |
Gene sequence |
TBD |
Primary, web-based |
9 |
NCBI GenBank |
STEP 2: Retrieve the list of refined queries you wrote in previous steps
Query |
Operator1 |
Concept1 |
Operator2 |
Concept2 |
Operator3 |
Concept3 |
Q1 |
|
Hemoglob* |
AND |
(Human |
OR |
Homo sapiens) |
Q2 |
|
hemoglobin |
AND |
Genetic disease |
|
|
Q3 |
NOT |
Protein sequence |
AND |
Gene sequence |
AND |
sickle cell anemia |
Q4 |
|
Sickle cell anemia |
OR |
Sickle cell disease |
|
|
Q5 |
|
Gene mutation |
AND |
Human genetic disease |
|
|
Q6 |
|
Gene mutation |
AND |
Central Dogma |
AND |
Human genes and chromosome |
STEP 3: Select the queries you are going to search on primary sources.
From the two lists in previous steps select those that are going to be searched on primary sources of information
Example1:
Query |
Operator1 |
Concept1 |
Operator2 |
Concept2 |
Operator3 |
Concept3 |
Q3 |
NOT |
Protein sequence |
AND |
Gene sequence |
AND |
sickle cell anemia |
STEP 4: Locate the search engine that will give you access to your primary source of information. Locate the source of information, for example, if you named PubMed as your primary source of information; get information from their website as to ways in which you can access their search engine to formulate your queries.
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STEP 5: Formulate your query Once you have access to the search engine; formulate the query by typing the query expression you wrote in the table as shown above.
STEP 6: Examine the results
The set of results -or hits- is given to you once the search is finished.
Examine the set.
STEP 7: Done yet? if satisfied with the results; then move on to the next query and the next until done with the list.
If the results are not quite what you expected, refine your search by using the tricks you learned in previous sections of this tutorial or by specific ones applicable to the search engine you are using. Then try the search again.
STEP 8: Collect results Put together a list with the results you obtained here. |