Cheat sheet for

Biochemistry
Students


NOTE: Please ask questions as we go & if you need to use the facilities feel free
Kiem Ta
Science Librarian
Reference Office, 306 Library
Oklahoma State University; Stillwater, OK 74078-1071
Office: 405/744-9743 Fax: 405/744-7579
E-mail: tkiem@okstate.edu
Part 1:
Searching
databases and
the Internet


Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
Answer
A reference to sources

Question
What is a citation?
Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
Book: a lengthy writing on a
subject.

A full citation for books should
include the following information
Name of author(s)
Title of book and subtitle if any
Place of publication
Name of publishing agency
Date of publication
Page number(s) of the specific
citation
The two most common types of citation are:
Citation for books and citations for periodicals
Periodicals: publications issued at
regular intervals. There are three
major categories: journal, popular
magazines and newspapers.
A full citation for an article in a
journal should include the
following information
Name of author(s)
Title of article
Title of journal
Volume or issue number (or both)
Publication date
Page numbers

Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
To search OSU Catalog:
Library Resources for Biochem. & Molecular Biology at:
http://www.library.okstate.edu/acaddept/biochemistry.htm

(Some representative databases are ProQuest, EBSCO, Web of Science,
Science Direct, SciFinder Scholar)

My homepage at
http://www.library.okstate.edu/sed/kiemta/index.htm

With citations on hand, why dont we go to find few of them.
Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
To Search the Internet
Using Search Engines, Subject Directories

What are Search Engines? Search engines are huge databases of
web page files that have been assembled automatically by machine.
Example: Google, Ask Jeeves

What are Subject Directories? Subject directories, unlike search
engines, are created and maintained by human editors, not electronic
spiders or robots. The editors review and select sites for inclusion in
their directories on the basis of previously determined selection
criteria
Example: Yahoo, Complete Planet

Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
Use quotation marks
Example: order of chao
Tips for searching the internet
Use (+) for including terms
Example: weather +stillwater +florida
Use (-) for excluding terms
Example: bass musical instrument
Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
EXTRA! EXTRA! Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT





Part 2:
Evaluating Web
pages

Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
Categories for evaluating


Did you know that anyone can write and publish a web
page? Because of this, it is important that you use
websites that are created by people who are qualified to
be writing on the subject matter. For example, would you
rather use information on the human body written by a
doctor, or someone who has just been to the doctor?

Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
Authority and Accuracy:
Questions to consider when reviewing web
pages for authority and accuracy:
Can you determine who put this page together?
What is the background, credentials, or authority of
the author of this web page?
How would you verify the information presented on
this web page?
Feline Reactions to Bearded Men
City of Mankato, Minnesota Home
Smoker's Home Page
Medline PLUS

Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
Advocacy and Objectivity:
Questions to consider when viewing these web pages
for advocacy and objectivity:
Do the author(s) present the information as fact or opinion
or conjecture?
Does this page present more than one viewpoint or opinion?
Can you determine who or what group sponsors this web
page? Do they hold a particular view or opinion?

Ladies Against Women
Families Against Internet Censorship
EarthSave International
Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Historical Examination
Cybercheats
Currency and Coverage:
Questions to consider when reviewing webpages for
currency and covergage:
What does "up to date" or "current" meant for this site?
(Hint: what is the latest date you can find on this site?)
Does the site really provide information on all the aspects or
areas it claims to cover?
Is the information provide uniformly complete for all the
aspects and areas the site claims to cover?

Instant Sports
CNN
Mr. Cranky Rates the Movies
Auto-by-Tel

Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
To Score a web page

The Virtual Earned Scholarly Average
Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
We are here to help YOU!
Cheat Sheet Biochem. Fall 2003
My cat says: come to the library and ask for

Kiem Ta.
Science Librarian
Reference Office, 306 Library
Oklahoma State University; Stillwater, OK 74078-1071
Office: 405/744-9743 Fax: 405/744-7579
E-mail: tkiem@okstate.edu