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Resources for B. Brady's Class

Purpose

This guide provides resources for Brian Brady's Library Research Assignment

Please be sure to read your assignment carefully before you begin!

OneSearch

OneSearch is the Skagit Valley College library catalog.

Searching the catalog will provide not only books that are located in the 2 campus libraries but also: eBooks, streaming videos, articles in journals and some of the databases. 

OneSearch Search Box:

Databases

Databases provide online, mostly full-text articles from journals, magazines, newspapers, and other sources.

To log in from off-campus, you will use your SVC username and password

The following links are some of the databases that may be especially helpful for your research:

Search Individual Journals

Related Individual Journals  You can also search specific journals individually. This link will take you to a list of 256 journal titles that cover the topics of microbiology and immunology.

Like all databases, you will access these materials using your MYSC username and login.

Internet Searches

  • Google Advanced Search for academic purposes, this option can help you locate information more efficiently and of better quality when searching the Internet. (try search domain names .edu or .gov)
  • Google Scholar if you encounter a pay wall, please ask a librarian for help

Suggested websites from your instructor:

Science news sites (for background information only):

Books and eBooks in the Library - click cover to view & arrow to view more

Best Practices For Research

Build effective search terms:

  • Use quotation marks around search terms to indicate a phrase.
    • i.e. "vibrio cholerae", "cholera pathogenesis" 
  • Use only significant keywords with the words AND (to join terms), OR (to provide alternative terms), NOT (to eliminate undesirable words) to help clarify the search.
    • i.e. "vibrio cholerae" OR "cholera toxin" AND enterotoxin 
  • Keep track of search terms that have worked. Use them in multiple places.
  • Mine your search results for better keywords to improve your research strategy

Some research tips:

  • Allow your research to shift and change as your understanding of your topic grows
  • When reading Scholarly or Peer-reviewed work > pay special attention to the Introduction and the Discussion parts of the article
  • Be aware that many library resources provide additional links to suggested or related articles, use them wisely, going down enticing rabbit holes can also waste time!

3 Simple tips to keep in mind when establishing the credibility of your research findings:

  • WHO wrote or supported the article and what identifies their expertise? What is the authority behind the work?
  • WHEN was the information produced/created/tested? Is there more recent information available?
  • WHY what is the purpose or intention of the information, why does it exist? and who is the intended audience?

Citing Sources in APA format

Features of a Peer-Reviewed Article

When you are determining whether or not the article you found is a peer-reviewed article, you should consider the following.

Does the article have the following features?

Image of the first page of a peer-reviewed article. These items are highlighted: Been published in a scholarly journal. An overall serious, thoughtful tone. More than 10 pages in length (usually, but not always). An abstract (summary) on the first page. Organization by headings such as Introduction, Literature Review, and Conclusion. Citations throughout and a bibliography or reference list at the end. Credentialed authors, usually affiliated with a research institute or university.

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