Knowledge has been increasing at an exponential rate in all areas of scientific inquiry. One of the primary problems for anyone involved in scientific study, research, extension, teaching or writing is to keep abreast of the literature. Library skills are an indispensable first step in this endeavour.
Many journals are now available electronically through the library and published material can be downloaded either for storage or printing. However until you are able to limit your selection of publications, the first step is to search available compiled databases. Computer maintained databases have been available for some time online via terminals within the library or via personal computers with library access. The main advantages of this new technology are ease of use, low cost, fast searching and the possibility of browsing. Several data bases are now available for searching the literature in many fields. Two good examples for the agricultural and biological sciences are Agricola and Biosis.
Consider an insect such as the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Is there much current research on this insect? Are several
areas being explored or is work concentrated in one or two areas? Is this animal a major pest anywhere in the world? What progress is being made in biological control efforts against the CPB? Is insecticide resistance developing
in populations of this species? What kinds of basic biological research is being carried out using this species as a model? How would you proceed to answer these questions?
Part I (if useful to you).
Library session(s) they may have received in Biology 108, or an introductory English class, have not covered the subject-specific resources or research methods covered in the ENT 207 session.
However, if you took Biology 208 last term, they will have received a very similar but more in-depth & hands-on (3 hours) session.
The first part of this assignment is to attend an introduction to one or more of the databases available in the Cameron Library kindly given by Ms. Pam Ryan of the Science section.
(TIME: 2:00-3:00 pm. on Thurs., Jan 10 in Room 4-02 Cameron Library.)
Part II
Now that you have been introduced to the databases, you are asked to make use of them and other library services to carry out the following assignment. You will be provided with the name of an insect species (note - if anyone has an interest in a specific insect then you can choose to investigate that insect after you get permission from me).
Choose 5-6 related primary publications which involve this species and write an overview of the research. Show how the chosen papers are related ["related" could mean, among other things: the papers address similar questions, they show a progression (possibly from the same laboratory or authors) and represent a body of work on a single theme].
Before you begin to write, I recommend that you compile a list of 10 references (if available) pertaining to your selected insect. From this list select the 5-6 papers that you think you would like to use as the basis of your paper. Show the list and the topic or theme to me for my approval. In this way I hope to steer you away from less interesting topics and tedious reading. I encourage each of you to submit this list of references and topic as soon as possible.
When complete, have your report reviewed by one of your peers and ask him/her to write comments and assign a grade (1-9). (Each student should "officially" review the work of only one other student, and reviewers should acknowledge their comments - reviewers please sign the reviews.) Your report, together with the reviewers' comments and suggested grade are to be submitted by Wednesday, April 3 by 5:00 pm.
REPORTS MUST BE TYPED AND CONSIST OF A TITLE PAGE, AT LEAST 5 PAGES OF TEXT AND LIST OF REFERENCES PAGE FOR A TOTAL OF 7-8 PAGES.
If you wish to keep your graded report then please submit two copies.