Reading Scientific Papers
- How to Read a Scientific PaperCheck out this online tutorial by Purdue University for tips on reading research papers more effectively and efficiently.
Suggested Databases
If you are off campus, you will need to connect to the Library VPN before attempting to access databases.
- PubMed Developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the U.S. National Library of Medicine, provides access to bibliographic information that includes MEDLINE citations, its largest component, as well as "in process" citations for new publications, resources that are out-of-scope for Medline, and more.
- Scopus Scopus is an abstracts database covering the following fields: chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, engineering, life and health sciences, social sciences, psychology, economics, and environmental sciences.
Welcome to the Guide!
Here you will find information about locating full-text original research articles in Biology.
You can use the databases listed on the left of the page to find articles. Tips for searching in these databases can be found by browsing through the tabs at the top of this guide.
Since you're looking for journal articles, you'll probably need two specific library tools:
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| Searching for articles means using databases which are available 24/7 from your home computer, but you need to install and log on to the VPN to access them. | We have access to lots of articles, but every now and then you'll find one that isn't available through UCCS. As long as you have an ILLiad account (and a few days), you can request a PDF copy from another library. |
So you need to find original research?
As you search biology databases, you will come across different types of documents in your results. Some of these may include:
- Original Research Articles
Also called "primary research articles," researchers write these to report the methodology and results of a specific experiment/project. Research articles may include a brief literature review near the beginning, but this section will not dominate the paper.
- Review Articles
Although review articles often go through the peer review process, they contain no original research. These articles use the information reported in other authors' original research articles to summerize a topic or provide an overview of current research in a field.
- Conference Proceedings
Presentations made at professional conferences. Scientists usually present on recent research, both published and awaiting publication. Conference proceedings are often published in book format, so look closely at the description in the database.
The other sections of this guide will show you how to limit the types of documents that you search for in both PubMed and Scopus.
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