Dynamic Body
From PhillipsWiki
Focusing on the anatomical and physiological workings of the human body, this class introduces histology, kinesiology, cardiology, and genetics. During this course, you will be expected to complete a research project.
Contents |
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Research Process Overview
Typically, there are four major steps in the research process. Below are links to more complete, yet general discussions on these four steps.
- Get Organized - Find tips for choosing a topic, writing a thesis and preparing to research.
- Gather Information - Discover how to choose, search and evaluate different sources for your project.
- Using Information - How do you take notes on your sources, avoid plagiarism, and write a bibliography?
- Take Time To Reflect- Before you hand anything in, always reflect on your work. Did you accomplish what you set out to accomplish?
The remainder of this wiki is devoted to applying these four steps more specifically to your Biology project.
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Get Organized
- Make sure you are familiar with your assignment!!
- Pick a topic that you find interesting or fascinating. Be careful not to choose a topic because you think it will be "easy."
- Having a topic in mind as you read your textbook and consult sources can help you focus your project.
- If possible, prepare a list of keywords or synonyms for the topic(s) that you are searching. For example, if you are focusing on "Sports Drinks" -- other terms might include "energy drinks", "Gatorade", etc...
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Gather Information
- Think about the purpose and use for the different types of sources. Click here for a chart outlining different source types and their purpose.
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Gain an Overview with Reference Books
- Overview of Basic Anatomy Concepts
- Life on Earth: An Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution -- REF 333.95 L626E
- Science of Everyday Things -- REF 500 K74s
- New Book of Popular Science -- REF 500 N42
- Encyclopedia of Genetics -- REF 576.5 EN19
- Encyclopedia of Life Sciences -- REF 574 EN19
- Encyclopedia of Evolution --- REF 573.2 EN19
- Encyclopedia of Sports Science -- REF 613.7 EN19
- Color Atlas of Anatomy -- REF 611 R63C
- Human Body Systems -- Scattered in the 600 section of the reference area is this series which covers the major systems of the body including:
- Circulatory System
- Reproductive System
- Lymphatic System
- Endocrine System
- Respiratory System
- Online Sources for Overviews
- Atlas of the Body -- This interactive atlas is sponsored by the American Medical Association.
- Anatomy Links From NIU -- Northern Illinois University compiled this set of links related to Anatomy.
- World Book Online Reference Center -- More than just an online encyclopedia, you will have access to the articles, multimedia presentations, and diagrams.
- Wikipedia -- The library recognizes that this can be a first step in the research process. But use it sparingly and only to gain an overview. Wikipedia should not be one of the major sources for your paper.
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Types of Information Sources
There are various types of information sources. For the most part, you will focus on four main types: Books, Magazines, Journals, Newspapers, and Websites.
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Books
- Contain background /in-depth information on a subject.
- Currency of information can vary.
- Information is typically accurate and written by an authority (but can be biased).
- Usually have bibliographies for more information.
- Use the Library Catalogto find books.
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Magazines
- Intended to inform or entertain readers.
- Information is typically current and up to date.
- Written by journalists or reporters (not necessarily experts in the subject)
- Can be easier to read and comprehend than Books or Journals.
- Good resource for getting started.
- Examples include Newsweek, Der Spiegel, New Republic
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Journals
- Used to report new research, findings or ideas.
- Written by scholars or experts in the field of study.
- Contain in-depth information about a particular subject or area (or sub-area).
- Most of the articles must be "peer reviewed" before being published (lends authority to the article content)
- Usually contain bibliographies for continuing research.
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Newspapers
- Short, concise articles documenting a current event or relevant news subject.
- Excellent for charting public opinion or changes in a subject.
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Websites and Online Content
- Can provide very up-to-the-minute information.
- Always be aware of who is publishing the online content.
- Anyone can publish anything on the Internet!
- Use online content sparingly. Print materials are usually better received in Academic Circles.
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Finding Articles from Magazines, Journals, Newspapers Etc...
Most of your searching for articles will be done using subscription databases. The library subscribes to over 75 different databases in various subjects. Most of these databases contain the full-text of the articles. Below is a partial list of some databases that you might find helpful for your project.
| Name of Database | Description |
|---|---|
| Academic Onefile | One of the largest Academic Databases available, it contains thousands of magazine and journal titles in a variety of subjects including medicine, biology, and the other sciences. |
| Academic Search Elite | A competitor to Academic OneFile, this product also contains thousands of titles and articles with a slight more bend to the hard sciences (i.e. Biology, Chemistry, physics, etc...). |
| Health Source: Nursing Academic Edition | A specialized database from EBSCO containing many peer reviewed journals and articles in the medical sciences. |
| Access Science | The complete text of the 20 volume mega-encyclopedia McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology |
| Scientific American Online | Contains the past 10-15 years of articles from the pages of Scientific American -- a premier publication on science and everyday life. |
| New York Times Archive | Contains the past 100 years of the New York Times |
| Highwire Literature Online | This online and free database contains a wealth of free peer-reviewed academic journals in the sciences. Brought to you by Stanford University. |
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Websites and Online Information
- BioInteractive
- Contains wonderful animations on Biology related concepts.
- Biology Browser
- Search for trusted information on Organisms, Biology Subjects, or Geographical type of information.
- Access Excellence
- Brought to you by the National Museum of Health, this resource is intended for teachers to share new information in Biology and the Life Sciences. Visit the Resource Center for help on specific topics.
- Online Biology textbook
- Created and updated by Michael Farabee at Estrella Mountain Community College in Arizona. A great source for additional explanations.
- MIT OpenCourseWare: Biology
- MIT's OpenCourseware allow anyone access to the syllabi, reading lists and other classroom materials in their classes. This link will take you tot he Biology front page. Check out the beginning courses for extra help.
- Centers for Disease Control Official Website
- In addition to great information on a range of conditions, environmental health, etc.., this site has a wealth of statistics and practical advice.
- American College of Sports Medicine
- The worlds largest organization dedicated to sports biology and science. This site offers research, readings, and information on Sports Medicine
- Tree of Life
- The Tree of Life is a collaborative information site on biodiversity and ecology. Its goal is to collect information and images on every organism (living or extinct) on Earth. There are extensive image galleries, as well as information on hierarchies of organisms.
- Hardin MD
- Sponsored by the University of Iowa, Hardin MD is a meta directory of websites devoted to medical information.
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Use the Information
Once you gather your sources, you need to locate the useful information, take notes on the sources, and document your sources to avoid plagiarism.
- Library Guide on locating information within a source
- Library Guide on taking notes from your sources
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Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a very Big Deal in academic circles. For tips and guidelines on avoiding plagiarism try these links:
- The OWHL guide to Plagiarism
- Lemoyne College's Student Seminar on avoiding plagiarism
- Purdue University's Online Writing Lab's guide to Plagiarism and how to avoid it.
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Citing Sources
Citations can seem confusing. The process usually consist of two parts.
- In-text Citations -- As you write, you will need to acknowledge the sources where ideas (not your own) originate.
- Works Cited List -- You may know it as a Bibliography. The Works Cited list appears at the end of your paper and contains all the sources used in your in-text citations.
- Consult the librarians for help on citations.
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In-Text Citations
- Diana Hacker's guide to Citing Sources - An easy to use, comprehensive resource from the author of the Writer's Reference.
- The OWL at Purdue's MLA Guide to In-Text citations -- Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom for more information on citing sources and preparing your Works Cited List.
- The University of Wisconsin at Madison's guide to In-text citations using MLA
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Works Cited List
- Diana Hacker's guide to Citing Sources - Diana Hacker also includes an excellent section on preparing the works cited list.
- University of Wisconsin at Madison guide to the Works Cited List - In Addition to the examples, there is also a guide to formatting your works cited list.
- Long Island University's Guide to MLA Style - This color-coded guide has many examples for the different sources listed in a works cited list.
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Additional Citation Tools
- The Landmark Project's Citation Machine This tool, although not perfect, will produce citations in the proper format when you enter the citation elements (author, title, etc...)
- RefWorks RefWorks is a bibliographic management tool that helps you organize and format your citations. It works with many of the [databases]. In order to use it, you will need to open an free account. See a librarian for additional help.
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Take the Time to Reflect
Remember to reflect on what you are about to turn in or present. Ask yourself these questions:
- Did you eliminate spelling and grammatical errors?
- Did someone proofread your paper before you turned it in?
- Does the product actually answer the thesis or the question set forth by the assignment?
- Is this your best work?
- What Could you have done differently to make your research more effective and efficient?
