Schedule of assignments
Elements magazine
Link to Roesch library at UD
Library/On-line Research exercise Part I
Library/On-line Research exercise Part II

Library/On-line Research exercise Part I due by Sept. 16, 2005

One student approach is to go to www.google.com, and type in 'mineral' or, say, 'diamond.'

A. What happens if you do this? How many hits do you get? Are any on the first page useful? If so, do you know who the author of the page is, and if they are reliable?

II. Roesch Library Resources: Books

The holdings of our library, plus those available through Ohiolink, can be valuable. Searching the library's catalog is not always straightforward, however. At least it is better than in my day, when we used a quaint device called a 'card catalog.'

From the main page for Roesch Library ( http://library.udayton.edu/ ) click on Catalog. You should be at http://flyers.udayton.edu/screens/opacmenu.html.

A. Search the catalog, by keyword, for mineralogy. How many pages of results do you get?

Hmm, let's narrow the search. Type in Environmental mineralogy.

B. How did the search engine handle your search? How many books did it find?

Near the top of this page, find the OHIOLINK button. Click and go to the OHIOLINK catalog. Now try Environmental Mineralogy again.

C. How many books did this search find? Are they the same or different than the books at UD?

Hint. If you know a title or author that you are looking for, these databases can be very useful.

HOWEVER: If you are looking for an article, by, say, AM Koziol, appearing in American Mineralogist, these databases won't help you. You need a database that indexes journal articles.

That will be in part II.

Library/On-line Research exercise Part II due by Sept. 19, 2005

http://wok3.ohiolink.edu/

OR: From the main page for Roesch Library ( http://library.udayton.edu/ )

Click on databases by subject.

Click on Geology.

Click on ISI link.

You do not need to register. Click on "Web of science - GO."

Note you have several options and several databases. Uncheck the boxes for Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)--1980-present and Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI)--1980-present - we'll search only in Science Citation Index Expanded.

A. At this point, you can try a quick search on a topic. You cannot search by author, though. Look at the line "Quick search: enter a topic" at the upper right.

Try "calcite twins." How many references are listed? What are some of the journals that this articles are in - list a few names.

B. Go back one page and try "calcite twinning." How many references are listed? It's a slightly different set of references - which is why you need to try several variation of your search words.

Go back to the main search page. Then click on the General Search button.

You can search by topic or author. Note that this database uses Boolean operators such as AND or OR. That is: a search for "calcite twinning" (words must be together) is not the same as "calcite and twinning." (Both appear somewhere in the reference).

C. # of references obtained by searching on "calcite twinning": __________

D. # of references obtained by searching on "calcite and twinning.": _____________

For author name: You don't have to type in the name in all capitals but don't put in periods! For example, type in Koziol AM to see what I have published.

Try a search by author: Koziol AM, Goldman D, Mcgrew AJ or Rahl JM (Jeff Rahl - a former undergraduate). Or try your own name.

E. How are the articles sorted?

F. Open one of the references. What information is included? What links may help you find more related references Ð or what's been done more recently?

G. Speaking of related references, click on the button "Find related records". How does this work? (See the explanation by clicking on the "i".). Would this be a good way to find more possibly useful articles?

H. Click on the Olinks symbol that says Find it! What happens?

Go back to the general search page. If you input just a mineral name you will get a long long list of references (depending on the mineral). You may have to restrict your search by adding another term such as chemistry, structure, twinning, etc.

Example: Input " calcite twin" (without quote marks) into the topic box. E. You should get back a list of references that indicates scientists study this phenomenon because:

When you are done, please log off this database. Only a certain number of users per institution are allowed, and this allows others at UD to use it.

With this database (ISI Web of Science/ Science Citation Index) you are casting the broadest net for possible references. However, when you are just starting on a topic, you need a few good references quickly. For this, we will go to the Electronic Journal Center.

IV. Electronic Journal Center

http://journals.ohiolink.edu/cgi-bin/sciserv.pl?collection=journals

Nearly all science journals are on-line in PDF form. Libraries still have to pay subscription fees but the colleges and Universities in Ohio have pooled resources to provide this one site for all registered users. Sadly, prices have gotten so high that Ohiolink has cut some subscriptions.

You can browse titles and issues (for example, click on Earth Sciences under Journals by subject.) However, a better approach is to use their search menu (see Search link on top bar). A simple search is often good enough, or try advanced if you wish. Note that you can search for a particular author. If you search over 'any field' you have a broader search.

Any article you find can be downloaded and printed.

A. Type in calcite twin and click on "search now". How many references are listed?

The number in the upper left of each reference is how close a match this reference is to your search words. The first reference has a score of 100 (this isn't always true). At this point you can find more articles by these authors (click on author's name), read the abstract and see the other information (click on "Article Description") or get the article (click on "Article Full Text PDF"). Depending on your browser you may be able to save this file to your hard disc, or just view the PDF file and decide whether to print it out or not. How do you know? Read the abstract first.

A warning: finding similar articles will take a long time in this database.

B. The first article listed when you use "calcite twin" as search words, is: (list author(s), title, journal, volume # and page #)

C. Try another search, on your topic or a particular author. What did you find?

V. Georef and more

Start at: Under OhioLINK Databases listed by subject

http://library.udayton.edu/research/article/subject_guides/

Click on Geology.

Lots of resources here!

GeoRef (Click on Georef link) is the one I use the most.

Index and abstracts to articles, books, maps, reports, and other literature on geology and geosciences. Includes or has links to full text. The GeoRef database covers the geology of North America from 1785 to the present and the geology of the rest of the world from 1933 to the present. The database includes references to all publications of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Pros of Georef: It lists all geological literature, with no distracting outside literature.

Cons: have to practice search strategies. Database includes items that are hard to get: abstracts, theses, field guides. Sometimes you need to look at that distracting outside literature.

Good tip: Click on tips, Help, and Chat, and use those tips!

A. In the general search box, try "calcite twins", over all fields. How many references did Georef find?

B. In the general search box, try "calcite AND twins", over all fields. How many references did Georef find?

C. In the general search box, type in "Koziol" and then choose just the author field. How many records come up? How many are by me? What KIND of publication shows up in this database that did not show up in ISI web of science?

But if you are looking for information on a particular locality in the USA this is the place to go. One USED to be able to input locality information in a special field, but that option seems to have disappeared.

However; another useful way to search:

Click on "All Search Options". You can combine keywords, in different fields, to get to something very specific. For example, if you were working with Dr. Al McGrew: Search for these three topics, over all fields; Pioneer mountains and Custer County and deformation.

D. How many articles does GEORef find?

Last updated: Sept. 15, 2005.

Dr. Koziol's GEO 201 syllabus Dr. Koziol's homepage

The graphics on this page are courtesy of Jelane's free web graphics