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Marge Peters, Natural Sciences Reference Librarian � . (630) 942-2337 . petersm@cdnet.cod.edu
"HOW TO DO IT" and TOPIC SUGGESTION WEB SITES
"HOW TO DO IT" BOOKS
PROJECT EXAMPLES
SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT INDEXES
RESEARCHING YOUR TOPIC IN PERIODICALS (JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES)
Click this link and look under Science for your area of research OR
Go to COD Library Catalog (http://www.cod.edu/library): Click on "Article Databases" under Quick Links. Look under Science and choose the field you are interested in.
You can access these indexes at home. Someone in your family over the age of 18 must have a College of DuPage Lbrary Card (community borrower status, if not a student here.)
Expanded Academic Index is a very good starter database for most science research. The most effective search for science topics is usually a Relevance search. Enter the terms describing the topics you are researching. Put multiple word terms in quotation marks (Example: "water pollution").
If you must cite research journals, click the box limiting the search "to refereed publications." Click Search.
Some of the articles you retrieve may not have anything to do with your science topic because Relevance Search looks for keywords anywhere in the article, not necessarily close together.
A second excellent database is Academic Search Premier, which gives you access to over 4500 scholarly journals. The search is by keyword -- be sure to put and between concepts. Click on "Scholarly (peer-reviewed) journals if you need academic journal literature.
The COD Library may not have the journal that your article is in. In that case, a person with a COD Library card may order these articles through Interlibrary Loan.
Printed Indexes in the Periodicals area extend your search back in time:
Applied Science and Technology Index. 1958-present
Biological and Agricultural Index. 1964-present.
General Science Index. 1978-present.
FINDING BOOKS ON YOUR TOPIC
HOW TO CITE SOURCES
Go to "Research Help" on Library Home Page. Click on "Citing Sources" Use APA or MLA format for your list of works .
WHERE TO PURCHASE MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT FOR YOUR PROJECT
