NFA 117: Issues and Opportunities [BMB majors] Course Guide

Introducing Fogler Library and the Science & Engineering Center

• Hours during the regular academic year. Reduced hours during breaks.
• Fogler Library usually changes something (services, resources, locations) over breaks. What's new at Fogler library.

Plan Ahead, and Pick the Right Tool for the Job

Writing a paper involves many steps--selecting a topic, searching databases, finding articles, printing or photocopying, reading, writing. Don't wait until everybody else is trying to do the same thing. For a good starting point, see the "My research is in:" portals on the library home page. Not sure which tool to use? Want some assistance? Contact a librarian.

• Use databases to find citations or references to journal articles.
  • For papers in introductory classes, try Academic Search Premier or other general databases.
  • For specialized databases relevant to your major, check the library portals for biochemistry, microbiology, or molecular biology (last 2 are listed under "Biology").
• Use the URSUS catalog to find books and other items owned by URSUS libraries (University of Maine, other University of Maine System campuses, Bangor Public Library, Maine State libraries). Search by keywords to find items about your topic.
• Use URSUS to find reserve readings, either by course name or instructor.
• Use subject guides to find additional materials.

ReSEARCH Your Topic

• Document your research process--list the databases you used, the search terms you tried, etc.
• Try alternative terminology: microbes, bacteria, microorganisms, etc.
• Try alternative spelling: "hand washing" as well as handwashing.
• Truncate (use a wildcard) to get variations on a word: microb* to find microbes, microbial, microbiological... Don't drop too many letters when you truncate!

Use ANDs bacteria and handwashing
and ORs. microbes or bacteria

• Try combining ANDs, ORs, and truncation: (microb* or bacter*) and handwashing
• Find more references than you need.
• Use limits, such as English language or "scholarly" ("peer reviewed") journals, to refine your results.

Evaluate Your Results BEFORE You Print or Copy

Printing and photocopying costs!

• Your MaineCard permits $16 worth of "free" printing ($0.04/page) each semester. Pay for excess printouts using campus funds.
• Free printing funds don't carry over between semesters (but campus funds do).
• Photocopies cost $0.08/page (campus funds).

Journals (also called magazines, serials, or periodicals):

• Use journal ARTICLES, not editorials, letters to the editor, or book reviews.
• Read the abstract for a quick summary of an article.
• When the full text of an article is included in the database, skim it before you print it.
  • Do you understand it?
  • Is it really relevant to your paper topic?
  • Is it too short to contain anything useful, or so long that you'll never finish reading it?
  • Is the article "scholarly" (also "refereed" or "peer reviewed")? Is it from an appropriate journal?

Internet (Web) resources:

• Who's behind the site? What's listed--and what's NOT included? When was it created or updated? Why was it posted?
• Tips on evaluating Internet resources: A Word About Using Information on the Internet, Checklist for Evaluating Web Sites, T is for Thinking.

Finding Materials in the Library...and Beyond

See Finding Items at Fogler Library for details. Fogler Library is the largest library in the state, and it can be a confusing place. Check the floor plan to find specific library locations.

Not on the shelf? Not owned by the library? Give us 1-2 weeks lead time, and we can find most items for you.

• Circulation staff can recall a University of Maine book checked out by somebody else.
• Circulation staff can also search for books that are not on the shelf but not checked out.
• Getting items from other libraries:
  • Use the request function on URSUS and MaineCat for books
  • Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) for books, journal articles, and more.

Preventing Plagiarism

• "Plagiarism--the submission of another's work as one's own, without adequate attribution" (University of Maine System Student Conduct Code, 2003.
• "Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else's words, ideas, or data as one's own work. Proper citation and/or acknowledgment must be given to other's work." (Academic Honesty and Dishonesty, University of Maine Student Affairs, date unknown)

If you are unsure whether you have properly paraphrased, quoted, cited, etc., check with your instructor and/or the Writing Center.

Plagiarism Exercise

Read this brief paper by James Watson and Francis Crick. Which of the following would be acceptable in a term paper? Which are examples of plagiarism, and why? (Based on Rob Lopresti's Library 201 Plagiarism Exercise, 2004.)

Example 1
In 1953 Watson and Crick proposed a structural model for DNA¹.

1. Watson, J. D. & Crick, F. H. C. Nature 171, 737-738 (1953).

Example 2
More than fifty years ago, two British scientists published a classic paper about the structure of DNA  (Watson & Crick, 1953).

Reference

Watson, J. D., & Crick, F. H. C. (1953). A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid. Nature, 171, 737-738.

Example 3
The structure of DNA was first correctly described in 1953.

Reference: Watson, J. D. & Crick, F. H. C. Nature 171, 737-738 (1953).

Example 4
A structure for nucleic acid had already been proposed by Pauling and Corey. Another three-chain structure had also been suggested by Fraser¹.

1. Watson, J. D. & Crick, F. H. C. Nature 171, 737-738 (1953).

Example 5
Watson and Crick described competing models as "unsatisfactory" and "rather ill-defined¹."

1. Watson, J. D. & Crick, F. H. C. Nature 171, 737-738 (1953).

Example 6
According to Watson and Crick, Pauling and Corey’s model was unsatisfactory, while Fraser’s model was ill-defined¹.

1. Watson, J. D. & Crick, F. H. C. Nature 171, 737-738 (1953).

Example 7
Scientists have understood the structure of DNA molecules for more than fifty years (Watson and Crick, 1953).

Example 8
In 1953 Watson and Crick proposed a triple-helix structural model for DNA¹.

1. Watson, J. D. & Crick, F. H. C. Nature 171, 737-738 (1953).

Questions?

Created by: Nancy Curtis | Revised: 01/25/2008

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