Chemistry: IS2 Citation Database Search Skills

Beginners

A ‘recommended’ optional course for Chemistry graduates that introduces all the relevant online databases available to you in the university: citation databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, which index all the scientific literature that is published, as well as chemistry and related subject-specific databases. You will be guided on how to search citation databases effectively and the session includes a hands-on element where you can practice - please bring your own laptop.

The session will be most suitable for those who are new to searching citation databases or would like a refresher.

Please note that this session will not cover searching the databases Reaxys and SciFinder. These are covered by IS5.

• Please bring your own laptop so you can participate in the practical element of the session

• Postgraduates
• Further details regarding eligibility criteria are available

Number of sessions: 1

After attending this session participants will be able to:

• Evaluate which database or combination of databases are the most suitable to use for your particular research topic
• How to search a database by journal article title, author name, DOI, and other terms
• Access the full text of journal articles
• Find the correct author
• Find metrics for a journal, journal article, or author
• Refine searches using the search operators available and by combining searches
• Create bibliographies, save, email and print your results
• Export results to reference managers
• Receive alerts every time a particular citation or search (term) finds new results
• Develop an effective search strategy that aligns with the needs of your research topic

This session covers:

• Introduction to the online databases available for chemical literature and structure searching, including citation databases (Web of Knowledge, Scopus, PubMed) and search engines such as Google Scholar
• The best routes for access to databases within the University network and offsite
• How citation databases differ in content - their strengths and weaknesses in covering journal articles, conference proceedings, abstracts, patents, date coverage, books, chemical structures
• Search operators used by different databases
• Advantages and disadvantages of Google Scholar in comparison with citation databases
• Narrowing, widening, and combining searches
• Managing your results list
• Metrics
• Cited reference searching
• Citation alerts
• Unique author identifiers
• Using subject thesauri
• Opportunity for hands-on searching

Presentations, demonstrations, practical (please bring your own laptop).

• One session of two hours

• Yearly