HNFE

HNFE 4004: Course guide

Using University Libraries

• access Addison, the library catalog
• sign in from off campus to use restricted resources
• use the HNFE Subject Guide for guidance on beginning research
• order books and articles through Interlibrary Loan
• find other helpful tutorials for conducting research

Recommended Databases

MEDLINE (PubMed) | PubMed tutorials

(1950 - ) PubMed is a service of the National Library of Medicine that includes over 19 million citations. PubMed is available to the public and includes some links to full text articles.

To ensure that you will be able to access articles on PubMed, you must access the database from the library website. (If you are off-campus, make sure to use the Off-Campus Sign In button first.) Either go to the HNFE Subject Guide and select PubMed, or use the Databases tab on the library homepage to search for PubMed. Accessing the database from the library website ensures that you are recognized as a Virginia Tech affiliate, and will be able to use the "Get VText" button to locate articles.

CAB Abstracts | CAB tutorials

(1973 - ) Covers the areas of agriculture, agricultural economics, forestry and the forestry industry, nutrition, rural sociology, hospitality and tourism, and tropical medicine. Contains over 8 million citations and full text articles.

Web of Knowledge (ISI Science Citation Index) | Web of Science tutorials

(1975 - ) This database includes citation databases for journal publications in science, social science, and arts and humanities.

Building an Effective Search

As we discussed in class, the way that you put your search together can really help you manipulate your search.

Information Skills Modules: Narrowing your search

Information Skills Modules: Search satements & syntax

Tips for Effectively Searching Databases

While many databases operate slightly differently, there are a few searching tips and tricks that generally work across the board.  These tips include:

• Using Boolean logic
• Understanding the difference between field and keyword searching
• Using tricks like truncation symbols, wildcard symbols, and quotations to manipulate your search
• Using facets to narrow your search results

Finding full text

Get VText | Get VText tutorial

Access the full text of articles from databases. Look for the "Get VText" icon whenever you are in a database that does not offer the full text of the literature that you need.

Interlibrary Loan

If you cannot access the full text of an article, or a book, through Get VText, use Interlibrary Loan to track down articles and resources that Virginia Tech does not have access to.

Evaluating information

University Libraries evaluation guidelines

What is peer review? (From UT Austin)

Use Ulrich's Periodicals Index to determine if a journal is peer-reviewed

Plagiarism

Information Skills Module: Plagiarism

Plagiarism & Honor from the VT English Dept.

Citation and style guides

University Libraries offers a comprehensive guide to citation and style guides. In HNFE, students often use the JADA style, which is a slight permutation of the American Medical Association style.

AMA (American Medical Association) Style Guide

JAND (Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) Information for Authors (scroll to the very bottom of this page for information about style)

APS (American Physiological Society) Reference Style

AJCN (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) Reference Style

Citation/Reference Managers

EndNote | Download EndNote | EndNote Tutorials

Zotero | Zotero tutorials

Mendeley | Mendeley tutorials | Mendeley FAQ

Which bibliographic manager is right for you? Check out this handy comparison chart from Wikipedia

Staying up to date on your research

• Set up a free MyNCBI account through PubMed and let PubMed tell you when new articles are added
• Use the Addison new books email alerts
• Set up an RSS feed of your search through Summon or PubMed
• Get JADA Table of Contents alerts

Questions?

Schedule a one-on-one appointment with your subject librarian if you have any other questions or concerns. Information for all College Librarians can be found here. Additionally, the 4th floor reference desk (Science & Technology Reference Desk) is staffed during normal library hours, if you have a question that needs immediate assistance. You can drop in, or use our Ask a Librarian system for virtual service.

For HNFE-specific information, visit the HNFE Research & Resources blog.