1. What is the MAIN subject of your question?
The main subject of my question is, “carbon cycle.”
2. What subject guide or guides did you use to identify the relevant databases for your question?
I used the subject guide “Environmental Sciences” guide for both of my searches.
FIRST DATABASE SEARCH
1. Which database did you choose for your search?
For this search, I decided to use the “Dictionary of Environmental Science” database.
2. What terms did you enter to conduct your search?
I first entered the search terms “carbon cycle” to conduct my search.
3. How many results did you retrieve?
I retrieved 6,785 documents as results with the terms “carbon cycle.”
4. If there were more than 100 results, how did you refine your search terms to narrow your results?
After receiving 6,785 results, I refined my search by checking the “United States” box, “Research” box, as well as the “Carbon Cycle (biogeochemistry) box located under the book rank tab that popped up. By doing this, I received 1,115 documents. I refined my search again by checking the box “Environmental Sciences” in the same box that states, “Focus your search by selecting an additional subject below.” This gave me no results!!
I refined my search again by leaving the terms “carbon cycle” in the ‘text and key fields’ box and I also left the “united states” OR research OR carbon cycle (biogeochemistry) in the first subject box. I then only checked the box “Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide” which then gave me 3 results.
5. Once you got your results to around 100 (or fewer), how did you determine they were meaningful?
I determined my results were meaningful by looking at the subjects. All of them had “Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide” and “Carbon Cycle (biogeochemistry)” within there subjects.
6. Which article did you choose? Give the bibliographic information for that article.
I choose the last article because it focused more on global carbon cycle and the effect on humans as well as the natural world.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Title: “Global Carbon Cycle: Integrating Humans, Climate, and the Natural World.”
Author: Field, Christopher B. and Raupach, Michael R.
Publisher: Island Press.
Released: 2004
Subjects: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Cycle (biogeochemistry), greenhouse gas mitigation, Nature—effect on human beings on.
7. How did you determine these articles were meaningful?
I determined this particular article was meaningful because it fit what I was looking for: “Global Carbon Cycle,” unlike the two other articles that I believed was more about carbon dioxide in different ways.
SECOND DATABASE
1. Which database did you choose for your search?
I choose the database “ISI web of knowledge” the science index.
2. What terms did you enter to conduct your search?
I entered the terms “carbon” on one line of the topic and “cycle” on the other line of the topic.
3. How many results did you retrieve?
I retrieved 14,330 results with these particular terms.
4. If there were more than 100 results, how did you refine your search terms to narrow your results?
I refined my search by clicking the “Environmental Sciences” to the left in the subject areas and still recovered 1,887 results. I then changed ‘document type’ to articles and retrieved 1,560. Lastly, I went to ‘more options’ at the bottom of the subject box area and clicked ‘Environmental Sciences” again and retrieved 75 results.
5. Once you got your results to around 100 (or fewer), how did you determine they were meaningful?
I determined these results were meaningful by looking at the titles this time, and getting an understanding of whether the article might be relevant to my search topic.
6. Which article did you choose? Give the bibliographic information for that article.
I choose the tenth article because it included information on the human carbon footprint which we are now learning in our cluster class. This relates to the carbon cycle which humans have an effect on the carbon cycle and output.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Title: “Quantifying the global and distributional aspects of American household carbon footprint.”
Author(s): Weber CL, Matthews HS.
Source: ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS volume 66, Issue 2-3, pages 379-391
Published: June 15, 2008
Times Cited: 1
7. How did you determine these articles were meaningful?
I determined the article was meaningful because it stated information I was particularly looking for.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Periodicals and General Databases part2
FOR MY FIRST DATABASE
1. Which database did you choose for your first search?
I choose the Directory of Open Access Journals.
2. What terms did you enter to conduct your search?
I first entered the search terms, “Geological cycles” with no results. I then tried to make my topic smaller with, “Hydrolic cycle” which also gave me no results. I then decided to choose a smaller cycle, “carbon cycle.”
3. How many results did you retrieve?
When I entered the terms, “Carbon cycle,” I retrieved three results.
4. If there were more than about 100 results, how did you refine your search terms to narrow your results?
I only had three results so this step wasn’t necessary.
5. Once you got your results to around 100 (or fewer), how did you determine they were meaningful?
I determined my results were meaningful because I looked at the keywords which were relevant to what I was looking for to begin with. I was looking for how the carbon cycle affects different things and some of the keywords were “global carbon cycle, climate, and atmospheric carbon dioxide.
6. Which article did you choose? Give the bibliographic information for that article.
From the topic “Carbon Balance and Management,” I then choose the article “Climatic regions as an indicator of forest coarse and fine woody debris carbon stocks in the United States.”
Author: Christopher W. Woodall and Greg C. Liknes
Published: June 9, 2008
Publisher: BioMed Central Ltd.
Volume: 3
7. How did you determine this article was meaningful?
I determined this article was meaningful because it included how carbon is affecting the forest which is part of the carbon cycle itself being that trees (forests) intake carbon dioxide and output oxygen.
FOR MY SEARCH IN ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER
1. What terms did you enter to conduct your search?
I entered the terms “carbon and cycle.”
2. How many results did you retrieve?
I retrieved 1801 results.
3. If there were more than about 100 results, how did you refine your search terms to narrow your results?
I narrowed my results by entering ‘carbon’ on one line and then ‘forest change’ in another under the “subject terms” search.
4. What differences did you note in how you needed to manipulate your search terms in this different database?
I noticed that you have to concentrate on one word as your main topic, and then choose another term or terms to focus on one area. I choose my main word as “carbon” and my other search terms to focus on that area as “forest change.”
5. Once you got your results to around 100, how did you determine they were meaningful?
I determined my results were meaningful because the information was related to my topic.
6. Which article did you choose? Give the bibliographic information for that article.
I choose the article, “Forests of the past: A window of future changes.”
Author: Petit, Remy J.
Feng Sheng Hu.
Dick, Christopher W.
Document type: article
ISSN: 00368075
Database: Academic Search Premier
Source: Science; 6/13/2008. vol. 320 Issue 5882, p.1450-1452 3p, 1 graph, 1 color.
7. How did you determine this article was meaningful?
I determined this article was meaningful because it told of how carbon in the environment has affected the forest changes and that was relevant to what I was looking for and it matched my search terms.
1. Which database did you choose for your first search?
I choose the Directory of Open Access Journals.
2. What terms did you enter to conduct your search?
I first entered the search terms, “Geological cycles” with no results. I then tried to make my topic smaller with, “Hydrolic cycle” which also gave me no results. I then decided to choose a smaller cycle, “carbon cycle.”
3. How many results did you retrieve?
When I entered the terms, “Carbon cycle,” I retrieved three results.
4. If there were more than about 100 results, how did you refine your search terms to narrow your results?
I only had three results so this step wasn’t necessary.
5. Once you got your results to around 100 (or fewer), how did you determine they were meaningful?
I determined my results were meaningful because I looked at the keywords which were relevant to what I was looking for to begin with. I was looking for how the carbon cycle affects different things and some of the keywords were “global carbon cycle, climate, and atmospheric carbon dioxide.
6. Which article did you choose? Give the bibliographic information for that article.
From the topic “Carbon Balance and Management,” I then choose the article “Climatic regions as an indicator of forest coarse and fine woody debris carbon stocks in the United States.”
Author: Christopher W. Woodall and Greg C. Liknes
Published: June 9, 2008
Publisher: BioMed Central Ltd.
Volume: 3
7. How did you determine this article was meaningful?
I determined this article was meaningful because it included how carbon is affecting the forest which is part of the carbon cycle itself being that trees (forests) intake carbon dioxide and output oxygen.
FOR MY SEARCH IN ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER
1. What terms did you enter to conduct your search?
I entered the terms “carbon and cycle.”
2. How many results did you retrieve?
I retrieved 1801 results.
3. If there were more than about 100 results, how did you refine your search terms to narrow your results?
I narrowed my results by entering ‘carbon’ on one line and then ‘forest change’ in another under the “subject terms” search.
4. What differences did you note in how you needed to manipulate your search terms in this different database?
I noticed that you have to concentrate on one word as your main topic, and then choose another term or terms to focus on one area. I choose my main word as “carbon” and my other search terms to focus on that area as “forest change.”
5. Once you got your results to around 100, how did you determine they were meaningful?
I determined my results were meaningful because the information was related to my topic.
6. Which article did you choose? Give the bibliographic information for that article.
I choose the article, “Forests of the past: A window of future changes.”
Author: Petit, Remy J.
Feng Sheng Hu.
Dick, Christopher W.
Document type: article
ISSN: 00368075
Database: Academic Search Premier
Source: Science; 6/13/2008. vol. 320 Issue 5882, p.1450-1452 3p, 1 graph, 1 color.
7. How did you determine this article was meaningful?
I determined this article was meaningful because it told of how carbon in the environment has affected the forest changes and that was relevant to what I was looking for and it matched my search terms.
1. What three periodicals did you choose?
From group 1, I choose "Time."
From group 2, I choose "Chemical and Engineering News."
From group 3, I choose "Comparative Psychology."
2. Name three articles, one from each of the three journals you chose.
In the periodical "Time," I choose the article, "Congo seeks Protection: Despite the arrest of a rebel leader, the world's most brutal war persists. When should the international community intervene? By Alex Perry/Goma.
In the periodical "Chemical and Engineering News," I choose the article, "EC moves on CFCs, other air pollutants." By Dermot O'Sullican, London.
In the periodical "Comparative Psychology," I choose the article, "Squirrel Monkeys (saimiri Sciureus) choose smaller Food arrays: Long-term Retention, choice with Nonpreferred Food, and Transposition." By James R. Anderson, University of Stirling, Shunji Awazn and Kazuo Fujita, Kyoto University.
3. What are the three major differences amoung these articles?
The three major differences amoung these articles are the information within them, the context of the information, and how the information was obtained. In the "Time" article of "Congo Seeks Protection," the information is based on an international country that is having internal problems in which other countries are worried when and how to stop or contribute to helping the community and its people. The context of the article was written with first hand accountability that was among photographs of the Congo people that contributed their first-hand account of their environment. The "Chemical and Engineering News," article of "EC moves on CFCs, other air pollutants" focused on the contribution of CFCs into the environment and the results being the depletion of the ozone layer. The "Comparative Psychology" article of, "Squirrel Monkeys" was interesting and very detailed on how the squirrel monkeys reacted to nonpreferred food. It was a detailed article that reflected the scientific method.
4. What are the three major differences amoung these periodicals?
The three major differences amoung these periodicals are the differences of informational studies conducted by people of different cultures, communities and educational backgrounds. The "Time" periodical is simply a wide range of different subjects around the world that are important to all different types of people, whether they are in stocks, interested in environmental issues, world-wide issues, or just simply interested in recent topics. The information in this periodical is very much in depth, with a wide range of topics that are reported with great credible details. The "Chemical and Engineering News" periodical centered on community on-going projects having to do with building/construction of a certain area or project as well as environmental issues that were persisting at the time. The "Comparative Psychology" periodical consisted of interesting studies that were conducted in order to better understand how animals react to certain objects or theories.
From group 1, I choose "Time."
From group 2, I choose "Chemical and Engineering News."
From group 3, I choose "Comparative Psychology."
2. Name three articles, one from each of the three journals you chose.
In the periodical "Time," I choose the article, "Congo seeks Protection: Despite the arrest of a rebel leader, the world's most brutal war persists. When should the international community intervene? By Alex Perry/Goma.
In the periodical "Chemical and Engineering News," I choose the article, "EC moves on CFCs, other air pollutants." By Dermot O'Sullican, London.
In the periodical "Comparative Psychology," I choose the article, "Squirrel Monkeys (saimiri Sciureus) choose smaller Food arrays: Long-term Retention, choice with Nonpreferred Food, and Transposition." By James R. Anderson, University of Stirling, Shunji Awazn and Kazuo Fujita, Kyoto University.
3. What are the three major differences amoung these articles?
The three major differences amoung these articles are the information within them, the context of the information, and how the information was obtained. In the "Time" article of "Congo Seeks Protection," the information is based on an international country that is having internal problems in which other countries are worried when and how to stop or contribute to helping the community and its people. The context of the article was written with first hand accountability that was among photographs of the Congo people that contributed their first-hand account of their environment. The "Chemical and Engineering News," article of "EC moves on CFCs, other air pollutants" focused on the contribution of CFCs into the environment and the results being the depletion of the ozone layer. The "Comparative Psychology" article of, "Squirrel Monkeys" was interesting and very detailed on how the squirrel monkeys reacted to nonpreferred food. It was a detailed article that reflected the scientific method.
4. What are the three major differences amoung these periodicals?
The three major differences amoung these periodicals are the differences of informational studies conducted by people of different cultures, communities and educational backgrounds. The "Time" periodical is simply a wide range of different subjects around the world that are important to all different types of people, whether they are in stocks, interested in environmental issues, world-wide issues, or just simply interested in recent topics. The information in this periodical is very much in depth, with a wide range of topics that are reported with great credible details. The "Chemical and Engineering News" periodical centered on community on-going projects having to do with building/construction of a certain area or project as well as environmental issues that were persisting at the time. The "Comparative Psychology" periodical consisted of interesting studies that were conducted in order to better understand how animals react to certain objects or theories.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Reference Works: Library Catalog
1. Which of your questions did you try to answer?
The question I tried to answer was, "What is the Hydrolic cycle?"
2. What exact terms did you enter into the keyword search screen?
I entered these terms all under 'reference collection' to see what my results might be:
a. Hydrolic cycle-no results
b. Percipatation-no results
c. Geological cycle-no results
As you can see I went broader with my search terms and smaller, as an experiment as to what might give me back results.
Lastly, I tried the broadest of my whole subject, "Naturl Ecosystems," which returned me one result.
3. What subject heading did you choose to be sure your item was on target and the best option for your search?
Since my search only recovered one subject heading, I choose that one. I noticed when I clicked on the "more details" tab or the "find similar items" tab, there were other subject headings to choose from.
Those subject headings consisted of:
"Human Beings"-influence on nature--maps
"Natural resources"-maps
"Economic geography"-map
"Economic geography-statistics
I unded up just picking the only result that came up when I entered the key terms, "natural ecosystems."
4. What item did you eventually choose? Why?
I eventually choose the only subject heading that was first shown to me as a result of my key terms, "Natural Ecosystems." I figured it was a sufficent subject heading to choose from because after all, the hydrolic cycle is a part of the Natural Ecosystems on Earth.
5. Give the bibliographic information for the item you chose.
Author- Seager, Joni
Title- "The New State of the Earth Atlas: a concise survey of the environment through full-color international maps
Publication Information- New York; Simon & Schuster; 1995
Edition-2nd
Addition Authors- Reed, Clark and Stott, Rett
Location: Reference/Map Room
Call Number: G1046 G3 S4 1995
Status: ON THE SHELF
6. When you looked at the reference work, what quote did you choose? Why?
When I looked at the reference work, I was looking for a quote that explained how the "hydrolic cycle" is important to all life on Earth. The quote I found, I feel, summarizes just that. "Water serves many roles: it is a service commodity for agriculture, industry, and urban growth, but it is also a key life suport for all species and ecosystems." (105). I also chose this quote because, not only did it sum up all information on water being inportant, but it was also the only information in text form that I would be able to share with you. This particular book was mostly maps of international land showing the importance and/or effects of certain resources, all by color coding.
7. What makes this refernce book as opposed to a regular book you might find in the book stacks?
This reference book, as opposed to a regular book one might find on the book stacks, is the content of the information. This book illustrated in depth how the world and the amount of each resource affects the land and where the particular resource is located or not located, and it shows where the resource is effecting or not effecting certain places.
8. In looking at the material in the book and the publication date in the bibliographic information, what year do you think the information really comes from?
After looking at the wiki page, and other modules I looked at throughout the process of this assignment, I noticed that reference works were usually published after some five years of being written. Therefore, I believe this information is by far at least, five years older from the publication date of 1995, resulting in the information being from 1990.
The question I tried to answer was, "What is the Hydrolic cycle?"
2. What exact terms did you enter into the keyword search screen?
I entered these terms all under 'reference collection' to see what my results might be:
a. Hydrolic cycle-no results
b. Percipatation-no results
c. Geological cycle-no results
As you can see I went broader with my search terms and smaller, as an experiment as to what might give me back results.
Lastly, I tried the broadest of my whole subject, "Naturl Ecosystems," which returned me one result.
3. What subject heading did you choose to be sure your item was on target and the best option for your search?
Since my search only recovered one subject heading, I choose that one. I noticed when I clicked on the "more details" tab or the "find similar items" tab, there were other subject headings to choose from.
Those subject headings consisted of:
"Human Beings"-influence on nature--maps
"Natural resources"-maps
"Economic geography"-map
"Economic geography-statistics
I unded up just picking the only result that came up when I entered the key terms, "natural ecosystems."
4. What item did you eventually choose? Why?
I eventually choose the only subject heading that was first shown to me as a result of my key terms, "Natural Ecosystems." I figured it was a sufficent subject heading to choose from because after all, the hydrolic cycle is a part of the Natural Ecosystems on Earth.
5. Give the bibliographic information for the item you chose.
Author- Seager, Joni
Title- "The New State of the Earth Atlas: a concise survey of the environment through full-color international maps
Publication Information- New York; Simon & Schuster; 1995
Edition-2nd
Addition Authors- Reed, Clark and Stott, Rett
Location: Reference/Map Room
Call Number: G1046 G3 S4 1995
Status: ON THE SHELF
6. When you looked at the reference work, what quote did you choose? Why?
When I looked at the reference work, I was looking for a quote that explained how the "hydrolic cycle" is important to all life on Earth. The quote I found, I feel, summarizes just that. "Water serves many roles: it is a service commodity for agriculture, industry, and urban growth, but it is also a key life suport for all species and ecosystems." (105). I also chose this quote because, not only did it sum up all information on water being inportant, but it was also the only information in text form that I would be able to share with you. This particular book was mostly maps of international land showing the importance and/or effects of certain resources, all by color coding.
7. What makes this refernce book as opposed to a regular book you might find in the book stacks?
This reference book, as opposed to a regular book one might find on the book stacks, is the content of the information. This book illustrated in depth how the world and the amount of each resource affects the land and where the particular resource is located or not located, and it shows where the resource is effecting or not effecting certain places.
8. In looking at the material in the book and the publication date in the bibliographic information, what year do you think the information really comes from?
After looking at the wiki page, and other modules I looked at throughout the process of this assignment, I noticed that reference works were usually published after some five years of being written. Therefore, I believe this information is by far at least, five years older from the publication date of 1995, resulting in the information being from 1990.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Catalog Results
1. The two catalog entries I tried gave me no results when entered into the "advanced keyword search." The entries are:
1. CFCs AND ozone layer
2. ozone depletion AND CFCS
The catalog then gave me other results based on its findings using the search terms: 'ozone and layer' and 'ozone and depletion and CFCs.'
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
a. Author-Cagin, Smith
b. Title-Between Earth and Sky: how CFCs changed our world and endangered the ozone layer.
c. Edition-1st
d. Place of Publication-New York
e. Publisher-Pantheon Books
f. Date of Publication-1993
2. The location of the book is in the "Book Stacks"
call number: TD887.C47.C34.1993
Status: ON THE SHELF
3. When I clicked the "Full Record Tab," the catalog showed me all subject headings:
4. SUBJECT HEADING INDEX
Edition-1st
Describt=xi, 430p. :ill. j24cm
Note-inclueds bibliographical references (p.[401]-408) and index
Subject-Chlorofluorocarbons-Environmental aspects.
Ozone layer depletion
Addl Author-Dray, Phillip
Subject heading I choose-ozone layer depletion.
There were 15 results of relevance to the subject heading I choose.
5. a. Do you have more or fewer entries with your subject heading search than with your keyword search?
Yes! With my keyword search in the beginning, the catalog only gabe me one result after it changed my advanced search terms into terms it recognized, which were my original terms only in a variation. As a result of that, I only recieved one result, the author being Smith Cagin. I recieved 15 results when I choose the subject heading of my choice, "Ozone layer depletion."
b. As you examine these results, are they more on target then the results you retrieved from your keyword search?
Yes my results were very much more on target compared to my keyword search. The first results were more in depth about exact substances that deplete the ozone layer, which I happened to find more useful then just regular descriptions and definitions of the key terms which I have experienced in the past with researching resources. I think the results are desired because by choosing a subject heading, it is in context of what the library catalog already offers or recognizes.
B. In your own words, describe the difference between a keyword search and a subject heading search.
In my own words, the difference between a keyword seach and a subject heading search is not that big. A keyword seach are words that are not recognized thoroughly by the search engine or catalog in which one is using. In my case, the catalog switched my keywords into phrases in which it recognized and gave me results in the end. A subject heading is more programmed by the catalog through coding of structured language which makes it easier to find and give results to the user.
1. CFCs AND ozone layer
2. ozone depletion AND CFCS
The catalog then gave me other results based on its findings using the search terms: 'ozone and layer' and 'ozone and depletion and CFCs.'
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
a. Author-Cagin, Smith
b. Title-Between Earth and Sky: how CFCs changed our world and endangered the ozone layer.
c. Edition-1st
d. Place of Publication-New York
e. Publisher-Pantheon Books
f. Date of Publication-1993
2. The location of the book is in the "Book Stacks"
call number: TD887.C47.C34.1993
Status: ON THE SHELF
3. When I clicked the "Full Record Tab," the catalog showed me all subject headings:
4. SUBJECT HEADING INDEX
Edition-1st
Describt=xi, 430p. :ill. j24cm
Note-inclueds bibliographical references (p.[401]-408) and index
Subject-Chlorofluorocarbons-Environmental aspects.
Ozone layer depletion
Addl Author-Dray, Phillip
Subject heading I choose-ozone layer depletion.
There were 15 results of relevance to the subject heading I choose.
5. a. Do you have more or fewer entries with your subject heading search than with your keyword search?
Yes! With my keyword search in the beginning, the catalog only gabe me one result after it changed my advanced search terms into terms it recognized, which were my original terms only in a variation. As a result of that, I only recieved one result, the author being Smith Cagin. I recieved 15 results when I choose the subject heading of my choice, "Ozone layer depletion."
b. As you examine these results, are they more on target then the results you retrieved from your keyword search?
Yes my results were very much more on target compared to my keyword search. The first results were more in depth about exact substances that deplete the ozone layer, which I happened to find more useful then just regular descriptions and definitions of the key terms which I have experienced in the past with researching resources. I think the results are desired because by choosing a subject heading, it is in context of what the library catalog already offers or recognizes.
B. In your own words, describe the difference between a keyword search and a subject heading search.
In my own words, the difference between a keyword seach and a subject heading search is not that big. A keyword seach are words that are not recognized thoroughly by the search engine or catalog in which one is using. In my case, the catalog switched my keywords into phrases in which it recognized and gave me results in the end. A subject heading is more programmed by the catalog through coding of structured language which makes it easier to find and give results to the user.
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