College of DuPage Library

Getting Started: Finding Your Topic

Lost about Where to Start?

Some of the following strategies might help you to figure out what products to focus in on:

• An all-purpose Google News or Google Patent search can give you a place to start when looking for your Biotechnology Product. Try, for example, a search of biotechnology and food.
• Look through your textbook for examples that you might want to follow up on. We have a copy in the reserves collection if you didn't bring it.
• This list, the Top 6 Everyday Products Using Biotechnology was published in 2017, and gives you some general fields and names to follow, as does this list from 2012 published by the biotechnology trade association
• Check out Fierce Biotech, an online trade publication.
• Your textbook suggests Genentech's product development page.

Getting Background Research

Now that you've picked something out, you'll want to work to find background that will help you to interpret the scholarly articles that you'll find later. Start by searching any of the databases below for your product, but be prepared to broaden out if you don't find anything. For example, after trying golden rice, try genetically modified food.

• Gale Virtual Reference Library has got great entries on many of your topics.
• Visit CQ Researcher, a library database that summarizes current events into massive PDFs.
• Credo Reference has the full-text of hundreds of dictionaries and encyclopedias.
• While you would never cite Wikipedia, you can use the references at the bottom of the entry to start your search.

Finding Articles in Databases

Scientific Articles

Scientific research can be best found in academic databases. Here are the top two databases to look for information.

Academic Search Complete has a mixture of popular and scholarly articles on a variety of subjects. You'll want to be sure that you're using a source appropriate for class when searching.

Science Direct contains only scientific full text articles. Be sure to select "subscribed journals" when searching.

See the full list of biology databases.

You can also look at National Newspapers Core and Newspaper Source to see if there are any news articles that discuss the marketing of your product.

Trying to find out if we have an article in full-text? Check the Journal Locator to see what we might have in print or online. You can also InterLibrary Loan. Questions? Contact me.

Distinguishing a Research Article From a Popular Article

Worried that you might be reading a trade article from a scholarly article, or a review article from a scientific research article?

Start by looking for the distinctive markers of a scholarly article: are the authors' degrees or university affiliations listed? Do you see an abstract? How about charts, tables, graphs?

Once you are certain that you are looking at a scholarly article, make certain that your article is a scientific research article, by looking for the following distinctive sections:

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Method
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References or Works Cited

Some of these sections may be merged with other sections, have slightly different names, or may not be labeled, but all should be present in one way or another.

Confused? Take a look at page one of a scholarly article below:

Want to take a closer look? Cladophora (Chlorophyta) spp. Harbor Human Bacterial Pathogens in Nearshore Water of Lake Michigan is a research article found on PubMedCentral, the government-sponsored free article database. You can use this as a model scholarly research article.

Using APA Style

Find directions about how to cite your sources on the library citation guide.

Most databases will have a Cite link that you can also click to get article citations.

Finally, you are welcome to use NoodleBib if you'd like to use a program to create and organize your citations. You must "Create a New Folder" when you use NoodleBIB for the first time. Click on "I am citing a(n):," choose the type of item you are citing, and then fill in the online form. Your bibliography will be formatted for you.

Further questions about APA style? Check out the APA Sample Paper from Purdue OWL, which includes sample papers.

Books to Study With

Want to study on a day when you don't have math class or don't want to lug the book around? We have a copy of Lial's Basic College Mathematics at the circulation desk. You can check the book out for up to two hours at a time for in-library use.

The Library has a number of books you can use to study when you'd like something in addition to your textbook. Some helpful books that you can check out include:

• Bob Miller's Basic Math and Prealgebra: Basic Math and Prealgebra QA43 .M5 2002
• Math for the Anxious: Building Basic Skills QA93 .P76 2005
• Arithmetic and Algebra-- Again: Leave Math Anxiety Behind Forever QA39.2 .I4 2004

We also have the DVD Basic Math, Parts 1, 2, and 3 (PE1127.M3 S544 1997) with a workbook, if you'd prefer to study that way.

Online Videos/Practice

Learning Express Library 3.0: Learning Express Library offers a number of helpful tools. Click on Adult Learning Center and then Build Your Math Skills to get to the math study aids. Notice that in the menu on the left you can select practice sets, read ebooks, or watch tutorials. You'll be prompted to create an account in order to use the materials.

Other really helpful websites include the following:

Khan Academy has free video tutorials online. You'll have to sign up for an account and take a practice test in order to watch. Tutorials tend to focus on one concept (such as solving simple linear equations) and be fairly short.

GCF LearnFree Math also has some great tutorials. You can watch videos and practice different sets of problems with feedback.

Saddleback College's PreAlgebra class covers basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) as well as decimals and fractions, and other helpful concepts. The site, put together by Professor Perez at Saddleback College, has notes, videos, worksheets, homework, quizzes, and web tools available. Navigate using the menu on the left.

Other Help

You can also contact the Learning Commons to request tutoring help.

Books to Study With

Want to study on a day when you don't have math class or don't want to lug the book around? We have a copy of Messermith's Beginning and Intermediate Algebra at the circulation desk. You can check the book out for up to two hours at a time for in-library use.

The Library has a number of books you can use to study when you'd like something in addition to your textbook. Some helpful books that you can check out include:

• Algebra Success in 20 minutes a Day. QA159 .J59 2005
• Painless Algebra QA152.3 .L66 2006
• Schaum's Outline of College Algebra QA157 .S725 2006
• Algebra for Dummies (if you can get past the title) QA159.2 .S743 2010

Online Videos/Practice

Learning Express Library 3.0: Learning Express Library offers a number of helpful tools. Click on College Center and then Math Skills Review to get to the math study aids. Notice that you can do practice sets, read ebooks, or watch tutorials in Algebra. You'll be prompted to create an account in order to use the materials.

Other really helpful websites include the following:

Khan Academy has free video tutorials online. You'll have to sign up for an account and take a practice test in order to watch. Tutorials tend to focus on one concept (such as solving simple linear equations) and be fairly short.

GCFLearn Free has an algebra section on their website. You can watch videos and do practice problems on a variety of topics.

Saddleback College PreAlgebra and Beginning Algebra and Intermediate Algebra sites. These sites, put together by Professor Perez at Saddleback College, have notes, videos, worksheets, homework, quizzes, and web tools that focus on prealgebra concepts. Navigate using the menu on the left. Brush up on old concepts or learn new ones.

OpenAlgebra.com is an online Algebra study guide including worksheets, videos, and a computer-based graphing calculator.

Other Help

You can also contact the Learning Commons to request tutoring help.