WISER: Biosciences Reference Management

Roger Mills & Juliet Ralph

February 2009

This session

• formulating a research query• selecting and searching appropriate

databases• exporting to reference management software• inserting references in a document • compiling a bibliography.

The research query

• Suppose we are interested in the clutch size (number of eggs laid) of the barn swallow, Hirundo rustica.

• What are the key concepts?• What search terms to use?• How to combine them?

Sample search

• Start with barn swallow* – * is a truncation symbol and will retrieve both

barn swallow and barn swallows.

• Then search for hirundo rustica.• Combine the two sets using OR.• Do another keyword search for clutch size.• Combine this set with the barn swallow*

OR hirundo rustica set using AND

Selecting a database

• OxLIP+ (Oxford Libraries Information Platform)

• http://oxlip-plus.ouls.ox.ac.uk• Search for database name• Or by Subject, e.g. Biological Sciences,

Medical Sciences

• Remote access– Oxford University Single sign-on (SSO)

http://www.ict.ox.ac.uk/oxford/username/

BBiosciences databasesiosciences databases

• BIOSIS (biology, biochemistry, experimental BIOSIS (biology, biochemistry, experimental & pre-clinical medicine)& pre-clinical medicine)

• CAB Abstracts (agriculture & forestry)CAB Abstracts (agriculture & forestry)• Embase (the “European Medline”)Embase (the “European Medline”)• Medline (medicine)Medline (medicine)• PsycINFO (psychology)PsycINFO (psychology)• Zoological Record (zoology)Zoological Record (zoology)AlsoAlso• Scopus (science & medicine)Scopus (science & medicine)• Web of Science (Science Citation Index)Web of Science (Science Citation Index)

Coverage

Journals Dates Extras

Biosis 50005000 1926-1926- Conference Conference proceedingsproceedings

CAB 11000 1910- Conf proc & theses

Embase 45004500 1980-1980- Conference Conference proceedingsproceedings

Medline 46004600 1950-1950- TrialsTrials

PsycInfo 20002000 1806-1806- Chapters & Chapters &

dissertationsdissertations

Zoo Record 50005000 1864-1864- Conference Conference proceedingsproceedings

Coverage Coverage

JournalsJournals DatesDates ExtrasExtras

ScopusScopus

Inc. Medline Inc. Medline & Embase& Embase

15,00015,000 1869-1869- Conf proc Conf proc & patents& patents

Web of Web of Science Science (core (core journals in journals in all subjects)all subjects)

9,0009,000 1945-1945- Conf proc Conf proc & book & book reviewsreviews

What are they searching?

• Article titleArticle title• AbstractAbstract• Journal titleJournal title• Authors Authors • Descriptors / Subject HeadingsDescriptors / Subject Headings• AffiliationAffiliation• ReferencesReferences• ……..But not the full text..But not the full text

For a comprehensive literature search

• Search more than one database on Oxlip+• Compare results from

– Scopus– BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Zoological Record

Exporting from Ovid to Reference management packages

• Results Manager– Results Format

• Direct Export

– Save– Export results to RefWorks, EndNote etc

• RefWorks account set-up and log in– http://www.refworks.com/refworks

Exporting from Scopus

• Select records• Click on Output• Choose Export• Choose Export Format required (RefWorks

direct, or RIS for EndNote)• Choose how much detail to Output (Complete

Format includes the most)• Click on Export

What can reference management software do?

• Store references to items in many different formats and material types

• Search, select and output references in a variety of pre-determined styles, or one of your own making

• Import references direct from databases like Scopus or Web of Knowledge, or library catalogues like OLIS

• Search external databases from within the reference management software, and save references retrieved

• Insert references into a word-processed document and format them in a particular style at the touch of a button

• Store links to documents – pdf’s, images – or copies of them within database

Products available

• The Thomson-Reuters family:– ProCite – Reference Manager – EndNote -

EndNote Web– Thomson own Web of Knowledge, Biosis etc

• The ProQuest family:– RefWorks – RefWorks Scopus Edition – RefShare– ProQuest own CSA, Dialog, Chadwyck-Healey etc

• For LaTeX users:– BibTex

• Also consider:– Zotero

Which product for me? (1)

• RefWorks and EndNote– allow direct export from selected databases– have very similar features

• RefWorks– web based– access your records anywhere, so long as you are online– database can be saved for offline work– free to members of university– otherwise c.£90

• EndNote– software must be installed– works without web access, so long as you have your own

machine– must be purchased, c.£80

Which product for me? (2)

• EndNote Web– free to members of university– limited feature set– designed to be used alongside desktop version

• Zotero– free plug-in for Firefox browser (only)– limited but growing capability

• BibTeX– tools are free

• Social bookmarking sites e.g. CiteULike, Connotea– Free– convenient for storing and sharing references– do not provide word processor interaction, text formatting

etc.

EndNote, EndNote Web & RefWorks compared

Compare features: EndNote

Web EndNoteDesktop RefWorks

Save references + + +

Organize & edit references + + +

Storage capacity (number of references) 10,000 unlimited unlimited

Import from many databases and OPACs + + +

Cite & format papers with bibliographies + + +

Create & save advanced searches + create (not save)

Customize views & displays + +

Edit reference import filters & output styles +RW can add or edit import filters

Users can edit output styles

Use term lists for auto-entry + +

Cite tables, figures, & equations + +

Work Offline (anytime/anywhere) + Write papers offline only

Local Personal Files and Documents + +

High Performance Desktop Environment +  

• Some screen shots of what they look like…

Further help available

• Ask Library staff• Contact your subject librarian. See:

www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/libraries/subjects/librarians • Check out online help at www.refworks.com and

www.endnote.com• Attend a RefWorks or EndNote half-day course at

OUCS – see www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/courses

• Try our online tutorials

http://www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/rsl/training/interactive_tutorials