1. Cheat sheet for Biochemistry Students
NOTE: Please ask questions as we go & if you need to use the facilities feel free 
Kiem Ta
Science Librarian
Reference Office, 306 Library
Oklahoma State University; Stillwater, OK
Office: 405/ Fax: 405/

2. Searching databases and the Internet
Cheat Sheet… Biochem Fall 2003
Part 1:
Searching databases and the Internet

3. What is a citation? Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003 Question Answer
A reference to sources

4. Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003
The two most common types of citation are:
Citation for books and citations for periodicals
Periodicals: publications issued at regular intervals. There are three major categories: journal, popular magazines and newspapers.
A full citation for an article in a journal should include the following information
Name of author(s)
Title of article
Title of journal
Volume or issue number (or both)
Publication date
Page numbers
Book: a lengthy writing on a subject.
A full citation for books should include the following information
Name of author(s)
Title of book and subtitle if any
Place of publication
Name of publishing agency
Date of publication
Page number(s) of the specific citation

5. Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003
With citations on hand, why don’t we go to find few of them.
To search OSU Catalog:
Library Resources for Biochem. & Molecular Biology at:
(Some representative databases are ProQuest, EBSCO, Web of Science, Science Direct, SciFinder Scholar)
My homepage at

6. Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003
To Search the Internet
Using Search Engines, Subject Directories
What are Search Engines? Search engines are huge databases of web page files that have been assembled automatically by machine.
Example: Google, Ask Jeeves
What are Subject Directories? Subject directories, unlike search engines, are created and maintained by human editors, not electronic spiders or robots. The editors review and select sites for inclusion in their directories on the basis of previously determined selection criteria
Example: Yahoo, Complete Planet

7. Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003
Tips for searching the internet
Use quotation marks “”
Example: “order of chao”
Use (+) for including terms
Example: weather +stillwater +florida
Use (-) for excluding terms
Example: bass –musical instrument

8. Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003
EXTRA! EXTRA! Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT

9. Part 2:
Evaluating Web pages

10. Categories for evaluating…
Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003
Did you know that anyone can write and publish a web page? Because of this, it is important that you use websites that are created by people who are qualified to be writing on the subject matter. For example, would you rather use information on the human body written by a doctor, or someone who has just been to the doctor?
Categories for evaluating…

11. Authority and Accuracy:
Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003
Authority and Accuracy:
Questions to consider when reviewing web pages for authority and accuracy:
Can you determine who put this page together?
What is the background, credentials, or authority of the author of this web page?
How would you verify the information presented on this web page?
Feline Reactions to Bearded Men
City of Mankato, Minnesota Home
Smoker's Home Page
Medline PLUS

12. Advocacy and Objectivity:
Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003
Advocacy and Objectivity:
Questions to consider when viewing these web pages for advocacy and objectivity:
Do the author(s) present the information as fact or opinion or conjecture?
Does this page present more than one viewpoint or opinion?
Can you determine who or what group sponsors this web page? Do they hold a particular view or opinion?
Ladies Against Women
Families Against Internet Censorship
EarthSave International
Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Historical Examination

13. Currency and Coverage:
Cybercheats
Currency and Coverage:
Questions to consider when reviewing webpages for currency and covergage:
What does "up to date" or "current" meant for this site? (Hint: what is the latest date you can find on this site?)
Does the site really provide information on all the aspects or areas it claims to cover?
Is the information provide uniformly complete for all the aspects and areas the site claims to cover?
Instant Sports
CNN
Mr. Cranky Rates the Movies
Auto-by-Tel

14. The Virtual Earned Scholarly Average
Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003
To Score a web page
The Virtual Earned Scholarly Average

15. Cheat Sheet … Biochem. Fall 2003
We are here to help YOU!

16. Cheat Sheet… Biochem. Fall 2003
My cat says: come to the library and ask for
Kiem Ta.
Science Librarian
Reference Office, 306 Library
Oklahoma State University; Stillwater, OK
Office: 405/ Fax: 405/