Course Description | Learning Objectives
Length | Format and Methodology |
Audience |
Participant Preparation
Instructional Materials
and Aids | References | Facility Checklist
Outline of Course Contents
Course Description
To introduce scientists and other staff to the ScienceDirect online journals database and search
tool from Elsevier Science, including how to browse full-text journals, how to search available
databases, and how to set up saved searches to be run manually or automatically.
- Scientists will select ScienceDirect as a starting point for research and to manage
regular searches in preference to other services available to them on the desktop or in the library.
- Participants will set up and use personal profiles in ScienceDirect in
order to manage saved searches and
to browse favorite journal titles.
- Using the specific search language unique to ScienceDirect,
participants will
demonstrate facility with Boolean and proximity searching.
- From the complete list of journals, participants will identify those
titles that are available through
the EPA subscription package, and will recognize the three ways ScienceDirect lists journals.
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The class will last approximately one hour, with additional time (up to one hour) for
questions about and/or supervised practice on the system. This class will be offered two to
three times per year, approximately once in the fall, spring, and summer.
The class will combine a lecturette style of presentation with hands-on simulations of searches.
The instructor will explain and demonstrate techniques that participants
can practice both during
the lecturette and in the open-ended time follwing the structured presentation. In-class
demonstrations will use suggestions from participants, rather than
"canned" exercises. In addition, participants will be made aware of the
computer-based tutorial to which they can refer at any time
outside the classroom. These methods support attitude, skills, and knowledge outcomes while
allowing a fair amount of information to be transmitted in a short period of time.
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This course is designed for researchers and other staff at the US Environmental
Protection Agency Research Triangle Park facility in North Carolina. There is a
maximum of 20 participants per class, with no minimum.
Participants are asked, but not required, to sign up prior to the class so that the
instructor knows both how many people will be attending, but also what research branches
or laboratories (APPCD, NCEA, NERL, NHEERL, OAQPS, or OARM) will be represented.
Attendees who sign up at least 24 hours in advance of the class will
receive an email reminder from the library about the class and
requesting that they come to the class with a search query in mind.
It is assumed that participants possess basic skills in online searching and computing.
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- ScienceDirect Quick Reference Guide
(Handouts are available from ScienceDirect or can be printed from
the
Web.)
- ScienceDirect website (http://www.sciencedirect.com)
- ScienceDirect tutorial in the Desktop Toolkit (on the Intranet)
- Introduction to ScienceDirect class handout (PDF version)
- Computer connected to overhead projector
- End of class evaluation sheets
Elsevier Science (1999). ScienceDirect User Manual, Version 2.0.
Elsevier Science (2000). ScienceDirect. Retrieved October 2000 from the World
Wide Web: http://www.sciencedirect.com
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Instructor Preparation (6-8 hours)
- Read ScienceDirect manual and become familiar with product
- Create instructor profile
- Design and create online tutorial (or update, if necessary)
- Mount tutorial on Intranet
- Create/update course handout
- Get ScienceDirect materials (Guide, pens) from Elsevier
representative
Facility Preparation (1 hour)
- E-mail reminder to participants who have signed up
- Log onto student and instructor terminals
- Load Desktop Toolkit and ScienceDirect sites in two different Netscape browser windows,
with Desktop Toolkit "on top"
- Put Reference Guide, course handout, class evaluation form, and a
ScienceDirect pen at each terminal
- Turn on overhead projector and lower screen
- Introduction to Class (5 minutes) [open Desktop Toolbox window]
- Instructor and student introductions
- Overview of Desktop Toolbox
- Getting Started with ScienceDirect (10 minutes) [open ScienceDirect window]
- When to use ScienceDirect
- How to log on
- Using help screens and tips
- Setting up and managing your profile
- Browsing Journals (15 minutes)
- Journal lists
- Journal displays
- Journal contents formats
- Viewing articles
- Personal journal list
- Subject Searching (20 minutes)
- Basic searching
- Enhanced searching
- Field qualifiers
- Word forms
- Stop words
- Boolean connectors
- Proximity operators
- Wildcard characters/truncation
- Saving and retrieving searches
- Modifying and deleting searches
- E-mail Alerts (10 minutes)
- Saving e-mail alerts
- Retrieving, modifying, deleting alerts
- Questions, practice, concerns, evaluation (as needed, up to 1 hour)
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Copyright 2000 K.T.L.Vaughan