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| Blue Jay photo curtesy of Briana Carlyon |
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| Crow Photo curtesy of Briana Carlyon |
Inititally it was difficult to find any reliable sources for information (ie. peer-reviewed articles and/or ones from trusted journals) but as I kept searching, trying sites like PubMed and PLoS it became easier to find the information I needed. One really informative article about the pathology of the virus was really helpful because it enabled me to gain a basic understanding and then continue on with further, in-depth research. The UAlberta Library site was the first place I searched because it has been reliable in supplying me with relevant, peer-reviewed articles. This time, no such luck. In order to search more effectively, I will have to search different key words and other trusted sites. Researching and finding dependable articles for writing papers takes a lot of time, but as you gain experience in searching it becomes easier and more efficient.
In Cassandra's blog, she discusses the debate about how technology could be ruining or helping the English language. The shorthand language of texting and chatting online (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) can be harmful or be helpful. This is a prime example of technology is evolving at a super fast rate. Before when researching for papers, you would have to actually check out the hardcopy of the journal from your library. Now, you can do all your research online from your own room, no need to go trekking to the library to do all your research. All or most journals publish their articles online so they can be more accessible to a wide range of audiences. Yay for technology!
References:
Madden, K. (2003). West Nile
Virus Infection and its Neurological Manifestation. Clinical Medicine and
Research, 1(2), 145-150. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1069038/
Accessed: February 29, 2012
Wonderful post about West Nile Virus! I ride horses, so WNV is something that I have to be aware of, especially during mosquito season.
ReplyDeleteFinding good quality peer-reviewed sources for research papers can definitely be a challenge! I also turn to the uAlberta libraries and PubMed when I begin my search, and tweaking the search terms definitely makes a difference. One of my more challenging research papers to write was about synchronization of estrus in cattle. A lot of time was spent finding articles that were even worthy of reading.
I also came across Cassandra's post about technology and language. I really like how you tied in the advantages of this technology with research. I think of how much time I spend skimming journals, and can't even imagine the time commitment if I had to do it all with print journals!
I really enjoyed reading about your research method! I studied WNV briefly in horses last term in ANSC 110 and found that section interesting.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I find that locating proper and relevant articles for research projects is the hardest part. I often find myself looking through the references of articles that are only slightly related to my project, and end up finding the perfect one. However, I can't imagine what it would be like to have to check out the entire journal in hard copy and have to flip through every article instead of searching keywords. Like you said, technology definitely has made articles more accessible and easier to find!
Your research on West Nile Virus sounds really interesting. I bet your paper was great! I completely agree with you about how research becomes easier with practice. I can remember looking for articles for hours for my first year English research paper. It was dreadful! Now things are a little easier, but can still be very time consuming, especially when you are looking for something very specific. I can't imagine having to go to the library and dig for hard copy journals. Thank goodness for technology!
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