Search Strategies for
Scientific Research
Krystie Klahn
Samantha Walsh
How do you currently
conduct your
research?
Remember your Library Links
Settings!
Are you familiar with
RSS?
Choose wisely…
CLIO: Columbia’s Online Catalog
Virtual shelf browse
CLIO Record for the eBook, Mars:
Citation Finder
USE citation finder When you know of
a journal article and want to check if
Columbia has access/where to find
the article
DO NOT USE citation finder as a
search function
Kroeker, K. J. (2013-06). Impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms: quantifying
sensitivities and interaction with warming. Global change biology, 19(6), 18841896. doi:10.1111/gcb.12179
LibX Widget
Firefox and Chrome add-on which provides
direct access to Columbia Library collections.
• quickly search a highlighted text
• “Reload via Columbia Libraries Off-Campus
Proxy”
CLIO can only do so much, what
else might I use?
Scientific databases!
What is Scopus?
• Scopus is a citation index of peer-reviewed literature:
scientific journals, books, patents, and conference
proceedings
• Scopus should be used as a “mining tool”- a way to
get an idea of what research/writing is out there for
your research interest
• Scopus is updated daily and gives you an idea of who
is researching and writing as well as who is
publishing work in any given field
• Covers Life, Health, Physical and Social Sciences, as
well as the Humanities
• Scopus searches all of PubMed and Medline
Let’s dig into
Scopus!
What is web of science?
• Web of Science is a citation index that
searches peer-reviewed literature in the
sciences and humanities as well as data sets,
patents, conference proceedings, clinical
trials, etc.
• Material searched by Web of Science goes as
far back as 1865
• Web of Science is more exclusive than
Scopus, focusing more specifically on the
sciences
Let’s dig into
Web of Science!
Columbia doesn’t have access? It’s
checked out?
Borrow Direct
• Use for: Books
• 3-4 business-day delivery
• 6-week loan period, one
renewal
Inter Library Loan(ILL)
• Use for: Articles, Book
Chapters, and Non-book
loans (DVDs, microfilm,
dissertations, maps, etc.)
• Loans from a library other
than the Borrow Direct
partners (including
international, public, law,
medical, special
collections, etc.)
Browse the Subject
Guides
Subject Guides bring together the
best resources for different subjects
Subject Guides will also give you a
librarian point of contact should you
need further research help
Subject Guides link to databases, ebook collections, software, ejournals, reference sources, webbased tools, and more!
You can Always Ask A
Librarian!
This virtual reference service
weekdays from 9 am- 9 pm and
Sundays from 1 pm- 9 pm
Your question will be answered by a
Columbia University librarian or
library intern in an InstantMessage(IM) style conversation
We can help you locate specific
resources, or get you started on a
new research journey
Columbia Librarians are also always
available to schedule one-on-one
consultations to help with your
research!
Tumblr
http://columbiascience.tumblr.com/
Take Home Tips:
• Use RSS!
• Search for related materials using the Virtual
Shelf Browse.
• Searching for a specific article? Use the Citation
Finder tool.
• Install the LibX add-on.
• Use scientific databases for in-depth searching.
• Follow Science @ Columbia.
Let us help you further!
Email: ref-sci@columbia.edu