Searching for Science

Generalities

Fred O’BryantApplied Sciences Librarian

Charles L. Brown Science and Engineering Library

University of Virginia

2006

What We’ll Cover…

• Some basic definitions

• Major resources (mostly online) for researching general science and engineering topics

• History of science resources

• An experiment or two

• Hands-on work

What Is Science?

A way of learning about the physical universe by applying the principles of the scientific method, which include making empirical observations, proposing hypotheses to explain those observations, and testing those hypotheses in valid and reliable ways.

Adapted slightly from NOAA’s Coral Reef Information System webpage

Science also refers to the organized body of knowledge that results from scientific study.

Let’s Do Some Science…

…with Falling Bodies

The “Sapienza” (Place of Wisdom): the oldest building of theUniversity of Pisa. 

Aristotle (384 – 322 BC)

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

Go to the experiments…

The Essence of Science

• Observe

• Propose

• Test

• Record

• Modify

• Repeat as often as necessary…

Science ≠ Absolute Truth

Categories of Science

• Physical Sciences

• Life Sciences

• Applied Sciences

• Mathematics

Natural Science

The study of the physical world…

…rather than of divine processes.

Mathematics

Not a science, strictly speaking.

Physical Science

• Astronomy

• Physics

• Chemistry

• Geology

• Weather

Life Science

• Biology & Botany

• Biochemistry• Ecology &

Environment• Genetics• Medicine• Psychology

Applied Science

• Aerospace• Biomedical• Civil• Chemical• Computer Science• Electrical• Mechanical• Materials Science• Systems

LC Science Classifications

• BF Psychology

• HA Mathematical Statistics

• Q Natural Science

• R Medicine

• S Agriculture

• T Applied Sciences and Technology

Generalities

Broad topics

All fields

Typical undergrad or educated layperson

Databases with non-technical coverage

Databases with highly technical coverage but a broad subject base

Life Blood of the Sciences

•InfoTrac OneFile

•Lexis-Nexis

•CQ Researcher

•Cambridge Scientific Abstracts

•Ei Compendex

•Web of Science

•Factiva

Sneak Peek – Compendex Via Engineering Village 2

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)

History of Science

Scientific Biographies

History of Science

• America: History & LifeCovers the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to present. Covers material published since 1964.

• Historical Abstracts Covers the history of all the world except North America back to 1450 CE. Covers material published since 1954.

• Periodicals Archive Online (PAO) Valuable for its coverage further back in time than America History & Life and Historical Abstracts, and for its links to full text.

• L'Année philologique sur InternetThe standard index for ancient Greece and Rome.

• International Medieval BibliographyThe standard index for the European Middle Ages.

History of Science

• ATLA Religion DatabaseProvides international coverage on all aspects of

religious studies including the religious and ethical aspects of technology and medicine.

• Philosopher’s IndexProvides indexing and abstracting from books and over

300 journals of philosophy and related disciplines. • Iter—Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance

Includes over 700,000 citations pertaining to the Middle Ages and Renaissance (400-1700).

• Proquest Digital DissertationsInformation on over 2 million dissertations and theses

published since 1861

Biography• Scientific and Engineering Biographies

BSEL subject guide page

• Dictionary of Scientific BiographyBSEL reference collection; covers classical to

modern times but no living persons

• Biographical Dictionary of Women in ScienceBSEL reference collection; from ancient times

to the mid-20th century

• Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century

BSEL reference collection; includes portraits

Science on the Web

More You Can Do with

Still More You Can Do with Calculate:

What is the square root of 4823650? How many cubic feet are ina cubic mile? 50 meters is how many yards? How much does a gallon of liquid weigh?

Dictionary:

Use the define: function to get definitions of terms.

Search by Number:

Parcel tracking IDs, UPCs, patents and other specialized numbers

And There’s More Than Just Google!

Search Engines

• Athenus• EEVL• Globalspec• Science.gov• Scirus

Metasearch Engines

• Ixquick• Mooter

Directories

•BUBL•DefenseLINK•INFOMINE

Any questions???

Want to Do Some More Science?

• Heavy, Heavy Hangs over Your Head: How Much Does a Thunderstorm Weigh?

• It’s a Long Way to Tipperary – and a Whole Lot Farther to the Nearest Star

Now It’s Your Turn!

Time for a Hands-on Exercise…

Thank You!

Fred O’BryantApplied Sciences Librarian

Charles L. Brown Science and Engineering LibraryE-Mail: jfo@virginia.edu

March 2006