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INST 2401: Life & Earth Systems

This guide will provide resources and assistance for students enrolled in INST 2401.

Tips for Finding Science & Health Articles

  1. Look in the Health or Science sections of the magazines, newspapers, or websites.
  2. Look for articles that cite Science or Nature – the Library gets those journals in print. 
  3. Keep in mind that many news sources report the results of studies just before the study has made it to publication.
  4. If you select an popular article that was published in the past year, you may need to use Interlibrary Loan to request a print copy.  Many publishers have a one year embargo - meaning the article will not be published online until it is one year old.

Hints for Finding the Primary Source

A secondary source article will give you clues about the primary source that is based on. Look for these pieces of information:

1. Journal Title – not always given

2. Keywords – what the article is about

3. Author - usually the researcher quoted in the article.

4. Publication Date – sometimes given, sometimes based on the date of the magazine or newspaper.

5. Affiliation - almost always given. This refers to the university or hospital where the researcher works.