An abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature, covering over 23,000 journals as well as book series and conference proceedings, dating back to 1970. This citation-only index provides links to full text via other CofC resources when available.
A comprehensive geoscience database includes references to geoscience maps, serial, and non-serial literature, all publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, master's theses and doctoral dissertations from US and Canadian universities. North American resources from 1669; worldwide coverage from 1933. This citation-only index provides links to full text via other CofC resources when available.
Provides quick, powerful access to the world's leading citation databases. Current and retrospective coverage in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities, dating from 1980. This citation-only index provides links to full text via other CofC resources when available.
United States Geological Survey - Searchable website including images, data, publications, fact-pages, maps, and more.
Identify the key words from your research question that describe what you want to find Enter each concept in a separate field. Note that each row is joined to the next by a Boolean AND operator, meaning content from each row must be included in the matches.
There is often more than one way to describe a concept and because articles are found by word matching, we need to try to think of synonymous terms. For example, communities and assemblages are conceptually similar so we include them in one line, separated by an OR operator This means that either communities or assemblages must be matched, but not necessarily both.
We can treat temperature and depth similarly. We are interested in both, but would be willing to accept a paper that only referenced one of the terms. So we also separate temperature and depth with the OR operator.
Review articles are works of synthesis. They don't present a primary research investigation performed by the researchers. Rather, they represent a comprehensive presentation of knowledge-to-date on a topic achieved from analyzing many primary research articles.
To locate review articles efficiently, use a search tool that helps you limit your search by article type. I recommend using Scopus.
Broadly, what marine geomorphic feature are you going to investigate?
e.g. Seamounts
From background research, what have you learned about the feature that interests you? What have you learned about the feature that is is potentially relevant to your own seafloor study area?
e.g. Unusual shape features on/of seamounts due to marine biota aggregration or seamount collapse events
Ask many questions that could be answered through researching your geomorphic feature. Questions should not be answerable with Yes/No answers (i.e., questions that begin with Do, Are, Is, etc.). Use What, Where, When, Why, How question forms.
What...determines the form of pinnacle seamounts?
Where...do corals aggregate on seamounts in relation to current?
When...did seamounts in [a locality] form?
Why...did seamounts in [a locality] collapse?
How...do extrusions in seamounts cause them to collapse?
Research questions that are unfocused are vague. Research questions that are over-focused will make it hard to find information. One example of being over-focused is being too geographically specific.
Vague: How do corals aggregate on seamounts?
Balanced: How do depth and water temperature influence coral community aggregation on seamounts?
Over-focused: How do eddies influence coral community site selection on the Magellan Seamounts?
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