3. Preparing for Lab Session 2 of the Fern Lab – Finding a Relevant Research Article

The primary question that we are asking in the fern lab is: “Does gametophyte density affect sex expression in Ceratopteris richardii gametophytes?” (this is the question you are focusing on in your lab assignment)

In the discussion portion of the lab assignment, you will be comparing your results to 1 peer-reviewed research article (fast-forward – you will have data on the percent of gametophytes that are male or hermaphroditic at different densities). Use the instructions below to locate and summarize the article. But first, what is the difference between a review article and a research article (briefly)?

• A research article (i.e., primary source) reports their own, original research. These articles have the typical structure of a scientific article (i.e., abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion).
• A review article (i.e., secondary source or literature review) synthesizes and evaluates previous primary research articles. These types of articles provide an overview of the progress related to a particular topic. The end of a review article outlines areas where there are gaps in the current knowledge of that topic (i.e., next steps). The structure of a review article is different from a typical scientific article and resembles more of an essay format.

Procedure – Finding a Relevant Research Article

a) To get started, it is a good idea to come up with a list of key terms to use for searching in the databases. Recall that the research question from above. See the “Searching for Journal Articles on a Topic” section earlier in this manual for guidance as needed. In your lab notebook, make a table that looks something like the one below and fill it in – this will help you to be intentional about your search!

b) Once you have the key terms listed, make a list in your lab notebook of the combinations that can be used in the database using ‘AND’ (i.e., concept 1 AND concept 2). See the “Searching for journal articles on a topic” in the Library Resources.

c) Go to the “Augustana Subject Guides” section University of Alberta Library website and select “Biology”. There are 6 different databases that are recommended for Biology (listed under “Articles – Biology”). In AUBIO 112, the most helpful databases will be the top 3: BIOSIS Citation Index, Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus.

d) Try a few of your key term combinations in BIOSIS Citation Index (or another database). If your search is too broad or not coming up with anything relevant, try using more (or less) specific terms.

e) Once you find some promising articles, read the abstracts of a few (i.e., 2-3), and decide if the promising articles are 1) peer-reviewed, 2) research articles and 3) relevant to the fern lab:

1) Is the article peer-reviewed? To determine whether a journal has a peer review process, search for the journal title in Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory and look for the little “refereed” symbol:. You can find Ulrich’s in the “Biology Subject Guide” under “Peer Reviewed Journals” section.

2) Is it a research article? Look for “original research” or “research article” somewhere at the top of the article. Sometimes the articles aren’t labelled, but you can use some clues from the abstract and structure of the article to determine if it is a research article:

• • • Does the objective/purpose/question relate directly to an experiment that was performed? If yes, then it is a research article.
    • Are there key words like “An experiment was undertaken…”? If yes, then it is a research article.
    • If you look at the methods section, does the information provided indicate compiling articles, or undertaking a literature review? If yes, then this is NOT a research article.
    • Does the structure of the article look like an essay (i.e., not the typical introduction > methods > results > discussion format [whether there are headings or not…]? If it looks like an essay, then it is likely NOT a research article.

3) How do you know if the article is relevant? The article should address a similar question to the one posed in this experiment. The model organism does not have to be Ceratopteris richardii (but it should be a plant species [ferns are plants!])

f) Select a relevant article and read it (see the “Guidelines” below for help with reading the article). While you are reading the relevant article (note: if it turn out to not be relevant, go back and find a new one!), provide point-form answers to the following questions in your lab notebook – be sure to paraphrase rather than copying:

• • What is the research question?
  • What is the model organism (i.e., species)?
  • In 1-2 sentences how did they carry out the experiment?
  • What are the major findings and conclusion from the study?
  • Why is this source relevant to the fern lab?