Information skills are important for research.  Applying these skills can be considered a multi-step process:

• Identify what information is needed
• Identify the appropriate information (indexes to the literature will help)
• Locate the specific articles or items and get the information
• Evaluate the quality of the information
  

Library research skills will help you learn how to identify and locate materials.
Subject knowledge will help you evaluate relevant materials

The Library provides materials not freely available on the web, such as:

• peer reviewed research literature,
• current subscriptions,
• older materials not on the web,
• selected citation databases only available through subscriptions.

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Searching tips:

• Use key words to find appropriate descriptors/identifiers or subject headings,
• Use descriptors/identifiers or subject headings for more precise searching,
• Use scientific names,
• Use “and” to narrow a search (include both terms),
• Use “or” to broaden a search (include either term),
• Use word-building searching.

Locating materials:

• The “SFX” or “Find text @tamu” button within each index will take you directly to an electronically available article, or to the catalog record.
• You can use Get it for me to request copies of articles that are not available electronically
• Or, go to the library to copy articles.

Major indexes to agriculture literature: an index selectively gathers citations to a specific subject.

• Agricola – the major US agricultural index created by the National Agricultural Library
• CAB Abstracts – the major agricultural index in the world

Start from the library homepage: http://library.tamu.edu

1. Log-in (upper right) if you are off-campus
2. Select the Indexes/Databases button and type in your index name
3. Use the index to search for your subject

For additional assistance contact:
The reference desk at the Medical Sciences Library
                        979-845-7428
OR
Nancy Duran (see sidebar)