I.	Selecting a Topic

	A.	Make a list of areas of interest
	B.	Read research articles related to your interest
	C.	Decide on a specific area
	D.	Obtain a broad perspective of that area
	E.	Select a narrow topic
		1.	Must be research related
		2.	Avoid broad, descriptive reports (diseases)
		3.	You will never be too narrow.
	F.	Determine specific objectives
		1.	Don't have more than three objectives

II.	How do I find what I'm looking for?

	A.	Go to the Library or access the library from a Computer
		1.	SIUC Library Webpage: 
				http://www.lib.siu.edu/hp/
		2.	Many other libraries are on the internet
	B.	Research information from journals, books, conference 
		proceedings, government documents, technical reports, 
		and the internet.
		1.	Journals
			a.	Collection of current research related to 
				a given field
				i.	Usually sponsored by an organization
				ii.	Peer reviewed by an editorial board
				iii.	Broadest form for distribution 
					of technical information
				iv.	One to four year time lag
			b.	Number and length are increasing
			c.	Final step in a research project
			d.	5th floor Morris Library
			e.	Examples:
				i.	Animal Production
				ii.	Biology of Reproduction
				iii.	British Journal of Nutrition
				iv.	Journal of Animal Science
				v.	Journal of Dairy Science
				vi.	Livestock Production Science
		2.	Books
			a.	More general information on broader topics
			b.	Useful for background or review information
			c.	Not as current as journal articles
			d.	6th floor Morris Library
		3.	Internet
			a.	Many search engines: Google, Netscape, Yahoo, Excite, etc.
			b.	Beware of information
				i.	Information can be put on internet by
					anyone without review
					--validity problem
				ii.	Don't base your all your information 
					on an internet source.
		4.	Other References
			a.	Consult your local, friendly librarian

	B.	Finding articles (titles) on your topic.

		1.	Go to the shelves and start reading!!!
			a.	Read references
		2.	Indexes
			a.	Almost all have gone electronic
				i.	Morris Library Explorer Pathfinder:
					http://mccoy.lib.siu.edu/explorer/index.html
					--Can access most electronic indexes
				ii.	Examples of indexes
					--Silver platter (found through Webspirs)
					--AGRICOLA (Agriculture based, 1970 to present)
					--ILLINET (Illinois card catalog)
					--Current Contents (7000 Journals)
					--MEDLINE (Medical and biological based)
					--Biological and Agricultural Index
					--Science Citation Index (Very Complete)
			b.	Conducting computer searches
				i.	Use of keywords
				ii.	Will match to title, abstract, etc.
				iii.	Beware of plural, multiple word 
					searches
				iv.	Beware of American vs. British 
					spellings
				v.	Try a diversity of words
		3.	Abstracts
			a.	Found in reference section
			b.	Found with Journals from specific scientific 
				organization meetings
				i.	Often most current information
		4.	Reference section of recent journals

III.	What is a Journal Article?

	A.	Summary of a research report
		1.	Animal experiment
		2.	Lab experiment
		3.	Mathematical interpretation
		4.	Survey
		5.	Must be original

	B.	Components
		1.	Title and Authors
		2.	Abstract/Summary
			a.	Size limit
			b.	Keywords (Can use in your own search)
		3.	Introduction
			a.	Justification
			b.	Objectives
		4.	Materials and Methods
			a.	Scope and size of the experiment
			b.	Samples, measurements taken
			c.	Analytical, chemical, and mathematical 
				techniques
			d.	Written so it could be repeated
		5.	Results
			a.	Summary of data
			b.	Uses Tables and Figures
			c.	Heart of the paper
		6.	Discussion
			a.	Interpretation of results
			b.	Relate results to previous studies, 
				current theories
		7.	Conclusion
			a.	Implications
		8.	References
			
	C.	Aids in interpreting articles
		1.	Find out the main point of the paper
		2.	Numbers are in metric units
		3.	Keep track of abbreviations
			a.	Defined at first use
			b.	Defined at front cover
			c.	Units of measure
		4.	Interpreting statistics
			a.	Performed to determine the likelihood 
				that treatment differences are due to 
				the treatment
			b.	N (number of repetitions/treatment)
				i.	Larger N is better
				ii.	10 reps or better is good rule 
					of thumb
			c.	P-values (Probability values)
				i.	The likelihood that differences 
					are due to chance
				ii.	Smaller P-value indicates greater 
					likelihood that differences are due 
					to the treatment
      				iii.	Statistically different
					--P<0.05   95% certainty
					--P<0.01   99% certainty
					--P<0.1    90% certainty (a trend, 
						   usually not considered 
						   significant)
			d.	Error bars
				i.	Found on graphs
				ii.	Usually a standard error 
					(standard deviation/square root of N)
				iii.	Indicates variance in the replications
				iv.	If error bars overlap differences 
					are usually not significant