FST 101: Food Science & Technology Research Guide Course Guide : OSU Libraries

Course Librarian

Step 1: Identify articles of interest using the article databases above.
Step 2: Check the E-Journals list to see if the journal you need is available online.
Step 3: If the journal is not online, find the call number for the journal(s) in which the article is found. (Use the library catalog for this step.)
Step 4: Go to the floor of the library on which these particular call numbers can be found.

Does the source have a bibliography? This can lead you to other sources.
Is there an author listed as part of the citation? Judging authority can be difficult without an author.
Is the journal refereed (peer reviewed)?
How old is the source? Will this matter for your topic? Currency of information can be important. Some aspects of a topic may need currency more than others.
What other terminology is being used either by the author or by the database? Keep an eye out for other words you can use in your search statements.
Does the OSU Libraries own the journal (either in print or electronically)? If we don't own it, it will take more time to get your hands on the source.

Identify the main concepts within your topic.

What are they?
What are other words that might be used to express each one?
How can you combine them to get the most relevant results? Use terms for the most important concepts alone or in combination with each other.

Finding useful sources is highly dependent upon the words you choose to use in your searching.

Look at some food science encyclopedias, such as those identified on the Food Science & Technology Research Guide to get a better grounding in the vocabulary of the field.
Use the subject(s) listed in the library catalog and/or database entries you find that are relevant to your topic. These "subject headings" will almost always bring up more sources that are relevant.