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Science

An overview of resources to get you started in studying or researching science topics.

Getting Started With Science

This guide presents a general introduction to research in the sciences. 

Our goal is to help you find accurate and reliable sources of information to answer your science related questions.  

Within this guide you will find:

  • an introduction to the different natural science fields and the best reference sources for each topic
  • tips on how to recognize if a scientific article is reliable 
  • resources that provide accurate and interesting news related to science topics

The information found in this guide should serve as a "jumping off" point to more detailed information about different science topics. 

Understanding Science Research

When looking for information related to a science topic it can be hard to find a reliable source. Popular science topics like climate-change, artificial intelligence, and outerspace are frequently reported on in the news. Articles about these topics are eye-catching and exciting to read, but can also be misleading.

Breakthroughs and discoveries in the fields of science can take years to fully understand, and even longer to reach the public. Mainstream news reports often condense extensive research studies into a clickable headline, leaving out key details. This can unconsciously lead to the spread of misinformation. Understanding how researchers design studies and publish articles can help you determine whether an article you are reading is helpful. 

In this section you will learn how scientific articles are published and how to determine if a study is reliable. 

"Scientific literacy means using the scientific method to create a systematic process, free of as many biases as possible, to uncover evidence to answer a question. A scientifically literate person understands that science rarely deals in absolutes. If a study shows there’s a 95% chance that smoking and cancer are linked, then most scientists would say the link is real — even though there’s a small amount of room for doubt. And any scientifically derived result should be reproducible by independent researchers using the same methods."
- Nancy Averett, science journalist and lecturer at University of Illinois

How to Evaluate a Research Article

When reading a scientific article, it is always good to determine the quality of the research presented. Below is a checklist of general questions created by Massachusetts General Hospital to keep in mind when reading a research article. 

  1. Is the article peer reviewed?
  2. Is the journal that published the article well known and do they have an editorial board? 
  3. Who are the authors of the article and what is their expertise? 
  4. Are there any conflicts of interest based on the author's affiliation or the funding source of the research?
  5. Are the research questions or objectives clearly defined?
  6. Is the study design appropriate for the research question?
  7. Is the sample size justified? Do the authors explain how it is representative of the wider population?
  8. Does the paper clearly describe the measurements used?
  9. Are the research questions or objectives answered?
  10. Is the article more than five years old? 

If the answer to the majority of these questions is YES, then the article you are reading is likely of good quality. If the majority of the answer is NO, move on to another article. 

What is Peer Review?

Peer review is a process for evaluating research studies before they are published by an academic journal. Before an article is published in an academic journal it is reviewed by 2-3 specialists in the respective field. In science, peer review helps provide assurance that published research meets minimum standards for scientific quality. Here is a brief overview of the peer review process provided by University of California- Berkeley

  1. A group of scientists completes a study and writes it up in the form of an article. They submit it to a journal for publication.
  2. The journal’s editors send the article to several other scientists who work in the same field (i.e., the “peers” of peer review).
  3. Those reviewers provide feedback on the article and tell the editor whether or not they think the study is of high enough quality to be published.
  4. The authors may then revise their article and resubmit it for consideration.
  5. Only articles that meet good scientific standards (e.g., acknowledge and build upon other work in the field, rely on logical reasoning and well-designed studies, back up claims with evidence, etc.) are accepted for publication.

Resources at the Boston Public Library

Finding reputable sources for science research can be difficult. For academic and scientific research papers it's best to stick to peer-reviewed articles and databases. The Boston Public Library provides access to indexes and full-text articles through the BPL Online Resources page.  Many of these resources are available off-site to current residents of Massachusetts with a BPL library card or eCard.  Suggested databases are listed below: 

The catalog for the Boston Public Library is available at http://bpl.bibliocommons.com/.

Suggested subject headings:

 

For assistance with searching and locating items held by the Boston Public Library and other libraries in the Metro Boston Library Network, see http://help.bibliocommons.com/.