Professional literature in the sciences can use language and terms that are difficult for students to understand. Students engaging with a new science topic can be demoralized and think that something is wrong with them if they do not understand. No, it is just part of learning something new. The terminology will be new to you, too. But it will make sense in time.
A good place for undergraduates to start learning about a new science topic is to use
Textbooks and encyclopedias can provide an overview or summary of a topic. The complexity of the language can vary depending upon the intended audience of the publication. As you read, look for key concepts, terms, and people important to the student's information need. Both encyclopedias and textbooks include references either at the end of the entry or of the book. Those references can be used to find more publications on your topic.
Science education journals are a platform to discuss how to teach about science. As such, they include some articles which discuss how to teach a scientific topic and, sometimes, they explain the topic in basic language. They also include references which may be used to find other publications.
A review article provides a review/overview of a topic. Review articles can be some of the most read and cited articles because even professionals use them to quickly learn about unfamiliar topics. The topic may be a broad overview of the entire topic or a narrow overview of only a specific piece of a topic. Review articles also include references to other publications.
Popular science articles can provide simple explanations of scientific concepts for a non-scientist audience. Some of the writing can be very good because some authors have a science background and/or are excellent researchers; some not so good. But popular science articles can translate and help students and the public understand complex science topics. They do not typically include references. However, they often do provide information about their sources within the text. ("According to a study at Harvard..." "Professor John Smith of Indiana State University said that...") Be careful, though. Some articles from popular magazines and newspapers by non-science authors and sloppy researchers can include misinformation and mistakes about science. And pay attention to whether your professor allows you to cite a popular science article in your assignment or project. But you may use whatever is necessary to help you understand.
Choosing keywords for your searches can be challenging while you are still learning the terminology of the topic. Skim through the results you find to identify key terms and phrases to add to the search. Below are a few suggestions to get started. You may find that a search string that works in one database is less successful in another. Databases differ so just try, try again.
Databases include features that Google Scholar does not. When the database is notified of new publications, the employees add metadata--more information about the publication--such as Subjects, publication type, author affiliation, etc.
Most library databases add "Subjects" or "Descriptors" to the publication record. Subjects can solve problems with inconsistent terminology. For example, then you don't have to worry whether the authors use the term "dog" or "canine" or "terrier," because all publications about dogs have CANIS as a Subject. The words used as Subjects can vary by database. But if you find a Subject exists for your topic within a database, try searching it.
Another strategy is to search for key terms in the Title of the publication. Scientific publications tend to have dry factual titles that describe their contents. (This is not true of other disciplines. "Gone wIth the Wind" is not a book about weather.) If you are retrieving too, too many results, you can try limiting to results where your search terms are in the title. This is based on an assumption that if the words are in the title, then they are a big part of the publication. Assumptions can be wrong but, if you retrieve a thousand results, maybe you can afford to the risk.
Realize that if you enter many, many search words, they must all be present in the results. So the more words you add, the fewer results you will get. Also, realize that other researchers may use different words to talk about your topic than you use. Try mixing and matching different words in the search and see if you find new relevant results.
Search for the name of the interpretation, theory, or philosophy. For scientists to effectively talk about an interpretation they have to have something to call it. It may have one or more names or variations of names. A student may search for publications that include those names. The names can be searched one at a time or using the Boolean operator "OR" within a database.
name1 OR name2 OR name3 OR name4
Also, specific people may have played a role in the development and refinement of the interpretation of quantum mechanics. Sometimes the interpretation is named after someone, usually a key discoverer or developer. A student may search for the names of those people. A biography of a scientist often includes information about their important work. Depending upon how common is the name, you may need to search on the full name or only use the last name in order to distinguish your person from other people. The more unique the name, the easier to get successful results.
SciFinder provides little help to find full-text of documents. Follow instructions to Find Full-Text at ISU.
Scientific knowledge builds upon those who came before. Professional scientific publications include references that show where the authors got their information. Students can use those references to find other publications related to the topic.
The Web of Science database is particularly good at tracing references backward and forward in time. Click More Settings and only check Science Citation Index Expanded in order to focus on only science journal articles.
Wikipedia is a "wiki" encyclopedia. A "wiki" is a software program that allows multiple people to collaborate by posting information and changing each other's postings.
The great thing about Wikipedia is that anyone can post to it. The bad thing about Wikipedia is that anyone can post to it. This is good because writers can share collective knowledge, correct errors, and improve the knowledge on the pages. This is bad because writers can share biased opinions and introduce errors, accidentally or spitefully.
In addition, content in Wikipedia can be changed at any time. This makes it unreliable as a reference source because others cannot reliably check on what YOU read in Wikipedia because it may have changed by the time they get there to read the entry.
Wikipedia is a decent start to your academic research and can give you good background information. But verify the information with other sources. Wikipedia does ask authors to post references at the end of articles so use those to find the original source. (But make sure that source is the original source and not just another secondary source.)
And unless your professor allows it, do not cite Wikipedia in your college assignments. Its changeable nature makes it an unreliable source.
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Web of Science is a collection of databases that index the world's leading scholarly literature in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities, as published in journals, conference proceedings, symposia, seminars, colloquia, workshops, and conventions across the globe.
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