Writing a species profile demands gathering diverse and sometimes
obscure information. This guide will help you get started. For help,
contact Janet Webster, the librarian at the Guin Library, Oregon
State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, (541-867-0108 or
Janet.Webster@orst.edu).
The Basics: Books, Articles and the World Wide
Web
Books
You have to start somewhere and it's simplest to start with what's
nearest. In this case, that is the Valley Library collection. Search
OASIS , the on-line catalogue,
to find books, conference proceedings, government documents and
reports that OSU owns. You can search by author, title or subject
either by browsing or using keywords. If you choose to browse by
subject, try the following subject headings.
OASIS has the titles of the journals we own, but not the listings
of individual articles. Use an index to locate journal articles,
conference proceedings, and reports. These two core indexes for
aquaculture are available through the
OSU Libraries
database web page(access limited to OSU students, faculty and
staff).
This index provides abstracts of the international literature
dealing with the science, technology, and management of marine,
freshwater, and brackish environments.
Data provided by the National Agriculture Library comprises
the most comprehensive coverage of agricultural literature. This
index is particularly good for information on aquaculture,
including many government reports.
World Wide Web
While at times chaotic and unreliable, the Web provides
intriguing pieces of information. Remember to check the source of any
site, its currency, and its reliability before using it as an
resource for your project. Use a good search engine such
as Google.
Here are a few useful sites. Use them as starting points.
Prices and market trends are often found in
the trade journal literature. This is not well-indexed, so browsing is
often the best way to find information.
Citations and references are essential pieces of information in
any scientific paper. Citations are the brief indications in the text
of the documents referred to and represented in the references at the
end of your paper. Take care to document your sources as you work.
It's awful to run around the day before a paper is due trying to find
the journal article that is critical to your paper. Here's some tips
for getting all the necessary information.
Essential information for a journal article citation
Authorship
Title of article & subtitle
Name of journal, & the part or supplement number where
pertinent
Volume number
Inclusive page numbers
Year of publication
Month or number if volume is not paged consecutively
14th ed. University of
Chicago Press. 1993. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Tips and Examples From Guide to Authors in
Aquaculture 130(1995):95-101
All publications cited in the text should be in the list of
references.
Citations in the text should refer to the author's name
(without initial) and the year of publication. Include the page
numbers if quoting or referring to data and results.
Examples:
" Since Peterson (1988) has shown that..."
" This is in agreement with results obtained later (Kramer,
1989, pp.12-16)."
If there are two authors, cite both authors.
Example:
"Algal abundance has been generally demonstrated (Dillon
and Rigler, 1974)."
If there are more than two authors, use the first author's
name and "et al.".
Example:
"Tiger prawns are extensively cultured for food (Grey et
al., 1983)."
References
Arrange your references alphabetically by author. If there are
more than one by the same author, list chronologically.
Abbreviate titles using the International List of Periodical
Title Word Abbreviations (or Serial sources of the BIOSIS Previews
database).
References concerning unpublished data and "personal
communication" should not be listed in the references, but may be
mentioned in the text.
Examples
Periodicals:
Dame, R. and Libes, S., 1993. Oyster reefs and nutrient
retention in tidal creeks. J.Exp.Mar.Biol.Ecol., 171:251-258.
Citation in your text: (Dame and Libes, 1992)
Books:
Kirk, J.T.O., 1983. Light and photosynthesis in aquatic
ecosystems. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 210 pp.
Citation in your text: (Kirk, 1983)
Chapter in a Book:
Shigueno, K., 1992. Shrimp culture industry in Japan. In: A.W.
Fast and L.J. Lester (Editors), Marine Shrimp Culture: Principles
and Practices. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp.641-652.
Citation in your text: (Shigueno, 1992)
Special Issues or Symposia published in a periodical:
Benzie, J.A.H., Ballment, E. and Frusher, S., 1993. Genetic
structure of Penaeus monodon in Australia: concordant results from
mtDNA and allozymes. In: G.A.E. Gall and H. Chen (Editors),
Genetics in Aquaculture IV. Proceedings of the Fourth
International Symposium, 29 April-3 May 1991, Wuhan, China.
Aquaculture, 111:89-93.
Citation in your text: (Benzie et al., 1993)
Electronic Format:
Kehoe, B.P. 1992. Zen and the art of the Internet, (2nd ed.),
[Online]. Available FTP: quake.think.com Directory: pub/etext/1992
File: zen10.txt
