When would you use this strategy? When you already have a reference to a specific article or book, and you want to find that particular article or book.
Reference
Battistella, G., Fornari, E., Annoni, J.M., Chtioui, H., Dao, K., Fabritius, M., ... Giroud, C. (2014). Long-term effects of cannabis on brain structure. Neuropsychopharmacology: Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 39(9), 2041-2048. doi:10.1038/npp.2014.67
This is probably the example that most strongly exemplifies scientific method.
Did you notice the headings of the different sections ("Introduction" - "Materials and Methods" - "Results" - "Discussion"), and can you see where these fit in the diagram of the scientific investigation cycle?
Can you identify the observation, question, and hypothesis (the predicted answer to the question being considered) in the article abstract (summary)?
And did you notice there are 59 (!) references in the bibliography of this article? That's pretty typical of scientific articles. You won't be required to consult that many references for your lab write-ups, but it's useful to acknowledge that scientists tend to make sure they've done a thorough literature review when conducting scientific research.
Most scientific publications use the APA documentation style. The general format of a journal article reference is:
Example
Yano, Y., Shimada, K., Okai, J., Goto, K., Matsumoto, Y., & Ueoka, R. (2003). Fairly marked enantioselectivity for the hydrolysis of amino acid esters by chemically modified enzymes. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 68, 1315-1318. https://doi.org/10.1021/jo0265075
| author(s) (note format and order) | Yano, Y., Shimada, K., Okai, J., Goto, K., Matsumoto, Y., & Ueoka, R. |
| year of publication | (2003). |
| article title (note capitalization) | Fairly marked enantioselectivity for the hydrolysis of amino acid esters by chemically modified enzymes. |
| journal title (note capitalization and italics) | Journal of Organic Chemistry, |
| volume(issue) (note italics) | 68, |
| page numbers | 1315-1318. |
| doi (note format) | https://doi.org/10.1021/jo0265075 |
Should I include the issue number?
The example above has no issue number included in the citation. APA style has complicated rules about when to include an issue number and when not to, so our advice is - if you're not sure, include it. Too much information is usually preferable to not enough. Note that the volume number is in italics, but the issue number is not.
What is a DOI?
A DOI is like a serial number - it is unique to that specific source, and most journal articles and academic book chapters online have one. Because it is unique it makes finding that particular source much easier. In APA style, we always include the DOI if there is one, in the form of a URL (add https://doi.org/ or http://dx.doi.org/ before the DOI) - but if you can't find it, don't worry. Just include the URL of the publication's home page.
Here is an article that I want to find:
Yano, Y., Shimada, K., Okai, J., Goto, K., Matsumoto, Y., & Ueoka, R. (2003). Fairly marked enantioselectivity for the hydrolysis of amino acid esters by chemically modified enzymes. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 68, 1315-1318. https://doi.org/10.1021/jo0265075
There are two main methods you can use to find this article online. You may need to try both.
Method 1: Use "Find It"
This is probably the fastest method, if the article is available from Find It.
Some of our online journals are not available through Find It. If your article doesn't appear in the list, try using the Journals List (Method 2).
Method 2: Use the Journals List
Most scientific publications use the APA documentation style.The general format of a book reference is:
Example
Frey, P. A. (2007). Enzymatic reaction mechanisms. New York: Oxford University Press.
| author(s) (note format and order) | Frey, P. A. |
| year of publication | (2007). |
| title (note capitalization and italics) | Enzymatic reaction mechanisms. |
| place published | New York: |
| publisher | Oxford University Press. |
Here is a book that I want to find:
Frey, P. A. (2007). Enzymatic reaction mechanisms. New York: Oxford University Press.
Here are the steps I would take to find it:
