Library Research in Nutrition

Journal Articles

Use periodical indexes and abstracts (print or computer-based) to find recent articles on your topic. There are two basic types of indexes:

1. Basic Indexes - These cover a small number of journals in many disciplines. They include popular, trade, and research journals, frequently the most important journals in a given area.
   
2. Comprehensive Indexes - These cover a specific subject area in depth. They usually focus on research journals only and include both important and obscure journals. Reading these articles can be tricky; "Health stories: reading between the lines" provides some tips on how to evaluate an article.
   
   
3. Examples of basic indexes include:
• ProQuest Research Library
• One component of the ProQuest System
• Indexes about 3750 magazines and journals from all disciplines, some back to 1971
• Fulltext available for 2500 of these, some back to 1986; includes a number of nutrition journals
• Academic Search Premier (EBSCO)
• Indexes over 8000 magazines and journals from all disciplines, some as early as 1911, most from 1990
• Fulltext available for 4400 of these, some back to 1990
• Does not include several major nutrition journals such as Journal of the American Dietetic Association


4. Example of comprehensive indexes are:
• Medline
• Indexes over 4000 journals in medicine, nursing, and related health fields
• Good source for research articles in nutrition
• SPORTDiscus
• Indexes popular, trade, and research articles in all fields of sports and sport science
  
  
5. Additional indexes that can be used for nutrition are listed on the Nutrition Periodical Indexes and Databases page on Infodome.


6. Determine if the articles are available; use the button.
   
   
7. If the Library does not have a journal article that you need:
• If you're in a hurry, check Roger, the catalog for UCSD, and drive over to get a copy.
• If it's not at UCSD or you can wait, then use Inter-Library Loan (ILL).
• Takes one to two weeks.
• No charge.
• Mailed to your home address, unless you specify otherwise. Many copies are delivered electronically.

Books

1. Search by author or title on the PAC to locate known items.
   
   
2. Search by subject to find additional items. Use the Library of Congress Subject Headings books to determine the correct headings. These books are located at the Reference Services Desk.
   
   
3. Additional books may be located by searching:
• Circuit (Online union catalog for San Diego area university libraries). Items requested are delivered overnight for pick up at the Circulation Desk in the dome.
• Link+ (Online union catalog for a number of CSU and private California universities). Delivery takes 3-5 days. Pick up at the Circulation Desk.
• These are interlinked with the PAC.

Web Resources

Gateways (Single Subject):

Hardin Meta Directory - Nutrition

Provides lists of lists; all the the sites listed below are included on this site

Nutrition.gov

One stop shopping for US Government information on nutrition

"Virtual" Nutrition Center - Martindale's Health Science Guide

Overwhelming list of sites

Directories (All Subjects):

Librarians' Index to the Internet

Small, but extremely useful

Infomine (UC Riverside)

Focus is on academic resources

Search Engines:

Recommended Search Tools

Find the best search engines in one place

Where to find out more about the Internet and the World Wide Web:

Bare Bones 101

A nice basic introduction to searching on the Web.

UC Berkeley Libraries Internet Guides

A collection of in-depth tutorials on using the Internet. Especially good is the tutorial on "Finding Information on the Internet"

More Information

Nutrition: Basic Information Sources is a guide to a wide range of print and electronic resources for nutrition here at the SDSU Library.

For information on how to contact me, please see my home page.