What we learned in class - 5.18.2015
Chemistry Journals
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Journals covered in class:
Chemistry Central Journal
Peer-reviewed open access articles in all areas of chemistry. The journal comprises 8 subject sections:
from 03/01/2007 to present in Academic OneFile, Health Reference Center Academic and InfoTrac Student Edition
International Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original research articles as well as review articles in all areas of
medicinal chemistry
from 09/01/2012 to present in Academic OneFile and Health Reference Center Academic
Two more titles worth considering
International Journal of Analytical Chemistry
Peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original research articles as well as review articles in all areas of
analytical chemistry
from 09/01/2012 to present in Academic OneFile and Health Reference Center Academic
International Journal of Inorganic Chemistry
Peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original research articles as well as review articles in all areas of inorganic
chemistry
from 09/01/2012 to present in Academic OneFile
Assignment Specifics:
Critique – Scientific Journal Article
Choose an article found in a scientific journal that relates to any current issue. Examples of acceptable journals include:
The PSU library has a variety of databases that will provide access to professional, academic journals:
ACS Web Editions Locate peer-reviewed research journals in the chemical and related sciences from the American Chemical Society (ACS).
History of Science, Technology, and Medicine The History of Science, Technology, and Medicine database provides access to articles, books, book reviews, dissertations, and conference proceedings in science, technology, and medicine.
Inspec The Inspec bibliographic database contains over 11 million records of scientific and technical articles taken from the world's literature.
Science Citation Index Provides access to abstracts and references found in more than 5,800 of the world's leading scholarly science and technical journals. 1992 - present
SciFinder Holds citations and abstracts of the chemistry and chemical engineering literature. Covers journal articles, conference proceedings, books, and patents from 1907 to the present. Requires installation of a specialized application for access.
Web of Science Citation searching across thousands of the most prestigious, high impact research journals in the arts & humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
* DO NOT CHOOSE AN ARTICLE FROM A POPULAR PRESS SOURCE
FOR THIS PARTICULAR ASSIGNMENT.*
Attach a title page that only includes the name of the article, the source of the article, the author’s name(s), and your name. This does not count towards the 2-page maximum.
Prepare and type an additional one to two-page double spaced critique with 1” margins and a font of 11 or 12 covering the following:
Introduction
Briefly discuss relevant background information relating to the scientific issue or problem presented in the article; this might include a short summary of the article.
State the author’s thesis or assertion.
Analysis
What is the author’s purpose for writing (inform, persuade, recommend, etc.)?
Who do you believe the author’s target audience is?
What are the author’s supporting points? Do they directly support the main idea? Are they based on research;
or are they simply someone’s opinion?
Briefly discuss the research methodology.
Relevance and Applicability
Is the author’s article effective? Why or why not?
Do you agree with the author’s conclusions? Why or why not?
What implications do the main points and conclusions present to the science
world?
Would you recommend this article to others? Why or why not?
Compare and Contrast
How does the information presented in this article compare to the information presented in your other journal article(s)? You do not need to refer to any specific information in either article; instead, compare the tone of the articles, the difficulty in reading/understanding the information presented, the intended audiences, and the number of people reached by the article, etc.
Which is more reliable and accurate? Why?
* ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR ARTICLE TO YOUR CRITIQUE*
Make sure you do not plagiarize. This critique MUST be in your own words. If I discover that you copied directly from the article itself, you will receive a 0. Be sure to proofread your work. Typos, misspellings, and grammar errors make it difficult to understand and negatively impact the effectiveness of your writing.
Evaluation Criteria for Critique
Overall Appearance Points
Are the four required sections addressed and labeled? 5
(Introduction, Analysis, Relevance/Applicability, Compare & Contrast)
Format 5
Is the paper double-spaced with a 1” margin & a font of 11 or 12?
Does the paper have a title page and no more than 2 additional pages?
Is a copy of the article attached?
Content of the critique
Introduction 5
Is the problem presented clearly?
Is there sufficient information given to catch the reader’s attention?
Is the author’s thesis statement stated?
Analysis 10
Is there a thorough analysis of the article?
Are all four points listed on previous page addressed?
Relevance/Applicability 15
Is there a well-thought out and clearly expressed opinion of the article?
Has the article’s main issue(s) been related to the real-world?
Is the critique easy to understand; does it appear to have been proofread (few typos,
misspellings, etc.)?
Compare & Contrast 5
Has the accuracy of the journal article been compared to the accuracy of the
other article