Earlham Libraries Home: BIO 111: Ecological Biology (EcoBio): Activity: Bioluminescence

Using Google Scholar

How Bioluminescence plays a role in species mating.

Summary: "Bioluminescence can play a part in attracting a mate. The male Caribbean ostracod, a tiny crustacean, uses bioluminescent signals on its upper lips to attract females. Syllid fireworms live on the seafloor, but with the onset of the full moon they move to the open water where the females of some species, like Odontosyllis enopla, use bioluminescence to attract males while moving around in circles." From Smithsonian Institution (link)

[Science Daily] Article: Fish bioluminescence: Distinctive flashing patterns might facilitate fish mating [Science Daily]
[HMTL] Matthew P. Davis, Nancy I. Holcroft, Edward O. Wiley, John S. Sparks, W. Leo Smith. Species-specific bioluminescence facilitates speciation in the deep sea. Marine Biology, 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s00227-014-2406-x

Key Words: Bioluminescen*, Mating (Mate), Sexual Selection, Reproduction, Fireflies, Deep Ocean

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A) Create a concept map. What you currently know after reading the summary

1. Skim through the following resources Wikipedia, or the following Ted Talk to find some more quick information. (2min)

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A) Add key words to concept map. Add anything you learned further from skimming through the general literature and media (e.g., videos)

B) Outline First Draft. Think about your outline and first draft (after reading the main article, wikipedia and video). [Note. This draft should change as you read more about your area of interest and you narrow down your theses that is what you want to write about.]

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2. Familiarize with Earlham's Library Catalogue and search broadly for sources related to your topic using the key words from the summary

3. Familiarize with eBook Central proquest collection and search broadly for sources related to the "bioluminescence" topic.

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C) Compare and contrast what you found in these searches using the word "Bioluminescence". Add anything you learned further from skimming through the general literature and media (e.g., videos)

D) Using ProQuest Ebook Central explore the following topics. "Parasite Host-Manipulation", "Brood Parasitism"

There are different ways of finding scholarly work for a theme/topic you are researching. Below a list of suggested approaches towards finding more information in a selected topic of interest. An assumption we make is that you have already read broadly about your subject (i.e. via Wikipedia, reputable websites, or from an eBook , reference book or textbook in your area).

Suggested Approaches (See BOX below "Finding Scholarly Article Details" for specific instructions)

Using the Original Article. (Looking at: the references for titles of interest, who cited this article, the authors or repeated authors)
Using Key Words in GS or Specialized Database
Using Advance Search in GS. (Looking at: searching within journals that have the word "review" in them, or high impact journals in the field of Ecology, Evolution or Conservation -Nature, Science, PNAS, Ecology, Evolution, etc). Look at list of key journals in your moodle site
Select a Specialized Database from your library site as a second "Tool" (e.g. Academic Search Premiere, General Science Abstracts, BioOne, or JSTOR)

Setting Google Scholar

Go to Google Scholar
Log-in to your google account if you have one.
Under Settings go to Library Links>Search for Earlham> and add Earlham College Library> Save

Finding Scholarly Articles Details

Using the Original Article "Species-specific bioluminescence facilitates speciation in the deep sea" find new scholarly sources (articles).
- Find the original article using Google Scholar
- Find the references for the article
  - Identify @least 4-6 articles that you think you could use for the topic of "Bioluminescence and mating" do this by reading the title of the references ONLY.
  - Q: As you read the titles of the articles in the reference section did you learn more about the subject? What? Write the words down in your concept map.
  - Find the abstract of identified articles.
  - Find the actual article: that is the PDF or order it via Inter Library Loan (ILL) (other options of finding the article)
- Characterize the articles.
  - From the selected articles decide if they are primary or secondary sources?
Using Google Scholar try finding more Information about your topic.
- Use Key Words to Find more information (use synonyms of words). Try using only 4-8 words maxium.
- As you find articles of interest (Star them) make them a favorite.
- Go to your Google Library and tag the articles you just found.
- Once you find 10-15 articles of interest by reading titles and abstracts STOP and Find the PDFs.

Using Google Scholar Try Finding more Information about your topic.

Use Key Words to Find more information (use synonyms of words)
Do advance searches of Key Words @ the title level
Do advance searches of Key Words @ the journal level (e.g. try Annual Reviews, Nature, Science, PNAS, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, Ecology)
As you find articles of interest (Star them).
Once you find 10 articles of interest by reading titles and abstracts STOP.