Literature Searches (Part 3): Back to the Future

“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” -- Winston Churchill (British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965)

Today’s literature searching tip has to do with backward searches.

According to Yair Levy and Timothy J. Ellis, in “A Systems Approach to Conduct an Effective Literature Review in Support of Information Systems Research,” …

“Backward references search refers to reviewing the references of the articles yielded from the keyword search noted above. For example, if one is studying the construct of computer self-efficacy, hopefully in their keywords search the researcher will have stumbled upon Compeau and Higgins (1995)’s pioneering article. Conducting a backward references search for computer self-efficacy, will mean to pull out and review all the relevant references of Compeau and Higgins (1995)’s article such as Bandura (1977) or Barling and Beattie (1983) articles. Doing such backward references search provides researchers with the ability to learn more about the origins of the construct, theory, or model under study.”

This step is straight forward.  It is also labor intensive. But, hey, that’s why you pay your research assistant the big bucks. You simply read and digest each and every reference listed in your selected primary research articles.  For example, using the article we have selected as an example …

Mohebali, G., & Ball, A. S. (2008). Biocatalytic desulfurization (BDS) of petrodiesel fuels. Microbiology (Reading, England), 154(Pt 8), 2169–2183. doi:10.1099/mic.0.2008/017608-0phene; 4, cis-4-[2-(3 ... Rhodococcus sp ...
Cited by 46
Free Full Text Source:  http://mic.sgmjournals.org/content/154/8/2169.short

… jump to the References section at the end of the article, and slog through the list. The task requires looking at the full text of each of the articles referenced in each reference, and noting the number of times each of those references was cited by other scholars.

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Watanabe, K., Noda, K. & Maruhashi, K. (2003). Enhanced desulfurization in a transposon-mutation strain of Rhodococcus erythropolis. Biotechnol Lett 25, 1299–1304.
Xi, L., Squires, C. H., Monticello, D. J. & Childs, J. D. (1997). A flavin reductase stimulates DszA and DszC proteins of Rhodococcus erythropolis IGTS8 in vitro. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 230, 73–75.
Yoshikawa, O., Ishii, Y., Koizumi, K., Ohshiro, T., Izumi, Y. & Maruhashi, K. (2002). Enhancement and stabilization of desulfurization activity of Rhodococcus erythropolis KA2–5-1 by feeding ethanol and sulfur components. J Biosci Bioeng 94, 447–452.
Yu, B., Xu, P., Shi, Q. & Ma, C. (2006). Deep desulfurization of diesel oil and crude oils by a newly isolated Rhodococcus erythropolis strain. Appl Environ Microbiol

Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more tips and tricks.

Literature Searches (Part 2): Keywords

“The senses deceive from time to time, and it is prudent never to trust wholly those who have deceived us even once” -- Rene Descartes (French Mathematician, Philosopher and Scientist, 1596-1650)

 

As mentioned in my previous post, the steps in a literature search include …

• Identifying key words
• Conducting a search based on those key words
• Identifying new key words, based on the results of the initial key word search
• Conducting forward and backward searches, using the modified key word list
• Processing the results to relate them to your research topic

 

It might seem that conducting a key word search is simple and straightforward.  You think of key words, Google® the key words, and you’re done.  In some cases, that may be all you need.

 

However, prudence dictates that you consider conducting additional searches based on promising key word produced by the result of your initial search.

 

For example, suppose you have identified the following item as a valuable result of your initial search. You will find that additional key words worth pursuit are:

 

Biodemetallation

Biodenitrogenation

Biodesulfurization

Biosurfactants

Biotransformation

 

The primary point to take away from this post is that key words form a breadcrumb trail to the information that you need.  One crumb leads to other crumbs.  Follow all the crumbs, and you will arrive at your destination … or at least, at another way station on the path to your destination.

 

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Mohebali, G., & Ball, A. S. (2008). Biocatalytic desulfurization (BDS) of petrodiesel fuels. Microbiology (Reading, England), 154(Pt 8), 2169–2183. doi:10.1099/mic.0.2008/017608-0phene; 4, cis-4-[2-(3 ... Rhodococcus sp ...

Cited by 46

Free Full Text Source:  http://mic.sgmjournals.org/content/154/8/2169.short

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A second search, using key words “biocatalytic desulfurization” taken from the title of the above, produces the following …

 

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Biotechnology in the petroleum industry: An overview

Author   Robert Thomas Bachmann

Author   Anbu Clemensis Johnson

Author   Robert G. J. Edyvean

URL        http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964830513003326

Volume  86, Part C
Pages     225-237
Publication          International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation
Date       January 2014
Abstract A significant quantum of crude oil is trapped in reservoirs and often unrecoverable by conventional oil recovery methods. Further downstream, the petroleum industry is facing challenges to remove sulfur, metal, nitrogen as well as undesirable organic compounds from the crude. Conventional secondary recovery methods such as water and gas injections helped to increase the productivity of the well, while chemical and physical refinery processes such as hydrodesulfurization, desalting, and high-pressure high-temperature hydrotreating remove most inorganic impurities. The increasing demand for oil in the world coupled with very stringent environmental laws piled economical and technical pressure upon the refinery industry to further improve crude oil recovery as well as reduce sulfur, metal and nitrogen concentration to the low ppm levels. In the search for economical and environmentally friendly solutions, growing attention has been given to biotechnology such as the use of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). MEOR is an alternate recovery method that uses microorganisms and their metabolic products. In addition, the emerging field of crude oil refining and associated industrial processes such as biodesulfurization, biodemetallation, biodenitrogenation and biotransformation are also covered. This review aims to provide an overview on MEOR and biorefining relevant to the petroleum industry and highlights challenges that need to be overcome to become commercially successful. Literature pertaining to laboratory experiments, field trials and patents are included in view of industrial applications and further developments.
Tags:
Biodemetallation
Biodenitrogenation
Biodesulfurization
Biosurfactants
Biotransformation
Microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR)
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Conference Alert: AIChE Annual Meeting

“It has been said that man is a rational animal. All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this.” -- Bertrand Russell (English Logician and Philosopher 1872-1970)

Rational catalyst design is a hot topic in the scientific community.  By eliminating the traditional trial and error approach, rational catalyst design has the potential to speed up the discovery of new materials with tailored properties.

Accordingly, the 2014 AIChE Annual Meeting (http://www.aiche.org/conferences/aiche-annual-meeting/2014), to be held in Atlanta on November 16-21, 2014, will include a session devoted to this topic.  Here is the description from the meeting’s Web …
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651 Rational Catalyst Design I, Thursday, November 20, 2014: 8:30 AM
The identification of relevant descriptors, screening methods, and the development of structure-property relationships are just a few examples that illustrate the rational design approach. This session welcomes contributions that describe experimental or theoretical methods that aim to enable the rational design catalytic materials with improved activity, selectivity, stability, or poison resistance.
Sponsor: Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division
8:30 AM
(651a)  Virtual Prototyping of Porous Structure of Catalysts, by Milos A. Marek and Petr Koci
8:45 AM
(651b)  Modification of Supported Metal Catalysts with Alkanethiol Self-Assembled Monolayers, by Rudy Kahsar, Will Medlin and Daniel K. Schwartz
9:00 AM
(651c)  Reaction Mechanistic Studies of NO Reduction By H2 on Transition Metal Surfaces, by Yunhai Bai, Carrie A. Farberow, Matthias Riegraf, Jeremias A. Bickel, Brandon Foley, James A. Dumesic and Manos Mavrikakis
9:15 AM
(651d)  Si-Rich and Ti-Rich (Mn, Cu and Ce) Catalyst Formulations for the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3: Surface Properties and Key Components in Relation with Activity of NOx Reduction, by Thirupathi Boningari, Dimitrios Pappas, Padmanabha Reddy Ettireddy, Adam Kotrba, Thomas Spinks and Panagiotis Smirniotis
9:30 AM
(651e)  Controlling Selectivity of Catalytic Reactions on Metal Nanoparticles through Direct Photoexcitation of Targeted Metal-Adsorbate Bonds, by Matthew Kale, Talin Avanesian, Hongliang Xin, Jun Yan and Phillip Christopher
9:45 AM
(651f)  Molecular Design of Advanced Supported ReOx/Al2O3 Olefin Metathesis Catalysts, by Soe Lwin and Israel E. Wachs
10:00 AM
(651g)  Copper Based Catalysts with Balanced Active Sites for Carbon-Oxygen Hydrogenolysis Reactions, by Hairong Yue
Source: https://aiche.confex.com/aiche/2014/webprogram/Session27350.html
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Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more tips and tricks on mining the Web for useful information.

Literature Searches (Part 1): Introduction

“I like to browse in occult bookshops if for no other reason than to refresh my commitment to science.” -- Dr. Heinz R. Pagels, a physicist and popularizer of science and executive director of the New York Academy of Sciences (1939-1988)

 

A literature search is the starting point of any serious research project.  Before you spend valuable time and money on physical research, you will want to determine who has already spent their own valuable time and money researching the same topic.

 

This is the first post in a series designed to serve as a refresher on how to conduct a literature search.

 

“A Systems Approach to Conduct an Effective Literature Review in Support of Information Systems Research,” by Yair Levy and Timothy J. Ellis, provides “a framework for conducting and writing an effective literature review.” Don’t be misled by the title. While the authors focus on information systems, the approach is equally valid for any area of scientific or technical research. We will use the article as a framework for this series of posts. Incidentally, while it is 32 pages long, it is well worth the time it takes to read it.  And, amazingly, it is available at no cost at:

 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Finform.nu%2FArticles%2FVol9%2FV9p181-212Levy99.pdf&ei=HCnHU5W9N9SvyAT5oYLwCQ&usg=AFQjCNGzVX03sQJztcCXPpVGJermaYPy9A&bvm=bv.71198958,d.aWw

 

According to Levy and Ellis, a good literature search …

1. Delineates the existing body of knowledge, including where excess research exists and where new research is needed

2. Provides a theoretical foundation for the proposed study

3. Substantiates the presence of the research problem

4. Justifies the proposed study as one that contributes something new to the body of knowledge

5. Frames the valid research methodologies, approach, goals, and research questions for the proposed study

 

The steps in a literature search include …

 

• Identifying key words
• Searching using those key words
• Identifying new key words, based on the results of the initial key word search
• Conducting backward reference searches
• Conducting forward reference searchers
• Processing search results to relate them to your research topic

 

The posts that follow will address each of these points.

 

To illustrate the points, we will use the following article as a starting point:

 

Mohebali, G., & Ball, A. S. (2008). Biocatalytic desulfurization (BDS) of petrodiesel fuels. Microbiology (Reading, England), 154(Pt 8), 2169–2183. doi:10.1099/mic.0.2008/017608-0phene; 4, cis-4-[2-(3 ... Rhodococcus sp ...

Cited by 46

Free Full Text Source:  http://mic.sgmjournals.org/content/154/8/2169.short

 

The next post will cover the key word search process.

 

Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more tips and tricks.

 

 

 

Patent Tip: Comparing Google Patents to USPTO

“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” -- Winston Churchill (British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965)

Google® Patents is quick and easy.  HOWEVER, there is a time lag between USPTO – U.S. Patents & Trademarks Office - and Google® Patents.  If absolute currency is important to you, use USPTO.

Commercial vendors of patent information like Derwent source their patents from USPTO and other national patent agencies.  USPTO is free to the public.  Derwent charges money.  HOWEVER, Derwent adds value to the USPTO data by correcting misspellings, OCR errors and other typos.  If you are conducting a comprehensive search before filing a patent, the added value is worth the added expense.

Read these and other patent searching tips in a very useful Patent Searching cheat sheet (http://library.caltech.edu/learning/classhandouts/PatentSearching.pdf) produced by Caltech Library. It is short, to the point, and absolutely free.

Seriously? A Series of Tips on Setting Up a Research Library (Part 12)

“Recently, I was asked if I was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost the company $600,000. No, I replied, I just spent $600,000 training him. Why would I want somebody to hire his experience?” -- Thomas J. Watson (American Entrepreneur and Founder of IBM , 1874-1956)

ADDENDUM: HIRE A PROFESSIONAL
This series of tips on setting up a research library concludes with a caveat: We have just scratched the surface.  If you are serious about providing high quality support for the research efforts of your people, you should do two things …

1) Reread the twelve posts in this series
2) Hire a consultant

To recap the series …
Hundreds of databases are available on the Web. But no matter how big your budget, you won’t be able to afford to subscribe to all of them.

• The first step is to get an idea of what is available.
•Step two is to prioritize them in terms of the research goals of your organization.
•The third step is to contact customer representatives from each of the top ten on your list.
•Step four is to negotiate contracts with database vendors.
•The fifth step is to make your researchers aware of the subscribed resources, and to encourage them to use the databases.
•The final step is to monitor usage statistics to determine: (a) whether to continue to subscribe to a given database and; (b) if you choose to continue the subscription, what can be done to increase use of the resource.

A convenient way to reread the series is to go to …
http://desulf.blogspot.com/search/label/TIPSTARTALIBRARY

As for hiring a consultant, I recommend three Web sites …

Jean Steinhardt Consulting (www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com).
Jean Steinhardt Consulting brings a broad range of experience to bear on helping you design an effective library.

Special Libraries Association (SLA) (www.sla.org) 
SLA has a “Post a Job” page …
“Find qualified information professionals in your industry by posting a job to SLA’s Career Center. As an employer, you receive more than just a job listing. You also gain access to SLA’s member-resume database, containing thousands of qualified resumes for you to browse through. Your job posting is also pushed to a broader audience through SLA’s e-newsletter, and promoted via SLA’s Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn communities.”
source: http://www.sla.org/career-center/post-a-job/

Association Of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) (http://aiip.org)
AIIP, Web offers the following information …
“Hiring a member of the Association of Independent information Professionals (AIIP) saves you time and money by letting you focus on making decisions, products, and sales.
Spend your time using information, not looking for it.
Browse the AIIP Member Directory and bring an AIIP member onto your team today!
Knowledge and Access
AIIP members offer top-quality assistance in locating, analyzing, and applying information.
• Members use premium, subscription-based online research tools.
• Members are expert consultants with professional degrees in information science and other specialty fields.
• Members provide value-added brainpower for short- and long-term projects.”
source: http://aiip.org/content/hire-info-pro

Visit www.JeanSteinhardtConsulting.com for more tips and tricks