HRT103: Introduction to Plant Science

The library subscribes to some databases specific to horticulture, as well as some general subject databases, to help you with your research.

Database Search Tips

• Search with specific keywords (example: use coffee bean instead coffee - you want the plant, not the drink)
• Search 2-3 keywords at a time (example: coffee bean and diseases)
• Use quotation marks around words you want to search as a complete phrase (example: "coffee bean")
• Use limiters: full text (always use!), scholarly peer-reviewed, and date range
• Revise your search using different keywords to see how that changes your results (example: coffee bean and pests)
• Use Boolean operators:
  • AND connects two unrelated words (example: coffee bean AND cultivation)
  • OR connects similar words (coffee bean OR Coffea arabica)
  • NOT eliminates results with a specific word (coffee bean NOT brewing)

Whether you're starting with a specific research question or just exploring a topic, searching a horticulture-specific database like Gale OneFile: Gardening and Agriculture is a good starting point.

• Use specific keywords, not questions
• Use the database's limiters: full text, scholarly peer-reviewed limiters, and date range

1. Go to Gardening and Horticulture.
2. Use the Subject Guide to search for your plant. Example: coffee, then select Coffee (Plant) from the autofill feature. Click the Full Text Documents limiter and click Enter.
3. Click Coffee (Plant) on the next page to browse all sources, or select Subdivisions to look at sub-topics related to the plant.
4. If you need a peer-reviewed article, click the Peer-reviewed journals checkbox.

When you find an article you want to read, click the title. From there, you can:

• View the full text of the article. Keep an eye out for more keywords to revise your search!
• Save the article to your Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.
• Get the article's citation (Cite tool).
• Print, email, or copy the link to the article (Permalink tool).