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- Rangeland Resource Science Research Guide
- Literature of
Rangeland Resource Science
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Rangeland resource science literature is part of the larger scientific literature and is composed of applied research in range and basic research in related disciplines. Scientific literature is the principal medium for communicating the results of scientific research and represents a permanent record of the collective achievements of the scientific community. This scientific knowledge base is composed of the individual "end products" of scientific research and continues to expand as new research builds on earlier research.
Scientific literature is divided into two basic categories - "primary" and "secondary". Publications that report the results of original scientific research constitute the "primary" literature and include journal papers, conference papers, monographic series, technical reports, theses, and dissertations. The "primary" literature is eventually compacted into "secondary" sources which synthesize and condense what is known on specific topics. These include reviews, monographs, textbooks, treatises, handbooks, and manuals.
Availability of scientific literature varies depending upon its publication format. Some formats are widely available, e.g., journal papers, while others have limited distribution and are difficult to identify and acquire. This "gray literature" commonly includes technical reports, theses, and dissertations.
The following chart illustrates common steps involved in the scientific research process (inner circle), the dissemination of research results through the primary and secondary literature (outer circle), and the personal assimilation of this information resulting in new ideas and research (inner circle):
Rangeland resource science serials can be grouped into the following three categories:
Copies of papers in serials that are not available in the CPH Library can be requested through the Library's Interlibrary Loan Service.
Since many rangeland resource science databases and "Reference Cited" lists abbreviate serial titles the following sources can help you find the unabbreviated serial title:
For a more expanded distinction between journals and magazines see Journals - Scholarly or Popular?
Journals.
The research paper published in a scientific journal represents the most important "primary" source of information for the range scientist and manager. Papers published in journals generally go through a "peer review" process before acceptance and publication. Presently there are over 25,000 peer-reviewed scientific journals that are being published. Fifty percent of the range of literature is published in this format.
Databases listed in Articles and Databases: Rangeland Resource Science can be used to find individual research papers by author, subject, taxonomic category, habitat, time period, chemical substance, or geographic area. In addition, many journal publisher websites now maintain a searchable database of articles that have been published in their journals. If you need to locate indexing for a specific journal.
The following list contains journals available in the HSU Library which publish research of interest to a range scientist and manager. For a more comprehensive list, see Agricultural and Animal Science Journals and Serials: An Analytical Guide (Jensen) 1986 (ref S 493 J45). There are many other related journals in the Library which publish forestry, water, wildlife, fisheries, and planning research.
Magazines and Newsletters.
Articles appearing in these publications tend to be popular in format and scope. They may contain news and perspectives of professional societies and environmental organizations, report on research published in scholarly journals, report on environmental problems and new political initiatives, or contain articles aimed at the layperson.
Monographic Series
While the results of most range research are published in journals, perhaps 20% of the research is published in individual issues of monographic series. Longer contributions resulting from scientific research are often published in this format. Monographic series typically have the following characteristics:
A typical example is:
Neff, Don J.; et al.(a) 1979. Forest, Range, and Watershed Management for Enhancement of Wildlife Habitat in Arizona.(b) Arizona Game and Fish Dept.(c) Special Report(d) 7(e)
where a=individual author; b=individual title; c=series author; d=series title; e=series number
To locate the monographic series in the CPH Library you need to consult the following sources:
The following monographic series of interest to the range scientist and manager are found in the regular bookstacks of the HSU Library:
The outcome of graduate study conducted at universities is commonly a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation. In addition to the formal thesis or dissertation, research results are often communicated in other "primary" literature formats, such as the journal paper.
See Theses and Dissertations for how to find and acquire 1) HSU masters theses; and 2) theses and dissertations produced at other universities that are available in other libraries and on the Internet.
Papers presented at national and international conferences, symposia, and workshops are another source of "primary" scientific information in rangeland resource science. For many conferences, the presented papers are eventually published in a "proceedings" or "transactions" volume.
Following are some of the regularly recurring range conferences received by the CPH Library: