Your job is to find at least two articles from the databases that answer the following questions.
1. What is a nanoparticle?
2. How are nanoparticles used in the industry you chose?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using nanoparticles in this industry?
You will also need to find at least one image that illustrates the information you found.
It is important to use the right keywords to find the right articles to suit your needs. The better you get at manipulating keywords and language, the more effective your search will be.
You can start by trying a broad search on nanotechnology or nanoparticles.
Or you can be more specific.
Try adding one of the following terms to your initial search:
nanotubes
sunscreen
textiles
electronics
medicine
fuel cells
drugs
drug delivery
pigments
diagnostics
therapies
cosmetics
quantum dots
1.Be flexible. If your first attempt at searching does not bring you results, be flexible with your words. Try new keywords. If the first database you try does not bring you results, try another.
2. Use the subject headings available on Results pages to help you explore topics.
3. Scan through the titles and go beyond the first page of results to find an article that may answer your questions AND that appeals to you. This gets easier with practice.
4. Choose an article that answers your research questions.
5. Choose an article that is lengthy enough to offer substantive information about your topic. If the article is only a paragraph long, chances are that it won't offer you very much information.
6. Avoid articles that are too scholarly. Many academic articles are written for professors, researchers, and graduate students and use very technical language. If you can't understand the content, move on. Gale databases allow you to choose a "Basic" or "Intermediate" reading level in your advanced search; use this function!
7. Once you find an article that answers your research questions, archive it--email it to yourself, print it, or download it so you don't forget where you found it.
To gain an understanding of nanoparticles, read an overview first!
Nanotechnology from Gale Student Resources in Context
The following databases will be most helpful for your research on nanoparticles. Remember, you may need to be flexible and adjust your search terms based on what you find. If you are not finding what you need in one database, try another. If you can't find anything in any of the recommended databases, please see Ms. Voss for assistance.
For all school projects, you should look for images that artists and photographers WANT to share--freely, without their permission. When using images from the sites below, double-check to make sure that the owners of the images are willing to share them freely--some may have minor restrictions.
Note: you still need to cite where you find these images!!
Search Britannica Image Quest.
1. Go to main Google Images search page.
2. Search for your terms.
3. Click on the gear icon at the upper right corner of the page; select Advanced Search.
4. Scroll down and select “free to use, share, or modify."
**Always double-check the license details!**
You are required to cite your articles and your images in your blog post. Use NoodleTools to make sure your citation is complete and accurate.
Most of the articles you will use for this project will be news or magazine articles; make sure you choose the right citation type in NoodleTools.
Follow this link: www.noodletools.com/logon/gapp
Even though you will be finding a copyright-free image for your blog post, you still need to cite it. Use NoodleTools to cite images, just as you use it to cite articles. You should also include some kind of caption or explanation for why you chose your image.