Informational resources and searching of scientific information (Online)

Daniela Castro, Cristina Gonçalves
Serviços de Documentação e Bibliotecas da Universidade do Minho 

Access to updated and reliable bibliographic information is a key factor for the quality and success of a scientific research. In order to provide students with a complete overview of the informational collections available, this presentation aimed to highlight the different typologies of bibliographic information sources, the importance of library catalogs, the relevant licensed bibliographic databases accessible within the University of Minho network, such as reference and full text databases, citation indexes, e-journals and e-book collections and metasearch engines. It was also point out selected open access resources freely available online, as scientific repositories, databases and collections.  In this presentation were also addressed the different types of documents, distinction between primary, secondary and tertiary sources and their characteristics, search tips and recommendations to enhance more accurate results and other useful services related to the management of scientific information, such as bibliographic alerts, interlibrary loan and document supply services, remote access, bibliographic reference managers and support services.