Talk to the librarian, they are a great resource. Your university should have subscriptions to journals you may need and you may have access to these online.dimensionless said:
I've been told there are index of abstracts at the library, but I'm not sure if it's true.
Abstract diving is a term used to describe the process of researching papers on the web by reading their abstracts. It is important because it allows scientists to quickly and efficiently assess the relevance and quality of a paper before investing time in reading the full text.
The main benefit of abstract diving is that it saves time and resources by allowing scientists to quickly identify relevant research papers. It also helps in staying up-to-date with the latest scientific developments and can provide a broad overview of a particular topic or field of study.
One potential drawback is that abstracts may not always accurately represent the content of the full paper. Additionally, abstract diving may lead to a biased or incomplete understanding of a topic if only a few abstracts are read without further investigation. It is important to read the full paper for a comprehensive understanding of the research.
To avoid potential pitfalls, scientists should read abstracts critically and not solely rely on them for their research. It is important to read the full paper to fully understand the research and its implications. Scientists should also consult multiple sources and compare findings to ensure a well-rounded understanding of the topic.
Abstract diving can be a useful tool for scientists, but it should not be the sole method of research. It is important to supplement abstract diving with other research methods and to use critical thinking when evaluating the quality and relevance of the abstracts. Therefore, it is neither considered a completely good nor a completely bad practice, but rather a tool that should be used cautiously and in conjunction with other research methods.