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Home: BIO 181 Lab 2 Homework Resources
Secondary Literature
Reference Tools
Books
Magazines & Newspapers
Science Search Engines
Primary Literature
Journal Article Databases
Specific Web Sites for Research Proposal Topics
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BIO 181: INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I.
Lab 2 Homework Resources
Note: resources are listed under the category (primary or secondary literature) that describes most of their content. For example, you may find some primary material on a Web site that contains mostly secondary literature.
Secondary Literature--for background information
Reference Tools (dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.)
- Collins Dictionary of Biology
For word definitions, spelling
- Britannica
Online (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
Covers biochemistry, cell biology, clinical medicine, developmental biology,
ecology, evolution and diversity of life, functional and comparative
morphology, genetics and molecular biology, immunology, microbiology
and virology, neuroscience, plant science, structural biology, and
science and society.
- Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition
Browsing the alphabetical list of article titles (for example, Adolescents) works better than searching.
- Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia
Searchable, online version of the seventeen-volume encyclopedia. Includes
insects.
Note: Print version is also available in D.H. Hill Library Reference (in
Learning Commons, 1st floor, East wing). Call number QL7 .G7813 2003
- More Reference
works by subject. Select the subject area of your research
proposal.
For example, Agriculture |
Crop Science |
Nutrition | Sustainable
Agriculture |
- In addition, there are many other good reference
books (for example, plant encyclopedias such as the Concise Encyclopedia of Plant Pathology. Catalog record.) available in print in D.H. Hill Library--either on the 1st floor, East wing or in the bookstacks tower. For a reminder on how to search for them, look at the biology tutorial section on Using the Catalog to Locate Specialized (Reference) Books.
Books on Your Topic
Search the NCSU Libraries catalog to locate books that discuss your topic. You may find
- entire books written about your topic
- a single chapter in a book
- several pages in a book (Look at the index in the back of the book to find the relevant page numbers.)
For help, see the section in the biology tutorial on Searching for Books in the Libraries' Catalog.
Articles in the Popular Press (magazines and newspapers)
Tip: the Find Articles page is a good way to get to the following databases.
Under General Databases:
Academic Search Premier (NCSU only)
Because this database contains results from academic or scholarly journals, as well as magazines and newspapers, you'll need to click on the type of materials that you're interested in, to view just those results. For example, to view just the newspaper articles that your search retrieved, click on the Newspapers link, as shown below.
Under Newspaper Databases:
LexisNexis Academic (formerly known as Academic Universe) (NCSU only)
LexisNexis Academic allows NCSU faculty, students and staff to locate the full-text and abstracts of comprehensive news, business, and legal information. Search foreign news sources, regional U.S. news services, radio and television transcripts, federal and state case law, medical, legislative and industry news, annual reports from the Securities and Exchange Commission and more.
Newspapers are updated several times daily, and wire services hourly.
Newsbank: North Carolina Newspapers (NCSU only)
Full text for the News & Observer (Raleigh), Herald-Sun (Durham), and 14 other North Carolina newspapers.
Web Search Engines
- Science.gov
"A gateway to over 50 million pages of authoritative selected science information provided by U.S. government agencies, including research and development results." Can search for keywords or phrases.
- Scirus
A science search engine. Search for your broad topic, and look at the results list. Narrow your search by clicking on one of the terms listed in the box under the heading "Refine your search using these keywords found in the results."
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Primary Literature
Databases for Journal Articles on Your Topic
If you'd like a reminder, see the sections of the biology tutorial on Understanding Databases and Getting Journal Articles.
General (Multidisciplinary) Databases
Biology and Related Science Databases
- BIOSIS Previews
Covers all the different biological sciences including animals, plants, ecology, genetics, and more.
- AGRICOLA
Covers agriculture, including plant and animal sciences.
- CAB Abstracts
Covers agriculture, animal and crop husbandry, plant protection, forestry and allied disciplines including animal and human nutrition.
- Ecology Abstracts
Covers ecology research in biology, behavioral biology, entomology, natural resources, zoology, and other areas.
- MEDLINE
The primary database for biomedical literature, including human nutrition.
- Web of Science (Science Citation Index)
Covers many scientific disciplines, including biology.
- Wildlife and Ecology Studies Worldwide
Covers studies of individual species to specific habitat types, hunting,
economics, wildlife behavior, management techniques, etc.
- See Databases for a more complete list of databases.
Conference Proceedings and Technical Reports
"Journal article" databases usually also include some technical reports and papers from conference proceedings. Searches for books in the NCSU Libraries catalog often retrieve some of these materials, also. If you have questions about them, don't hesitate to Ask a Librarian for assistance.
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Specific Web Resources for Research Proposal Options
Search Tips:
- Most major Web sites and portals have a Search feature. Locate the Search link or search box on the site's home page and do a keyword search for your topic.
- If you don't get good search results with your first keyword search, revise your search by
- using synonyms
- putting AND between your keywords. (Remember: not all databases and Web sites will do an "all of the words" search.)
Examples:
1. If you're not finding much on mountain lions release, try something like cougars and reintroduction.
2. Instead of golf course runoff, try runoff or fertilizer runoff or urban runoff or watershed.
For a reminder, see the biology tutorial sections on Keyword Searching and Improve Your Search.
Here are some specific Web sites that can help get you started on your topic. There are many others. 1. Sudden Oak Death syndrome
2. Releasing mountain lions into Great Smoky Mountains National Park
3. Golf course runoff
4. NC farmers growing hemp
5. Poultry and avian flu
6. Ban on soft drink machines in NC public schools
7. Invasive aquatic plant species
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