Biology Research Guide
This guide provides you with a good starting point for conducting research in Biology at the Southwestern Adventist University Library. As you explore the library’s resources you will find additional materials such as videos and DVD’s.
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Library Catalog
The library catalog is available online at: http://silc.swau.edu/aquabrowser/
We use the Library of Congress Classification system to organize most of the material in our library. Using this system, each book is given its own call number. The call number is used to locate the books on the shelf.
Material related to biology can be found in the following call number ranges or areas.
GC1-GC1581 |
Oceanography |
QE |
Geology |
QH1-QH278.5 |
Natural history - General |
QH301-QH705 |
Biology - General |
QH540-QH549 |
Ecology |
QK1-QK989 |
Botany |
QL1-QL991 |
Zoology |
QM1-QM695 |
Human Anatomy |
QP1-QP981 |
Physiology |
QR1-QR500 |
Microbiology |
R |
General Medicine |
S1-S954 |
Agriculture |
SB1-SB1110 |
Plant Culture |
SD1-SD668 |
Forestry |
SF1-SF1100 |
Animal Culture |
SH1-SH691 |
Aquaculture, Fisheries |
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Research Related Material
Below are some titles in the SWAU library collection that describe the methodology used in conducting and organizing research. Some of these are specific to the field of biology and some are general research and writing guides. Most of these titles are in the [MAIN] collection and are located on second and third floor. Those that begin with [R] are located on first floor in our reference collection.
A glossary of English grammar
[R] PE1112 .L44 2006
Using the biological literature : a practical guide
[R] QH303.6 .D38 1995
AMA manual of style : a guide for authors and editors
[R] R119 .A533 2007
The extreme searcher's Internet handbook
[R] ZA4230 .H63 2007
The research project : how to write it
[MAIN] LB2369 .B38 2004
Using sources effectively : strengthening your writing and avoiding plagiarism
[MAIN] LB2369 .H37 2002
Communicating in science : writing a scientific paper and speaking at scientific meetings
[MAIN] Q223 .B664 1993
A short guide to writing about biology
[MAIN] QH304 .P43 1987
Planning, proposing and presenting science effectively : a guide for graduate students and researchers in the behavioral sciences and biology
[MAIN] QH315 .H25 1997
The ACS style guide : effective communication of scientific information
On reserve at the Circulation Desk
Some online science writing style helps
http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/publications/style.cfm
How to Site the Bible (Grove City College)
http://hbl.gcc.edu/citingBIBLE.htm
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Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Reference materials such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs and atlases provide facts and statistics and are usually arranged so information can be easily located. They can be used to narrow or broaden a search topic or provide needed details for your research. Most of our reference material is located on first floor. However, the call numbers that begin with [MAIN] are located on second or third floor.
Encyclopedia of ethics
[R] BJ63 .E45 2001 v.1-3
Encyclopedia of science and religion
[R] BL240.3 .E43 2003 v.1-2
Encyclopedia of the sea
[R] GC9 .E38 2000
McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of science and technology
[R] Q121 .M3 2002 v.1-20
The encyclopedia of the biological sciences
(Although older, this title is still a good resource. Written for the beginner and the non-specialist, it is easy to understand.)
[R] QH13 .G7 1961
Nature encyclopedia
[R] QH13 .N27 2001
Dictionary of biology
[R] QH302.5 .I534 1999
Encyclopedia of bioethics
(Considered a classic, this source gives summaries and analyses the historical development in many areas of bioethics. The information included in it is designed to be used to understand future areas of bioethics.)
[R] QH332 .E52 1978 v.1-4
Evolution and creationism : a documentary and reference guide
[R] QH366.2 .Y68 2007
A dictionary of ecology, evolution and systematics
[R] QH540.4 .L56 1998
A dictionary of plant sciences
[R] QK9 .C67 1998
The encyclopedia of animals : a complete visual guide
[R] QL7 .E54 2004
The Concise Oxford dictionary of zoology
[R] QL9 C66 1992
Birds : a visual guide
[R] QL673 .B96 2006
The Clements checklist of birds of the world
[R] QL673 .C53 2007
Thieme atlas of anatomy : head and neuroanatomy
[R] QM25 .S38 2007
Dorland's illustrated medical dictionary
[R] R121 .D73 2007
[RSA] R121 .D73 2007 CD-ROM
The Sibley guide to bird life and behavior
[MAIN] QL681 .S495 2001
Oklahoma breeding bird atlas
[MAIN] QL684.O5 O45 2004
Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology
[MAIN] QR81 .B46 2001 v.1-2
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Print Periodicals
Periodicals include journals, magazines and newspapers. All of our periodicals are shelved in alphabetical order by the title. We keep two issues of our current subscriptions on first floor. Back issues and titles not currently received are shelved on the east side of third floor.
Currently Received Journals and Magazines
(First and third floor)
American Biology Teacher
American Journal of Botany
American Midland Naturalist
American Naturalist
Aquaponics
Audubon Magazine
Auk
Bioscience
Conservation Biology
Creation Illustrated
Creation Research Society Quarterly
Ecological Monographs
Ecology
Economic Botany
Evolution
Genetics
Horticulture
Journal of Heredity
Journal of Mammology
Natural History
Nature
Origins
Physiological Review
Physiology
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Quarterly Review of Biology
Titles Not Currently Received
(Only on third floor)
AAPG Bulletin
American Birds
American Paleontologist
American Zoologist
Animal Behaviour
Annals of the New York Academy of Science
Baylor Geological Studies
Behavior Genetics
Birding
Creation Matters
Drosophila Information Service
Ecological Applications
Environmental Science and Technology
Geological Society of America Bulletin
Geology
Horticulturist
Issues in Science and Technology
Journal of Experimental Biology
Journal of Experimental Zoology
Journal of Geophysical Research
Journal of Paleontology
Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera
Journal of Sedimentary Petrology
Journal of Structural Geology
Journal of the Geological Society
Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society
Journal of Wildlife Management
Microbiological Reviews
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Mountain Geologist
Naturalist
Northwest Naturalist
Oceans
Pennsylvania Geology
Plant Physiology
Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine
Science Scope
SciQuest
Sea Frontiers
Sedimentary Geology
State Geologists Journal
Zoological Record
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Print Indexes
Indexes are used to locate citations (the information on where the article is found and who wrote it) of articles on a specific subject or subjects. When you have found the citation(s), you go to the shelves to locate the article(s). Articles not available in our library may be obtained through interlibrary loan. Two good print indexes for general biology are listed below. These indexes are shelved on third floor.
General Science Index
Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index
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Databases
Our library databases, found on our web page, offer many options for locating material in biology. These databases are online indexes. Some of them have only the citation (the information on where the article is found and who wrote it) and an abstract (a short description of the article). Other databases offer some or all full-text articles. In other words, the whole article is on the computer. The ones most likely to help you in your research are listed below.
EBSCOhost
Academic Search Premier – The greatest number of full text, peer-reviewed journals found in any database. Provides a broad spectrum of data in social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies.
Medline - An abstracts and citations database for 4,600 current biomedical journals, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, veterinary medicine, and other portions of the health care field. Contains some full text.
FirstSearch
AGRICOLA – Materials from 881 sources relating to all aspects of agriculture, forestry and animal science. Includes some full text from WilsonSelectPlus.
ASTA – Applied Science and Technology Abstracts. Over 700 sources covering chemistry, computer technology, data processing, energy-related disciplines, engineering, mathematics and physics. Includes some full text from WilsonSelectPlus.
BasicBIOSIS – Basic information about biology and other life sciences from 370 sources. Includes some full text from WilsonSelectPlus.
BioAgIndex – Leading publications from 346 sources in agriculture, biology, forestry and ecology. Includes some full text from WilsonSelectPlus.
BioDigest – Life-science information from 301 sources written in a non-technical style. Includes some full text from WilsonSelectPlus.
Dissertation Abs – Indexes dissertations and theses from institutions in North America and Europe.
ECO – An OCLC collection of scholarly journals. Includes some full text from WilsonSelectPlus.
GenSciAbs – General science literature from over 160 sources from the U.S. and Europe. Includes some full text from WilsonSelectPlus.
GEOBASE – Worldwide literature on geography, geology and ecology from 2,060 sources. Includes some full text from WilsonSelectPlus.
WilsonSelectPlus – Full text articles in science, humanities, education and business from 1,652 sources.
WorldCat – A consortial catalog of books and other materials in libraries worldwide.
Health Reference Center Academic
Use this database to find articles on: Fitness, Pregnancy, Medicine, Nutrition, Diseases, Public Health, Occupational Health and Safety, Alcohol and Drug abuse, HMOs, Prescription Drugs, etc.
LexisNexis
Full text news, business information, legal research, medical information and reference.
NetLibrary
Provides access to a collection of 28,274 e-books. NetLibrary eBooks are digital full-text versions of books such as reference works, scholarly monographs, literature and fiction in all subjects.
PubMed Central (PMC)
The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) free digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature.
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SDA Related Material
Index to the Complete Published Writings of Ellen G. White
Includes the books, periodical articles and pamphlets with the writings of Ellen G. White. Searches can be done by topic, searching the full text of the published writings, or by going to a particular book, periodical or pamphlet.
SDA Periodical Index
Indexing to approximately 40 Seventh-day Adventist journals and magazines. Currently the index covers the years 1977 to the present. Some links to full text are available.
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Useful Web Resources
The Web sites listed below were evaluated by a reference librarian. Sites found on the web should always be critically evaluated for authority, accuracy, audience, coverage, currency, objectivity and purpose. There are additional sites related to biology that may be reached through some of the university sites listed at the end of this section. Not all of these sites have been evaluated. Be sure to use your “critical thinking skills if you choose to use these additional web resources or to find other sites on your own.
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Southwestern Adventist University
Department of Biology
(Online at: http://biology.swau.edu/biology.html)
General Help Links
College and Graduate School Planning (Thomson Peterson’s)
Contains a resource and information area for educators, as well as information for students and prospective students on test preparation, financial aid planning and career advancement.
(Online at: http://www.petersons.com/)
College and University Rankings (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Identifies top colleges and universities in various areas. Contains links to many ranking services, along with cautionary notes and a discussion of the ongoing controversy over rankings.
(Online at: http://www.library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.htm)
GRE – Graduate Record Examinations (Educational Testing Service)
Free test prep materials available for the General Test and for the Subject Tests. Also contains information about changes to the GRE, which are to be implemented in the fall of 2007.
(Online at: http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.435c0b5cc7bd0ae7015d9510c3921509/?vgnextoid=b195e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD)
Guide to Grammar and Writing (Dr. Charles Darling and the Capital Community College Foundation)
Features a guide to grammar and writing, principles of composition, and interactive quizzes.
(Online at: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/)
Internet Detective (Intute Virtual Training Suite)
Free online tutorial designed to help college and university students develop their Internet research skills. Looks at the critical thinking required when using the Internet for research and offers practical advice on evaluating the quality of web sites. Follow the tutorial or explore the site on your own.
(Online: http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/tutors.html)
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Thesaurus (Merriam-Webster Incorporated)
Online web site for Merriam-Webster. Includes a variety of resources on words and word meanings.
(Online at: http://www.m-w.com/netdict.htm)
OWL at Purdue (Purdue University)
Offers free online writing, research, and MLA and APA style help.
(Online at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/)
Paradigm Online Writing Assistance (Chuck Guilford)
Published by an experienced English teacher, POWA is an interactive, menu-driven, online writer's guide and handbook written in HTML and distributed freely over the WWW. Intended to be useful for all writers, from inexperienced to advanced.
(Online at: http://www.powa.org/)
Plagiarism (Indiana University, Bloomington)
Explains what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
(Online at: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml)
Writer’s Workshop (Northern Illinois University)
Includes resources for students, tutors, teachers and visitors.
(Online at: http://www.engl.niu.edu/comskills/main.html)
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Biology Links
The Academy of Natural Science, Library, Internet Resource Links
This collection of links provides access to numerous biodiversity and environmental biology sites, many of which are government sponsored.
(Online at: http://www.ansp.org/library/links.php)
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Wide range of information about birds, including identification, bird watching gear, and conservation.
(Online at: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/allaboutbirds/)
arXiv (Cornell University
E-print archive considered by many to be the premier electronic source for most streams of research in physics, mathematics, computer science, nonlinear sciences, and quantitative biology. Currently the means of access to almost a half million papers.
(Online at: http://arxiv.org/)
BioEd Online: Biology Teacher Resources (Center for Collaborative and Interactive Technologies at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston)
Provides high-quality, reliable scientific content as well as practical lesson ideas. The most distinctive, useful, and impressive feature is the collection of peer-reviewed, annotated PowerPoint slide sets on topics of interest to science educators.
(Online at: http://www.bioedonline.org/)
BiologyBrowser (Produced by BIOSIS)
A free web site offering resources for the life sciences information community.
(Online at: http://www.biologybrowser.org/)
Biology Online (Sponsored by Science Partners)
"Source for biological information, ideal for homework, research projects and general interest." Includes a dictionary and tutorials.
(Online at: http://www.biology-online.org/)
BioMed Central Databases (Provided by the open access publisher, BioMed Central)
A searchable catalog of 1100 biomedical sites, most of which are freely accessible.
(Online at: http://databases.biomedcentral.com/)
BioOne (Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resource Coalition)
Access to peer-reviewed journals in biological, environmental, and ecological science from 35 publishers. Free articles marked with OA for open access.
(Online at: http://www.bioone.org)
BioTech (Sponsored by University of Texas at Austin and University of Indiana)
Compiles life sciences references and resource tools.
(Online at: http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/)
Computational Biology Tools and Resources (part of MIT OpenCourseWare)
A collection of links to tools for analysis of nucleic acids and proteins. The list was compiled for the course, Foundations of Computational and Systems Biology.
(Online at: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Biology/7-91JSpring2004/Tools/index.htm)
Congressional Research Service Reports (National Library for the
Environment)
Provides reports originally prepared for the U.S. congress. Currently posts
over1500 reports on the environment and related topics. Searchable by
keyword, topic and advanced search.
(Online at: http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRS/)
Counsel of Science Editors
Reference links for a wide variety of science related helps, such as acronyms, aquatic resources, dictionaries, educational statistics, software, technical communication, and thesauri.
(Online at: http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/links.cfm)
Ecology WWW Page
List of ecology sites, courtesy of scientists in the U.S. Canada and France.
(Online at: http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/%7Ebrach/Ecology-WWW.html)
E-Skeletons (University of Texas at Austin)
Interactive learning project that provides information on comparative human and primate anatomy.
(Online at: http://www.eskeletons.org/)
Freshwater and Marine Image Bank (University of Washington)
Database of over 16,000 historical images related to freshwater and marine topics.
(Online at: http://content.lib.washington.edu/fishweb/index.html)
Gray’s Anatomy (Bartleby.com)
Online version of Gray's Anatomy, the illustrated text of human anatomy. It is searchable by keyword, table of contents, or subject index containing 13,000 entries.
(Online at: http://www.bartleby.com/107/)
Internet Directory of Botany (courtesy of scientists in the U.S., Canada and Finland)
Award-winning directory of alphabetical and subject category lists of botany sites with an excellent search engine.
(Online at: http://www.botany.net/IDB/)
Librarian’s Internet Index (U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services)
High-quality biology websites carefully selected, described, and organized by a team of librarians.
(Online at: http://search.lii.org/index.jsp?sm=fr10%3BSubTopic1343%3B00http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lii.org%2Fia%2Fdata%2Fdemo1%2Ftopic%23177%3BBiology&moreres=SubTopic13)
MedBioWorld (Healthnotics, Inc.)
A medical and bioscience reference and resource directory with over 35,000 links. It provides access to free articles and books, dictionaries, glossaries, specialized search engines, agencies, organizations and more.
(Online at: http://www.sciencekomm.at/)
Migratory Bird Center (Smithsonian)
The Featured Birds page of this site provides information on 23 species, including a general description, migratory behavior, a photograph, and suggested readings. Navigate this site by using the site map.
(Online at: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/MigratoryBirds/)
National Biological Information Infrastructure (Maintained by Federal, State, and local government agencies, and private organizations)
Information on and access to biological databases, information products, directories, and guides.
(Online at: http://www.nbii.gov/index.html)
National Center for Biotechnology Information (National Library of Medicine)
A federal government site that provides biotechnology research through databases and educational resources.
(Online at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian)
Concentrates on research and related scientific work in anthropology, botany, entomology, invertebrate zoology, mineral sciences, paleobiology and zoology.
(Online at: http://www.mnh.si.edu/rc/)
NatureServe (Association of Biodiversity Information)
Information on over 50,000 species, including rare and endangered ones, in the U.S and Canada; focuses on conservation status and distribution.
(Online at: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/)
Plants Database (National Resources Conservation Service)
Comprehensive and searchable resource for finding information about plants in the U.S.
(Online at: http://plants.usda.gov/)
Science.gov (U. S. Federal Government)
Access to scientific information. Click on "Biology and Nature" to browse the available resources, or use the search function to find the information you need.
(Online at: http://science.gov/)
U. S. National Library of Medicine (Part of the National Institutes of Health)
Connects users with multiple NLM retrieval systems for many areas of medicine.
(Online at: http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd)
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Web Resources of Texas
BioTech (University of Texas at Austin and Indiana University)
Hybrid biology/chemistry educational resource and research tool, for students, researchers and faculty.
(Online at: http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/)
Government Information Connection – Texas Health Information (University of North Texas)
Includes links for guides to programs & services, health related Texas state agencies, health occupations and licensing, laws & regulations and more.
(Online at: http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo)
Life Sciences Data Archive (Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX)
Provides information and data from space flight experiments funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
(Online at: http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/)
Texas Department of State Health Services
Web site for the Texas DSHS. Includes information on public health, medical care, mental health and substance abuse services for the state of Texas. Also includes Alcohol and Drug Abuse Rules, Texas Mental Health Laws, Texas Health and Safety Code, the Texas Statutes, Vernon’s Civil Statutes and more.
(Online at: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/)
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Seventh-day Adventist Sites
Adventist Health Study (Loma Linda University)
New, large, Seventh-day Adventist health research study now in progress in the U.S. and Canada.
(Online at: http://www.llu.edu/llu/health/)
Adventist Professionals Network
Global registry of Seventh-day Adventist professionals who hold the minimum of a master's degree or its equivalent (5 years of postsecondary studies) in any field. Housed at the world headquarters of the Church, APN will help locate candidates for positions, consultants with expertise, and volunteers for short mission assignments. It will also foster international networking among Adventists in various professions.
(Online at: https://apn.adventist.org/)
Health 20-20
Health Ministries Department of the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists. Features a variety of health related information. Christian aspects of many issues are included.
(Online at: http://www.health20-20.org/)
PlusLine
Provides ministry support to Seventh-day Adventist church members, pastors and church leaders throughout the North American Division.
(Online at: http://www.plusline.org/article.php?id=270)
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Online Periodicals and Newsletters
Free Medical Journals (Bernd Sebastian Kamps)
Created to promote the free availability of full text medical journals on the Internet. Includes information on which journals require registration and how soon after publication articles are available for free.
(Online at: http://www.freemedicaljournals.com/htm/index.htm)
GNN, Genome News Network (J. Craig Venter Institute)
Independent online publication on genomics for researchers, students and the general public.
(Online at: http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/)
Public Library of Science
Web site for PLoS, a nonprofit organization of scientists and physicians that publishes peer-reviewed, open access journals. Includes PLoS Biology, PLoS Medicine, PLoS Computational Biology, PLoS Genetics, PLoS Pathogens and PLoS Clinical Trials.
(Online at: http://www.plos.org/journals/index.html)
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University Site Resources
Biology Internet Links (Tarleton State University)
(Online at: http://www.tarleton.edu/~library/biol_il.html)
Biology Resources (Baylor University)
(Online at: http://www.baylor.edu/lib/rli/index.php?id=30555)
Biology Web Sites (University of Texas at Arlington)
(Online at: http://library.uta.edu/webSites/webBiology.jsp)
Geophysics Research Center (Southern Methodist University)
(Online at: http://www.geology.smu.edu/)
Infomine Scholarly Internet Resource Collections: Biological, Agricultural and Medical Sources (University of California, Riverside)
Award-winning site which identifies web resources of relevance to faculty, students and research staff at the university level.
(Online at: http://infomine.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/search?bioag)
Internet Resources – Biology (Walla Walla College)
(Online at: http://www.wallawalla.edu/index.php?id=13900&catID=8)
Molecular and Cellular Biology (Harvard University)
(Online at: http://mcb.harvard.edu/BioLinks.html)
Selected Internet Resources for Biology (University of Texas at Austin)
(Online at: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/lsl/links/links_biology.html)
Web Sites for Biology (Moravian College)
(Online at: http://home.moravian.edu/public/reeves/books/web/bio.htm)