The following is a selected list of resources in the Biological Sciences.

• Check with your librarian to find out about new resources and electronic databases. If you are not on campus, try the online Ask A Librarian form.
• Look for library guides in related disciplines.
• Know your library’s classification system. The CSM Library uses Library of Congress (LC). Use it to browse for information.
• Become familiar with core works in your field. Use these as a base to start your search.
• Keyword choices are important. Add keywords to your search from publications you've already identified and from thesauri and indexes.
• Evaluate your sources--especially Internet sources. Check for updating, type and date of coverage, publisher and/or author.

Using the Biological Literature: A Practical Guide
Detailed guide arranged by broad subject categories (e.g. Microbiology) subdivided into different forms of information material (Databases, Dictionaries etc.)
QH303.6 .D38 2002

A Source Book of Biological Names and Terms
QH83 .J3 1950

Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences
QH304 .M36 2001

BioTech: Life Sciences Resources and Reference Tools
Includes a dictionary of more than 6,700 terms and reviews of other science-related sites.

Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Defines more than 3000 terms used in biochemistry and molecular biology. May be browsed by the first letter of the term or searched by word or phrase.

Kimball's Biology Pages
Online reference manual with emphasis on cellular and molecular biology. Alphabetical index/glossary of terms with brief definitions, illustrations and links to broader discussions.

Online Medical Dictionary
Defines over 65,000 terms used in biochemistry, cell biology, chemistry, medicine, molecular biology, physics, plant biology, radiobiology, and science and technology. May be searched by term or browsed by letter or subject area.

USDA's Agriculture Fact Book 1998
Information about topics of agricultural significance, including ecology, genetic engineering, etc.

Biodiversity: a Reference Handbook
QH541.15.B56 B435 1998 (Reference Room)

Concise Encyclopedia of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
On order.

Dictionary of Biology
QH302.5 .D5 2000 (Reference Room)

Encyclopedia of Biological Sciences
QH13 .G7 1970 (Reference Room)

Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change
GE149 .E443 2002 (Reference Room)

Five Kingdoms: an Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth
QH83 .M36 1988

Habitats and Ecosystems: An Encyclopedia of Endangered America
QH76 .C73 1999

Henderson's Dictionary of Biological Terms
QH302.5 .H65 1989 (Reference Room)

Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms
QH83 .S89 1982

Use one or more of the following indexes to find journal articles on a specific Biology topic. For in-depth research, select an index to scholarly articles that covers your topic area (see descriptions below). Connect to these and other databases  from the Databases page. For general research tips see Finding an Article.

There are many Open Access journals in the biosciences.

• AGRICOLA

  Produced by the U.S. National Agricultural library, this database includes over 3.5 million records of materials relating to all aspects of agriculture. Includes articles, AV materials, books, book chapters, computer databases, software, and maps. Indexes over 5,000 periodicals with coverage that includes agricultural economics, engineering, ecology, geography, human nutrition, veterinary medicine, etc. Abstracts available for the most recent records. Updated monthly.

• Biology Digest

  Non-technical digests in biology, ecology & health for undergraduates and high school students. Contains approx. 28,000 records from 188 selected periodicals. Updated monthly, September through May.

• Dissertation Abstracts

  Indexes more than 1,000,000 dissertations and masters theses from over 1,000
  Universities throughout the world, including most North American graduate schools,
  and many European universities. Abstracts are included from 1989 forward for doctoral dissertations and from 1988 forward for masters' theses. Updated monthly.

• Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management

  Comprehensive multidisciplinary coverage of the environmental sciences. Provides abstracts and citations from over 4,000 scientific journals and thousands of other sources including conference proceedings, reports, books and government publications. Updated monthly.

• InfoTRAC General Reference Center Gold

  Indexes approximately 100 leading journals and magazines from the United States and Great Britain. Covers scientific topics of general interest.

• Knovel Engineering and Scientific References Online

  The Knovel Biochemistry, Biology and Biotechnology Subject Area provides access to numerous full-text titles online, along with powerful search engines. Publishers include McGraw-Hill, Butterworth-Heinemann, and Noyes.

• Medline

  The NLM's own search engine (recently updated to facilitate more effective searching). Sophisticated searching and seamless links to approx. 750 on-line journals and links to 14 other related databases.

The biology collection of the Library is organized by the Library of Congress system. The following call letters represent the basic organizational structure. For various reasons material may be assigned a call number that places it in an unexpected location. Please always consult Catalyst when searching for specific books and journals. Occasionally you may want to browse the shelves to see what is there. 'Virtual' browsing can be performed by entering an appropriate call number in Catalyst and moving through the screens of retrieved materials.

QH Natural History, including:

QH 75-77 Nature Conservation

QH 201-278 Microscopy

QH 426-470 Genetics

QH 540-549 Ecology - general and animal

QH 573-671 Cytology

QK Botany (including plant ecology)
QL Zoology
QM Human Anatomy
QP Physiology
QP 501-801 Animal Biochemistry
QR Microbiology

In addition:
QD 415-431.7 Biological Chemistry
RA 1190-1270 Toxicology

National Institutes of Health
Includes links to major NIH sites and databases.

US Environmental Protection Agency
Information and multiple databases including Envirofacts, a single access point to seven major EPA databases.

US Department of Agriculture
Extensive site with links to individual agencies, legislation, reports, etc.

Natural Resources Conservation Service
Works in partnership with citizens to conserve and sustain our natural resources.

National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
Documents government-sponsored activities in scientific, technical and business fields, including technology transfer and international information exchange.

Federal World Information
Assistance in identifying and linking to US government agencies' Web sites.

• National Center for Biotechnology Information
  Information about, and access to the Human Genome. Includes search and analysis capabilities to find a gene's location; find neighboring genes; correlate many diseases to genes; see genetic variations; find if similar genes exist in another organism.
• Biodiversity and Conservation
  Describes the origin, nature and value of biological diversity, the threats to its continued existence, and approaches to preserving what is left. Excellent links to related sites.
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System
  An ongoing cooperative effort by US, Canadian, and Mexican agencies to develop an online, scientifically credible list of the biota of North America.
• PLANTS National Database
  Information about the approximately 45,000 currently recognized plant taxa, (vascular and nonvascular), known to occur as native or naturalized species within the US and its territories. Provides synonyms, distribution map information, references, growth habit, origin, perennial or annual status, family name; with some photos.
• Internet Resource Guide for Zoology
  A first-rate starting point for traditional zoological searches. High expertise information arranged by both subject and animal groups. Produced by Biosis and Zoological Record.