The purpose of this course research guide is to acquaint you with some of the resources in the University Library and on the World Wide Web useful for your research. Should you have questions, stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor. You may also call the Reference Desk at (334) 229-4110 during the hours the Library is open.

Reference Sources

Sources in the Library's Reference Collection and similar sources online can help you find brief factual information quickly. Reference books of interest for biology research are located on the first floor in the Main Reference collection and the fourth floor in the Health Sciences Reference collection. These books must be used in the Library. Be sure to browse the shelves near the sources listed below to find others.

• Dictionary of Theoretical Concepts in Biology                                                               Main Reference: QH 302.5 .R63
• Dictionary of Modern Biology
  Main Reference: QH 302.5 .R83 1997
• Concise Encyclopedia Biology
  Main Reference: QH 302.5 .A23 1996
• Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society                                              Main Reference: QH 301 .C243
• The McGraw-Hill Online Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (ASU)
• MEDLINEplus Medical Dictionary
• MEDLINEplus Medical Encyclopedia
• Health and Wellness Resource Center (ASU)
  includes Mosby's Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Dictionary and The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
• Reference Collections
  from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

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The best method for finding journal articles is to use the Library's online databases. For additional information on those listed below and for others, explore our lists of general science and health sciences databases.  The databases are easily accessible off campus by clicking on the database name and typing in the information requested. If you need additional assistance with accessing the databases, contact Randy Curtis (334 229-5604) or Cedric Davis (334 229-6998).

Science and Health Sciences Databases

• BioOne (ASU)
• Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (ASU)
• ScienceDirect (ASU)
• Wiley Interscience (ASU)
• Evidence Based Medicine Reviews
• PubMed
• Journals (full journal titles from abbreviated titles)
• TOXNET

Additional Databases

• Academic Search Premier (ASU)
• Expanded Academic ASAP (ASU)
• Lexis-Nexis' Academic Universe (click on medical research) (ASU)
• Oxford Journals Online (ASU)  

Not all of our databases provide access to the entire texts of articles.  If the text of an article is not available in a database, consult:

• E-Jounal Finder - to determine if the article is available in another online database.
  E- Journal Finder does not include Wilson Education Full Text, so be sure to check this database separately.
• HORNetCat - lists journals to which the Library subscribes. Journals are housed in the Serials Department on the third floor.
• Interlibrary Loan - to request articles not available in the Library or via a full-text database

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Those books not located in the University Library can be requested through Interlibrary Loan.

Books

• HORNetCat (books available in the University Library)
• netLibrary (full-text versions of the Library's electronic book collection)
• WorldCat (books available in other libraries)  

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Government Information

The federal government publishes a plethora of information on many topics.

Federal Government Information

• Science.gov
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Food Safety and Inspection Service
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Food and Drug Administration
• National Institutes of Health
• National Human Genome Research Institute
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is an outstanding but often bewildering source of information. Not everything you find will be authoritative, accurate, and valid. Try searching one of these databases to find more reliable Web sites.

• INFOMINE Scholarly Internet Resource Collections
• Librarians' Index to the Internet
• Scout Report Archives

Additional sources are available using the Biology Resources Study Guide.  Study Guides provide access to additional databases, journals, course guides, and web sites related to a particular subject.

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Your Comments

Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think about this guide. Has it helped with your research? Do you have any suggestions for improving the guide? You may e-mail Natasha Jenkins (njenkins@alasu.edu )  or call her at (334) 229-1078 with your comments and suggestions.

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