Biology Subject Guide

Getting Started

When you begin research in a new topic area it is useful to identify phrases, define words and find brief facts. The resources in this section list some reference sources in the field of Biology.  To find additional materials search the AUS library catalog (http://alberta.aus.edu/search).

Reference Resources

McGraw-Hill dictionary of bioscience [e-book]
(http://alberta.aus.edu/search)

Dictionary of microbiology and molecular biology
Reference Collection - 1st Floor – QR9 .S56 2001

A dictionary of genetics
Reference Collection - 1st Floor – QH427 .K55 1997 

Life on earth : an encyclopedia of biodiversity, ecology, and evolution (2 volumes)
Reference Collection - 1st Floor – QH541.15.B56 L54 2002

Finding Books and Other Materials

The AUS Library uses the Library of Congress Classification system. To find books search in the AUS library catalog (http://alberta.aus.edu/search). To browse the shelves for books in Biology, try the following call numbers:

Finding Journal Articles

In the field of Biology the AUS library subscribes to hundreds of journals, most of which are found online.  To access databases with Biology information go to:

http://library.aus.edu/Databases/Databases-subject.htm#Science

You may also use Journal Finder on the library website (http://lt4tz7xl8k.search.serialssolutions.com/).  From the drop down menu under “Browse electronic and print journals by subject” select Health & Biological Sciences or Earth & Environmental Sciences.

Top Database Choices

Science Direct – The world's largest scientific, technical and medical (STM) database supplemented by relevant bibliographic databases to expand literature searches further and a growing program of online reference works. Over three million articles and over 59 million abstracts from all fields of science.

Science Citation Index Expanded – The Science Citation Index Expanded is a multidisciplinary index to the journal literature of the sciences. It fully indexes 5,900 major journals across 150 scientific disciplines—that's 2,100 more journals than the print and CD-ROM versions of the SCI. The Science Citation Index Expanded includes all cited references captured from indexed articles.

AccessScience – This online encyclopedia gives access to all the articles, fully illustrated, from the latest edition of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, Research Updates from the McGraw-Hill Yearbooks, thousands of illustrations, and the latest Science News® headlines, biographies, and more.

Proquest Science Journals – Search full text and images for the leading periodicals in science and technology. Subject coverage includes computers, engineering, physics, telecommunications, and transportation.

Other Databases

Academic Research Library (Proquest) – Search the full collection of journals and magazines for information on a broad range of general reference subjects including arts, business, humanities, social sciences, and the sciences.

Academic Search Premier (EbscoHost) – This multi-disciplinary database offers full text for more than 1,850 scholarly journals, including nearly 1,300 peer-reviewed titles. Covering virtually every area of academic study, Academic Search Elite offers full text information dating as far back as 1985.

Journal Citation Reports – The Journal Citation Reports is an essential, comprehensive, and unique resource for journal evaluation, using citation data drawn from over 8,400 scholarly and technical journals worldwide. Coverage is both multidisciplinary and international, and incorporates journals from over 3,000 publishers in 60 nations.

Websites

Biology Browser  http://www.biologybrowser.org –;Brings together resources, websites and news covering all aspects of biological sciences.

SCIRUS  http://www.scirus.com – A comprehensive science-specific search engine.

Getting help with your research

The reference librarians at AUS are happy to help you with your research.  For specific search strategy assistance in Biology please contact:

Thomas Hodge
Liaison Librarian for Biology
Tel: 06 515 2260
thodge@aus.edu