Environmental Science

A research guide: books, articles, web sites, & videos  

 

 

Finding Books

 

 

·          How to Find Books in the ODU Library:  Search in the ODU Library Catalog. 

 

·          How to Find Books in Other OhioLINK Libraries: 
Search in the
OhioLINK Library Catalog, or start your search in the ODU Library Catalog and then click on the OhioLINK button at the top of the results screen to search statewide.

 

·          To Help You Search in the Catalogs:
Guides and video tutorials are available online from the library’s Research Help page or in print by the library Reference Desk on the top floor of Spangler.

 

 

Reference Books—A Selection

 

Reference books provide a good starting point for your research. Reference items are located in the Library’s Reference collection, behind the Reference Desk on the top floor of Spangler. 

 

Bibliographies

·         Information Sources in Science and Technology. R 016.5 H967i, 1998
(Also available online, through NetLibrary – see ebooks, below) 

 

Biographies

·         The Nobel Peace Prize and the Laureates: an Illustrated Biographical History, 1901-2001. R 327.172 A835n, 2001 

·         Scientists at Work: Profiles of Today’s Groundbreaking Scientists from Science Times. R 509.22 S279s, 2000 

 

Current Controversies Series

·         The Environment: Opposing Viewpoints. RCT 333.7 E891o

 

Dictionaries

·         Facts on File Dictionary of Ecology and the Environment. R 577.03 F1198f

·         Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary. R 580.14 H2422p, 2001

 

Encyclopedias and Guides

·         AAAS Atlas of Population & Environment. R 333.7 H2475a, 2000 

·         The Concise Encyclopedia of Ethics of New Technologies. R 174.25 C7445e

·         Encyclopedia of Bioethics. R 174.2 R347, 1995 5 vols.

·         Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. R 363.7 M747e

·         Encyclopedia of Soil Science. R 631.4 E197s, 2006 2 vols. 

·         The Environment A to Z. R 363.7 H79e, 2001

·         Fishes of Ohio. R 597.092 T696f, 1981

·         Fresh Water Invertebrates. R 592.176 V927g, 2002

·         The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. R 503 G1317e   6 vols.

·         Gardner’s Chemical Synonyms and Trade Names. R 660.03 C4202s

·         Handbook of Media for Environmental Microbiology. R 579.028 A659h

·         Homework Helpers: Earth Science. RCI 550 M4689h, 2005

·         How to Identify Plants. R 580.7 H238h, 1985

·         Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees. R 582.1603 M8131i, 2005

·         Information Sources in Science and Technology. R 016.5 H967i, 1998

·         McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. R 503 M147, 2002 10 vols.

·         Native Trees of the Midwest. R 582.16097 W4187n, 2005

·         Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. R 628.161 A3574s, 2005

·         Trees of Ohio: Field Guide. R 582.16 T2355o, 2004

·         Van Nostrand’s Scientific Encyclopedia. R 503 V338n, 2002 2 vols.

·         The Wiley Encyclopedia of Environmental Pollution and Cleanup. R 628.d W6482e, 2 vols.

 

 

Accessing Online Information

 

 

·          Use an online research database to find articles in scholarly journals, general magazines, and newspapers.

·          To access the databases below, from the Library’s Articles in Databases page, select the Earth Sciences category, or choose from the A-Z index near the top of the page.

·          To Help You Search in the Databases:
Guides and video tutorials are available online from the library’s Research Help page or in print
by the library Reference Desk on the
top floor of Spangler. If you need additional assistance,
ask a librarian.

 

 

A.  Online Reference Resources

 

To access the databases below: Unless otherwise specified, click on Articles in Databases from the ODU Library homepage. Then choose from the A-Z index near the top of the web page (example: click on A for Academic Search Premier) and select the database.

AccessScience

Full text. Provides encyclopedia articles, dictionary terms, and biographies.

To access: From the library homepage, click on Articles in Databases, and select “A” in the alphabetic list, and then click on Access Science from the list.

 

Britannica.com

Full-text of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Search for an entry on any individual; serves as a good compliment to the Columbia Encyclopedia.

To access: From the library homepage, click on Quick Reference, select Encyclopedias, then select Britannica Online.

 

Columbia Encyclopedia

Full-text of the Columbia Encyclopedia. Search for an entry on any individual; serves as a good compliment to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

To access: From the library homepage, click on Quick Reference, select Encyclopedias, then select Columbia Encyclopedia.

 

Electronic Reference Books

Full-text. Provides text from 429 reference books on diverse topics—including many biographical resources.

Example:     Search in Chapter Title  and type in dylan, bob to find substantial entries on Bob Dylan.

You will find entries in ebooks such as The ABC-CLIO Companion to the 1960s Counterculture in America, Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature, and the Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War.

To access: From the library homepage, click on Books, and select Electronic Reference Books.

 

Oxford Reference Online

Full text. Includes full text from dictionaries of biology, chemistry, physics, scientists, and statistics.

To access: From the library homepage, click on Books, and select Oxford Reference Online.

 

B.  E-Books

 

NetLibrary

Full-text e-book database. Search among 15,000 ebooks from multiple disciplines, including reference books, other nonfiction, and fiction—including biographies.  Search by keyword, title, or author.

Example:     Find books about President Abraham Lincoln by searching for Lincoln.

To access: From the library homepage, click on Books, and then select NetLibrary.

 

C.  Articles or Book Reviews

 

To access the databases below: Click on Articles in Databases from the ODU Library homepage. Choose from the A-Z index near the top of the page (example: click on A for Academic Search Premier) and select the database.

Academic Search Complete

Contains peer-reviewed journal coverage from more than 3,400 scholarly publications in many academic areas of study.  Updated daily.

 

AGRICOLA
From the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Library. Includes citations of journal articles, monographs, theses, patents, software, audiovisual materials, and technical reports related to agriculture. Coverage: 1970 to the present.

 

Dissertation Abstracts (ProQuest Dissertations & Theses)

Covers doctoral dissertations and master's theses of authors from North American and European universities. Provides abstracts + 24 pages of excerpts free. Copies of complete documents can be purchased.

 

Electronic Journal Center

Presents over 4300 research journals, covering numerous subject areas, including biology and other life sciences. Some titles of interest in Environmental Science available in the EJC:

      American Journal of Environmental Sciences

      Environmental Science and Policy

      Environmental Science & Technology

      Journal of Environmental Science & Health: Toxic/Hazardous Substances & Environmental Engineering

      Journal of Environmental Science & Health: Pesticides, Food Contaminants, & Agricultural Wastes

      Journal of Environmental Science & Health: Environmental Carcinogenesis & Ecotoxicology Reviews

      Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology

      Turkish Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences

 

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center

Covers Masters' theses and doctoral dissertations from graduate students in participating Ohio colleges and universities. Abstracts are provided with the option of downloading complete document free.

 

Environment Complete

Covers research in applicable areas of agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, natural resources, marine & freshwater science, geography, pollution & waste management, environmental technology, environmental law, public policy, social impacts, urban planning, and more. Includes scholarly journals, trade publications, and conference papers of the North American Association of Environmental Education.
Coverage: 1950s to the present.

 

Garden, Landscape & Horticulture Index
Focuses on environmentally sustainable horticultural and design practices. Coverage includes articles from popular and professional magazines, scholarly journals, books, reviews, and other materials.

 

GeoRef

The database indexes geoscience journal articles, books, maps, conference papers, reports, and theses. GeoRef covers the geology of North America from 1785 to the present and the geology of the rest of the world from 1933 to the present. The database includes references to all publications of the U.S. Geological Survey.

 

Gongwer News Service

Gateway to information from the federal and state governments, including past, current, and pending legislation; legislative committees; elections; court cases; speeches; news; and other legal resources.

 

History of Science, Technology, and Medicine

Citations only.  Article focus includes figures in the history of science, technology, and medicine, and their influence on culture. Search Tip:  Click on SUBJECT WORD and type in the person’s last name. Then browse through the names and entries listed and select your individual.

 

Legal Collection
Provides access to articles in scholarly law journals centered on the discipline of law and legal topics such as criminal justice, international law, federal law, organized crime, medical, labor & human resource law, ethics, the environment, and more.

 

Science Citation Index Expanded (ISI Web of Science)

Citations only. Indexes articles in peer-reviewed journals—complete bibliographic data, searchable author abstracts, and cited references. Coverage: 1980 to the present. Note: Not intended as a substitute for a comprehensive subject database such as Medline, which comprehensively indexes journal articles, books, conference proceedings, and other documents.

 

 


Finding Web Sites

 

 

A portal to Internet search engines and directories is available on the ODU Library’s Internet Search page.

 

In addition, listed below are web sites that may be of particular use to you in your information search.

 

Minimum recommended criteria for evaluating websites:    

·          Accuracy of the information

·          Authority of the person or group responsible for the information

·          When the information was created and last updated

For more information, view Evaluating Internet Sources & Search Tools on the Internet Search page.

 

 

Web Sites—A Selection

 

Organizations

·          CIRCSnet: http://www.cirs.net/indexenglish.htm

·          Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research http://bti.cornell.edu/

·          The Center for International Earth Science Information Network http://www.ciesin.org/

·          Environmental Careers Organization  http://www.eco.org/site/c.dnJLKPNnFkG/b.795025/k.AA86/The_Environmental_Careers_Organization.htm

·          Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov

·          Biology Associations, links from DMOZ http://dmoz.org/Science/Biology/Associations

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