Guides: Biology: Getting Started

In This Guide

In this Guide, you'll find:

Resources for choosing a topic and developing research questions
Tips for finding sources by browsing the collection
Recommendations for starting your search for books and journal articles
Tips and resources for citing and managing your sources
Contact information for your subject librarian

Online Reference Collections

If you have a general topic in mind, Reference sources will help you narrow your research focus and will uncover keywords and concepts to use in your search.

Below are links to online Reference collections, followed by a select list of individual Reference sources. Titles with Call Numbers are physical copies, found on the Main Floor of Preus Library, in the "Reference Books" area.

Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
A collection of over 3,000 reference works, covering all disciplines.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
An online collection of over 600 full-text reference works, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and more.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
This online source provides access to subject and language reference works from Oxford University Press. In addition to text, access is provided to maps and illustrations, timelines, web sites, and bibliographies.

Reference Resources

A selection of print and online reference sources:

A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia
The A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia includes over 4,000 articles about diseases, tests, symptoms, injuries, and surgeries. It also contains an extensive library of medical photographs and illustrations.
Silvics of North American
Two-volume set – these documents provide information about the biology of tree species growing in forest lands of the United States.