408 Paterno Library, University Park
PA 16802-1811
814-865-7056 • IM: lifescilib
814-865-7056 • IM: lifescilib
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408 Paterno Library, University Park
PA 16802-1811
814-865-7056 • IM: lifescilib | ||
Subject Research guide Find Articles | Find Books | Reference | Evaluating | Citing | Internet |
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| Contact Janet
Hughes Top Resources Books: The
CAT Related Guides |
Article Search Tips: Finding the best articles on your topic requires a number of steps:
Databases To Use: Biological information can be found in many databases listed on the E-Resource List (A-Z). The specialized databases have citations to research level articles, and some have links to pre-screened web sites.
 button to see
if Penn State has the electronic or print version of the article you need.
If the electronic version is available, it will appear as the first link
on the Get it! menu. If the article is not available electronically, click
on The
CAT link to automatically search our catalog and see if Penn
State has a print copy. If no other copy is available, you can use the
ILLiad link to request it from another library.
Or go to The CAT to search the journal title in the Begins With (Browse) mode of the CAT. It will default to a TITLE search, or you can use the drop down on the right to search on Journal Titles. To find other biological journals in The CAT, do a Begins With (Browse) search for Biology Periodicals with LC Subj Headings as the search type. You can also use LC Subject Headings such as Ecology Periodicals, or Environmental Sciences Periodicals, to find more journals in specific topics. Already have a citation? Use Citation Linker to see if Penn State has it online or in print! Use The CAT for finding books owned by Penn State. CAT Search Tips: The CAT is the list of what is owned by Penn State Libraries. Use the Begins With (Browse) function if you are looking for a specific title or author (type last name first). Use the default Keyword function to search on a topic then use the subject headings from relevant books for additional search terms. Use the Advanced Search to combine terms and do more precise searching and limits. Write down the call number and location for any book you want. For more detailed searching information go to the Quick Guide to the CAT. Suggested CAT Search Terms: Search for general terms like environment, ecology, natural history, or more specific terms like biological diversity, bioremediation, ecotoxicology, environmental monitoring, sustainable development Call Numbers: At University Park, most materials in the life sciences are located on the 4th floor of Paterno Library. Some biotechnology material is located on the 3rd floor of Paterno. Resources will also be found in the Engineering Library (ENG - 325 Hammond Building), in the Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (EMS - 105 Deike Building) and in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (PAMS - 201 Davey Lab). General call numbers and subject areas are:
Books Elsewhere: WorldCat Libraries Borrowing Policies: Once you have the books, check them out at the nearest lending desk or self check-out station. Loan periods are usually four weeks but books can be recalled for another user, so respond promptly to library notices. For more information see the University Libraries Lending Code. Access
Science - Online version of McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Evaluating Resources for Content To evaluate print sources and web sites, you should ask a series of questions concerning the source’s currency, authority, validity, intended audience and bias. See this How to Evaluate Information site for details. When using information from another source you must give credit to the original author or you are plagiarizing. You give credit by citing the source. Make sure your citation contains everything you would need to backtrack and find the information again. It is best to pick one citation style and be consistent. In the Biological Sciences, many prefer the Council of Science Editors style. Plagiarism, whether you copy a paragraph from a book or cut and paste someone else's words from an e-mail, is a violation of Penn State's academic integrity policy. See this Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty. Certain articles databases, such as Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management, include pre-vetted web sites, usually from government sources or reputable organizations. You can also look for information on the Internet by using an Internet Search Engine. Usually the search engines are most appropriate when you have a narrow, specific information need. Certain specialized search engines are more appropriate to Biology than general search engines such as Google. These include: Scirus
- Search engine designed to find scientific information |