Subject Guides: Biology: Background Info

Subject Guide

Mike Goates

Contact:

michael_goates@byu.edu
2324 HBLL

(801) 422-6012

Subjects: Geology, Life Sciences

Background Research

AccessScience
AccessScience is an authoritative and dynamic online resource that contains incisively written, high-quality reference material covering all major scientific disciplines. An award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, it offers links to primary research material, videos and exclusive animations, plus specially designed curriculum maps for teachers.
Birds of the World
The Birds of the World is a comprehensive reference collaboration by the American Ornithologists' Union, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the Academy of Natural Science. This reference covers the life histories of 10,824 bird species and including illustrations, audio clips, and videos.
National Science Digital Library
NSDL is the National Science Foundation's online library of resources and collections for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and research.

Online Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (eLS)
eLS features over 4,900 peer-reviewed and citable articles in the life sciences. eLS is updated by approximately 400 articles per year, with new articles publishing on a monthly basis.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
Provides access to over 1.5 million full text articles and books, including encyclopedias and other references in the sciences and other disciplines.
Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia
Information on evolution, habitat, behavior, and geographic distribution for more than 4,000 species of birds, fish, invertebrates, mammals, and reptiles. Includes more than 11,000 images, illustrations, and maps.
OneZoom Tree of Life
OneZoom Tree of Life is committed to heightening awareness about the diversity of life on earth, its evolutionary history and the threats of extinction. OneZoom allows you to explore the tree of life in a completely new way: it's like a map, everything is on one page, all you have to do is zoom in and out. OneZoom also provides free, open source, data visualization tools for science and education, currently focusing on the tree of life.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Evolution
This encyclopedia includes 370 entries by leading experts and researchers in evolutionary biology and related fields.
Scitable (Nature Publishing Group)
Scitable is a free science library created by Nature Publishing Group. Scitable focuses on genetics and cell biology and also offers resources for the budding scientist, with advice about effective science communication and career paths.

Print References

Dictionary of Bioscience
Call Number: QH 302.5 .M382 2003
Compilation of 22,000 terms and definitions in the life sciences representing 26 distinct fields, such as Anatomy, Biophysics, Botany, Ecology, Genetics, Immunology, Systematics, and Zoology.
Encyclopedia of Ecology
Call Number: Science Reference QH 540.4 .E515 2008
The Encyclopedia of Ecology provides includes over 500 entries covering all aspects of applied and theoretical ecology.
Encyclopedia of Evolution
Call Number: Science Reference QH 360.2 .R53 2007
The Encyclopedia of Evolution includes over 200 articles highlighting the various aspects of evolutionary biology, including biographies of significant evolutionary biologists.
Henderson's Dictionary of Biology
Call Number: Science Reference QH 302.5 .H45 2011
Henderson's Dictionary of Biology includes over 22,000 entries in all areas of the biological sciences.
Magill's Encyclopedia of Science: Plant Life
Call Number: Science Reference QK 7 .M34 2003
This four volume set of 379 articles provides in-depth information for the various plant science disciplines.
Oxford Dictionary of Plant Sciences
Call Number: Science Reference QK 9 .C67 2012
The Oxford Dictionary of Plant Sciences includes over 4,000 entries in the fields of botany, plant sciences, environmental science, and horticulture.

Have a Question? Get Help Here

Science & Engineering Help Desk

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Current Events

ScienceDaily
Popular scientific news source that reviews current primary research studies. Includes citations and links to primary research articles.
National Science Foundation - News
View news releases for research sponsored by the National Science Foundation
Scientific American
Look here for recent news stories of interest.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
A collection of sources on current events and social issues.

Protocols & Teaching Aids

Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (CSH)
Up-to-date and easy to follow protocols on research methods in genetics, bioinformatics, computational biology, immunology, and other laboratory biological sciences.
Springer Protocols
Large compilation of reproducible laboratory protocols and handbooks in life and biomedical sciences.
Testing & Education Reference Center (Gale)
Provides practice tests and study materials for graduate school entrance exams. Includes information on building resumes, applying for scholarships, career choices, and over 4,000 accredited colleges and universities.