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Biology

This guide will help you get started with your biology research.

Scholarly Sources and Search Tips

Use this portion of the guide to find journal articles, which are often referred to as "scholarly", "scientific", "research", or "empirical" articles. If you have any questions about how to find them, where to search, feel free to contact Talitha Matlin, STEM Librarian

Most Useful

Also Useful

 

Tips Examples
Use keywords, not long search phrases

Instead of searching for "How does climate change affect the migration patterns of seabirds?" break down your search into the main keywords:

climate change, global warming, migration, seabirds, black-footed albatross, phoebastria nigripes

**If you're doing research on a specific organism, it can be helpful to search for both the common and scientific nameI**

Use quotation marks (" ") to keep phrases together

Use AND to combine different keywords

"climate change" AND "migratory patterns"
Use OR to combine similar/associated keywords "black-footed albatross" OR "phoebastria nigripes"
Look for ways to limit your search in the database You can often limit by type of article (scholarly, peer-reviewed, literature review, clinical trial, etc.), year of publicationsubject 

 

General

Biochemistry and Biophysics

Molecular and Cellular Biology

Genetics, Biotechnology, and Development Biology

Microbiology and Immunology

Ecology, Evolution, and Animal Behavior

Plant Biology

Anatomy and Physiology

Entomology

Zoology