Introduction | Reference Sources | Indexes & Databases | Internet Resources | Citation Styles

For further research assistance, please contact:

Sheila Johnson (sheilaj@usm.maine.edu; 780-4690) Biological Sciences Liaison Librarian, Glickman Library, USM.

Chat, e-mail and appointment research assistance is also available through our Ask a Librarian service.

The purpose of this guide is to describe some of the biological sciences resources available at the USM libraries. While selective in content, it will provide you with an overview of those materials that we have found to be the most useful for researching biology topics.

Library Card

Your student ID also functions as your library card. Be sure to bring it to any USM library to have it activated for using library resources and services on and off campus.

Locating Books

Books, journal titles, videos, state/federal documents and other publications held in the University of Maine System libraries are available in the URSUS, online catalog. For specific information on searching the catalog and requesting titles from other campus libraries, consult the URSUS tutorial.

USM uses the Library of Congress (LC) classification scheme, bringing similar books together on the shelves. Books on Biology are classified in QH (Natural History); QK (Botany); QL (Zoology); QM (Human Anatomy); QP (Physiology); and QR (Microbiology).

If you are unable to locate the information you need in URSUS, try Maine InfoNet to check the holdings of other Maine libraries, or WorldCat for titles located at hundreds of national and international libraries.

URSUS can be searched for periodical titles but not articles. See the Indexes and Databases section of this guide for specific resources to use for finding articles.

Interlibrary Loan

If you are unable to locate a title in URSUS or Maine InfoNet, you can request it through our Interlibrary Loan (Illiad) service.

Need to find information and don’t know where to begin? Reference sources provide useful background information, give quick, factual information, and will assist you to develop a vocabulary of possible terms for searching URSUS and the periodical databases.

General / Anatomy and Physiology / Bioethics / Biography / Biotechnology / Botany / Entomology /
Evolution / Genetics / Marine / Microbiology / Molecular / Ornithology / Taxonomy / Zoology

General

Access Science

Cambridge Dictionary of Human Biology and Evolution
POR Reference QP34.5 .M24

Concise Encyclopedia Biology
LEW Reference QH302.5 .A2313

Dictionary of Biology

Dictionary of Developmental Biology and Embryology
POR Reference QH491 .D94

Encyclopedia of Biodiversity
POR Reference QH541.I5.B56 E53

Encyclopedia of Endangered Species
GOR Reference QH75 .E49

Encyclopedia of Environmental Biology
LEW Reference QH540.4 .E52  

Encyclopedia of Human Biology
POR and LEW Reference QP11 .E53

Henderson's Dictionary of Biological Terms
POR Reference QH302.5 .H65

UCMP Glossary
A glossary of biological terms, browsable by topic (Phylogenetics, Geology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Ecology, Life History, Zoology, Botany). From the Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley.

Anatomy & Physiology

Ciba Collection of Medical Illustrations : v. 1. Nervous system. pt. 1. Anatomy and physiology ; pt. 2. Neurologic and neuromuscular disorders
LEW Reference QM25 .N47

Gray’s Anatomy
Anatomy of the Human Body (Gray's Anatomy)
POR Reference QM23.2 .G73

Johns Hopkins Atlas of Human Functional Anatomy
POR Reference QM23.2 .J63

Human Body : an Illustrated Guide to its Structure, Function, and Disorders
LEW Reference QP38 .H7933

Bioethics

Encyclopedia of Bioethics
POR and LEW Reference QH332.E52

Biography

American Men and Women of Science: the Physical and Biological Sciences
POR Reference Q141 .A4715

Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science
POR Reference Q141 .B5285

Chronology of Science : from Stonehenge to the Human Genome Project
GOR Reference Q125 .C482

Encyclopedia of World Scientists
POR Reference Q141 .O25

Biotechnology

Biotech Life Science Dictionary
Ohio University’s online dictionary of over 8300 definitions in biochemistry, biotechnology, botany, cell biology, and genetics.

Encyclopedia of Ethical, Legal, and Policy Issues in Biotechnology
POR Reference TP248.16 .E539

Facts on File Dictionary of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
POR Reference TP248.16 .S84

Molecular Biology and Biotechnology : a Comprehensive Desk Reference
LEW Reference QH506 .M66I55

Botany

Cambridge Illustrated Glossary of Botanical Terms
POR Reference   QK10 .H53

Elsevier's Dictionary of Plant names of North America, Including Mexico
LEW reference QK13 .W49

Encyclopedic Dictionary of Plant Breeding and Related Subjects
LEW Reference SB123 .S32     

Flowering Plants of the World
GOR Reference QK495.A1 F58

Plant Identification Terminology : an Illustrated Glossary
POR Reference QK9 .H37

Entomology

Encyclopedia of Insects
POR Reference QL462.3 .E52

Evolution

Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution
POR Reference GN281 .C345

Dictionary of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics
POR Reference QH540.4 .L56

Encyclopedia of Evolution
POR and LEW Reference QH360.2 .E54

Facts on File Dictionary of Evolutionary Biology
POR Reference QH360.2 .F27

Genetics

Encyclopedia of Genetics
POR Reference QH427 .E54

Marine Biology

Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences
GOR Reference GC9 .E57

Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore : Invertebrates and Seaweeds of the Atlantic Coast from the Bay of Fundy to Cape Hatteras
POR Reference QH95.7 .G67

Practical Handbook of Marine Science
POR Reference GC11.2 .K46

Microbiology

Dictionary of Microbiology and Molecular Biology
POR Reference QR9 .S56

Encyclopedia of Microbiology
POR Reference QR9 .E53

Manual of Clinical Microbiology
POR Reference QR46 .M425

Molecular Biology

Biochemical Pathways : an Atlas of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
POR Stacks, LEW Reference QP171 .B685

Concise Encyclopedia Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
POR Reference QD415 .A25 B713

Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
LEW Reference QH575 .L24  

Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology
POR Reference QH506 .E53

Ornithology

Audubon's Birds of America
LEW Reference QL681 .A97 

Birder's Handbook : a Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds
POR Reference, LEW Stacks QL681 .E37

Cambridge Encyclopedia of Ornithology
POR Reference QL672.2 .C35

Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World
POR Reference QL678 .S54

Handbook of Bird Biology
POR Reference QL673 .H263

Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds
POR Reference QL673 .M34

Taxonomy

Five Kingdoms : an Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth
POR and LEW stacks QH83 .M36

Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms
POR Reference QH83 .S89  

Zoology

Animal Behavior Desk Reference : a Dictionary of Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution
POR Reference QL750.3 .B37

Atlas of Essential Wildlife Habitats for Maine's Endangered and Threatened Species
POR and GOR Reference QL84.22.M2 A8 

Dictionary of Zoology
Dictionary of Zoology
POR Reference QL9 .C66

Encyclopedia of Animals : a Complete Visual Guide
POR Reference QL7 .E54

Encyclopedia of Mammals

Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia
POR Reference QL7 .G781

In the field of biology periodical articles are excellent sources of recent information, and can also offer the latest published scientific research on a topic. When searching the databases for articles, keep in mind that you may locate information in popular, or scholarly periodicals. Look at Finding Articles at USM for information about these distinctions, and for detailed instructions on how to search for articles. Consult these databases to find recent information on topics in the life sciences.

Biology / Aquatic / Biomedical / General Science / Multidisciplinary / Specialized

Biology

BIOSIS Previews (1990+)
A comprehensive database indexing the literature of the biological and biomedical sciences. Subjects covered include agriculture, biochemistry, bioengineering, botany, ecology, genetics, microbiology, pharmacology, and zoology. Covers nearly 6,000 journals and 1,500 international meetings, as well as review articles, books, book chapters, and monographs in the life sciences. Updated weekly.

BioDigest (1989+)
Indexes over 180 journals covering botany, zoology, life sciences and environmental sciences. Intended primarily for non-science majors. Available only on campus.

EBSCO Animals
EBSCO's Encyclopedia of Animals offers in-depth, full text articles on the nature and habitat of animals. Some articles include image links.

Aquatic

Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries ( 1971+)
Indexes journal articles, conference papers, books, monographs, theses, technical reports, and non-conventional literature covering all aspects of marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. International in scope. Updated quarterly.

National Sea Grant Library Database (1965+) 
A searchable database of over 30,000 publications resulting from Sea Grant funded research. Indexes a wide variety of subjects, including oceanography, marine education, aquaculture, fisheries, limnology, coastal zone management, marine recreation and law.

Oceanic Abstracts ( 1981)
Index to journal articles, conference papers, books, and reports covering the marine and brackish-water environment. Subject areas covered include: marine biology and biological oceanography, physical and chemical oceanography, meteorology, geology, geophysics, geochemistry, marine pollution, conservation, environmental protection, fisheries, and aquaculture. Updated monthly.

Biomedical

BioMed Central (coverage varies)
BioMed Central is an independent publishing house committed to providing immediate free access to peer-reviewed biomedical research. Original research articles from over 100 BMC journals are freely available, but content from some BMC journals require a subscription.

Biomedical Reference Collection: Basic  (coverage varies)
Designed for doctors, research scientist, students, clinical specialists and managers, this database provides full text for over 100 journals in a variety of areas pertaining to biomedical study.

MEDLINE (1966+)
The National Library of Medicine’s international biomedical journal database. Covers over 4,800 English and foreign language periodicals.

PubMed (1950+)
Covers all of MEDLINE and OLD MEDLINE (articles published from 1950-1965 that predate MEDLINE). Also indexes out-of scope articles (such as general science and biology) not included in MEDLINE, and some additional life science journals. Includes links to many free full-text articles. Updated weekly.

PubMed Central (1970+)
A full text digital archive of life sciences journal literature. Developed and managed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

TOXNET (1992+)
Cluster of databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, and related areas. Includes TOXLINE, Hazardous Substances Data Bank, ChemIDplus chemical information database, and other resources.

General Science

Science Citation Index, Expanded (2000+)
Comprehensive multidisciplinary database covering approximately 5,800 of the world's leading scientific and technical journals. Provides a variety of retrieval options including general topic searching, cited author searches, cited work searches, and an option to retrieve related resources.

Wiley Interscience
Provides limited full-text access to this publisher’s online journals in the sciences including biology.

Multidisciplinary

Directory of Open Access Journals
Provides full-text articles from over 1145 free peer-reviewed journals covering a wide range of scholarly and scientific subjects. Over 310 journals can be searched by article title. Most articles are in English. Records for articles in foreign languages have English abstracts. Hosted by Lund University, Sweden.

IngentaConnect (1998+)
A large multidisciplinary databases covering over 28,000 journals. Includes a core of biology and other life sciences periodicals. Updated daily.

Papers First (1993+)
An extensive index to individual papers presented at worldwide conferences, congresses, symposia, workshops, and meetings received at the British Library. Updated monthly. Available only on campus.

Proceedings (1993+)
Provides tables of contents of papers presented at conferences worldwide, and received at the British Library. Updated monthly. Available only on campus.

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (1861+)
Represents the work of authors from over 1,000 North American graduate schools and European universities. Includes abstracts written by the author for those dissertations published after 1979. More limited coverage of master's theses from 1962 on (UM theses are not included). Includes full text of dissertations written at the University of Maine after 1996, but only the first 27 pages of text for those from all other schools.

Specialized

Agricola (1970+)
Index to materials acquired by the National Agricultural Library and co-operating institutions. Includes journal articles, monographs, series, and information in many non-print formats covering a broad range of agricultural topics. Excellent for botany. 1970-1985 international in scope. 1985+ focuses on U.S. related publications. Updated monthly.

FSTA: Food Science and Technology Abstracts (1969+)
Index to over 1400 journals as well as standards, conference proceedings, theses, patents, and books in subject areas including food chemistry and microbiology, food product development, food safety, and nutrition. Updated weekly.

Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide  (1935+)
Indexes literature on mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians found in journals, conference proceedings, monographs, theses and dissertations, and government reports. Includes Wildlife Review Abstracts (1935 - present), Swiss Wildlife Information Service (1974 - present), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife Database (1960 - present), and several smaller databases. Updated quarterly.

Note - For more information on environmental resources consult these other USM subject guides:
Environmental Science & Policy
Pollution Research Guide

When selecting Internet resources it is important to evaluate the quality of the websites that you use. Consult Thinking Critically about Discipline-Based World Wide Web Resources (UCLA College Library) for evaluation criteria. The following is a selected list of websites:

General Biology / Aquatic / Biochemistry / Bioethics / Botany / Ecology / Entomology /
Environment / Microbiology / Molecular / Ornithology / Zoology / Image Files

General Biology

All Species Toolkit Search Engine
Index to animal & plant species, common names, and synonyms from twelve different databases. Maintained by the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

Biodiversity and Biological Collections
An extensive site for hundreds of links on a variety of topics dealing with biodiversity and biology.

Biology Links (Harvard University)
A wide array of links to biochemistry, biology, cellular and molecular biology sites.

The Biology Project
An interactive online resource for learning biology developed for students by the University of Arizona. Offers information and online tutorials on a range of topics such as: cell biology, human and developmental biology, immunology, Mendelian genetics, and molecular biology.  Some sections include activities and Web resources.

InfoMine: Biological, Agricultural, and Medical Sciences
A directory of academic sites that are evaluated and chosen by librarians for their relevance to faculty, students and researchers at the university level. Includes databases, electronic journals, electronic books, bulletin boards, mailing lists, online library card catalogs, articles, directories of researchers, and many other types of information. Hosted by the University of California.

Open Directory - Science: Biology
A large, comprehensive, human-edited collection of biology internet sites maintained by an extensive community of volunteer editors.

PLoS Biology
An open-access journal published by the nonprofit organization Public Library of Science. Features works of significance in all areas of biological science, from molecules to ecosystems, including works related to other disciplines, such as chemistry, medicine, and mathematics.

Science.gov
Science.gov is a gateway to more than 50 million pages of government science information. It allows students and researchers to search an index of 1850+ agency-selected sites.

Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is a collaborative web project, produced by biologists from around the world. Provides information about the diversity of organisms on Earth, their history, and characteristics.

Virtual Library: Biosciences
An excellent starting point to access areas of interest within biology, including: animal and plant science and medicine.

Aquatic

FishBase
Supported by a consortium of seven research institutions, and featuring a database of over 28,000 fish species.

Fishes of the Gulf of Maine
A handbook for the identification of the fishes that occur in the Gulf of Maine, with summaries of the distribution, relative abundance, and more significant facts in the life history of each. Published by the U.S. Dept of the Interior.

Biochemistry

Biochemistry and Cell Biology
The Virtual Library guide to major online resources in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology and related fields. Indexed by subject with annotated links.

Bioethics

Bioethics Resources on the Web
A National Institutes of Health annotated list of sites related to bioethics issues. Includes stem cell research, genetic testing, access to health care, and use of animals in research.

Botany

Botany
The Virtual Library guide to resources in plant biology with information categorized by provider and subject.

Invasive Species Profiles
A selective list of terrestrial, aquatic plants, animals and microbial invasive species. Developed by the National Agricultural Library.

Maine's Virtual Herbarium
Hosted by the Maine Center for Invasive Aquatic Plants. Features a collection of photos, line drawings and scanned images for each of the eleven invasive aquatic plants on Maine’s “watch list”.

National Plants Database
A service of the US Department of Agriculture, and includes names, plant symbols, checklists, distributional data, species abstracts, characteristics, images, plant links, references, crop information, and automated tools. Includes a searchable State index.

Ecology

Ecology and Biodiversity
The Virtual Library of Ecology and Biodiversity division of The Virtual Library Project. Specializes in reviewing internet information sources pertaining to ecology and biodiversity based on their educational value.

Entomology

MCZ Entomology Primary Type Specimen Database
Contains records for primary types of entomology specimens at the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ), one of the largest in North America. More than 28,000 species, the database includes high resolution images of the type specimens.

Environment

National Environmental Data Index (NEDI)
Provides full-text search of environmental information compiled by agencies of the federal government.

Microbiology

Microbiology and Virology
Extensive list of sites available from Emory University’s MedWeb catalog of biomedical and health related web sites.

Molecular

MIT Biology Hypertextbook
Contains the basic molecular biology that is the basis of MIT's core Biology course, "Introductory Biology". Includes chapters on many aspects of biology, including cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, and cellular energetics.

Ornithology

Audubon's Birds of America
An online version of John James Audubon's Birds of America. It is from an 1840 "First Octavo Edition" of Audubon's complete seven volume text, and presents Audubon's images and original text descriptions.

Avibase
Includes over 1.6 million records of information on 10,000 species of birds from around the world. Hosted by Bird Studies Canada, the Canadian copartner of Bird Life International.

Birds of North America
From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. A comprehensive resource for the 716 species of birds nesting in the USA and Canada. Included are bird songs and calls, maps of breeding and wintering ranges, routes of migration, video to illustrate key behaviors and an image gallery focusing on plumage, habitat, eggs, nests and behaviors.

Checklist for Maine - Birds
Created by Thayer Birding Software - Birder's Diary. The checklist is based on the names and taxonomic order used in the American Ornithologists' Union 7th edition Checklist (44th supplement)

Zoology

Amphibia Web
A searchable site of species accounts, distribution maps, literature references, sound files and photographs of a wide variety of different amphibian species. Hosted by the University of California, Berkeley.

Animal Diversity Web (ADW)
An online database of animal natural history providing thousands of species accounts about individual animal species. Includes hundreds of hyperlinked pages and images that illustrate the traits and general biology of these groups. Provided by Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan.

PrimateLit
Hosted by the University of Wisconsin Primate Library. Indexes articles, books, technical reports, dissertations, and book chapters from 1940 to the present.

Image Files

BIODIDAC - A Bank of Digital Resources for Teaching Biology
A University of Ottawa site containing over 6000 images (diagrams and photos) designed for biology teachers. Can search by grouping: histology, zoology, or botany; by keyword; or by taxonomy.

BIOSIS Resource Guide - Images and Sound
List of links to images and sounds of the world's plants, animals, and insects.

Environmental Image Collection
From the Donald R. Dickey Collections at UCLA, digitized photographs of birds, mammals and geographic environment.

Nanoworld Image Gallery
Searchable/browsable database of electron microscope images of various subjects from the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis at the University of Queensland.

Note – USM’s Biological Sciences Department website contains excellent Links to databanks, model animals and software.

Accurate, properly formatted footnotes and bibliographies are indicators of good academic research, and the ethical/legal use of information. These guides are available to assist you:

A Short Guide to Writing about Biology
POR Reference QH304 .P43

A link to formatting the records that you locate in databases is available on EndNote , a personal bibliographic management program. If you are a first times user, consult Endnote Help for further information.

SAJ 01/08/08