Librarians at Schaffner Library on the Chicago campus have compiled the following list of Biology resources that can be obtained from the Schaffner Library print collection or accessed remotely through one of the computers at Schaffner Library (or from your home with a Northwestern netid). These resources are designed to answer basic questions in Biology as well as serve as a jumping off point for further research. The journals listed here contain some of the most current research in the field.
Materials from the Main Library in Evanston can also be obtained for your use. You can either come to Schaffner and fill out a Book Request Form or an Article Request Form, or you can use the online forms from Schaffner’s Web site at http://www.library.northwestern.edu/schaffner/book.html (for book requests) and http://www.library.northwestern.edu/schaffner/article.html (for article requests).
GENERAL DATABASES
 Academic Search Premier
This multidisciplinary database provides citations and abstracts from nearly 2,900 scholarly journals, as well as full text access to over 1,200 journals. Users can search in a number of ways including, author, title, subject, geographic terms, company entity, journal name, and ISBN. The advanced search feature lets you narrow your search down to type of publication, document type, or by date. Another special feature of this database is its ability to search for images.
Applied Science & Technology Index
Applied Science & Technology is a bibliographic database that indexes and abstracts articles in English-language periodicals published in the United States and elsewhere. The database covers trade and industrial publications, journals issued by professional and technical societies, and specialized subject periodicals, as well as conference proceedings.
Expanded Academic ASAP
Covering current affairs, humanities, the social sciences, and the sciences, this database has citations, abstracts, and some full text from over 1,000 periodicals, including some popular magazines such as People, Time, and Newsweek. Searching can be done by subject and subject subdivisions, as well as by keyword and journal title.
General Science Abstracts
This database contains abstracts to articles in more than 140 English-language periodicals on the subjects of general sciences, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, environmental science, and physics. Also included are symposia, conferences, and some letters to the editor. The database can be search by keyword, author, or title.
Web of Science
Despite its name, Web of Science is a database of citations to arts & humanities, social sciences, and sciences articles. Users can search by topic, author, journal title, or cited reference. The database also provides access to the Social Sciences Citation Index, the Arts & Humanities Citation Index, and the Sciences Citation Index. These indexes allow users to search for references within articles.
Wilson Select Full Text Plus
This database has citations, abstracts, and full text articles from a number of scholarly and non-scholarly periodicals in the humanities, social sciences, general sciences, and business. Users can search by keyword, subject, author, and title. They can also limit searches to articles, reviews, and literature. Wilson Select Full Text Plus also provides access to non-English language publications. Finally, users can limit their search to items that are provided full text or items that are held in the Northwestern University Library collection.
BIOLOGY DATABASES
BIOSIS Previews
This database indexes more than 10,000 biological and medical science journals from 1969 to the present. In the database, users can limit searches to types of living things, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms. Users can also limit searches to English language materials.
Journals @ Ovid Full Text
This aggregator provides bibliographic information as well as some full text of journals in the medical, scientific, and technology fields. Users can also link directly from an article’s references to other full text articles. Searching can be done either by keyword, author, title, or journal name. Results can be limited to full text articles, by date, or by type of article.
Medline
International in scope, Medline covers materials in the biological, physical, psychological, and social sciences. The database contains citations to over 4,000 journals. In addition to searching by keyword and author, users can also search by grant number, gene symbol, and molecular sequence.
BOOKS
The following are a selection of general print resources available at Schaffner Library. However, Schaffner can obtain books from the Main Library in Evanston. Patrons need to fill out the “Book Request Form” available in the Schaffner Library or on the Schaffner Library Web site.
The Basics of Biology
Call Number: 570 S877b
Circulating Collection
This introduction to biology presents readers with a history of biology, basic theories and concepts, as well as demonstrating modern tools and techniques biologists use.
The Creation/Evolution Controversy: An Annotated Bibliography
Call Number: 016.5768 H427c
Reference Collection
The title includes more than 400 descriptions of works about the creation/evolution controversy. This book includes some titles going back to 1650.
Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory
Call Number: 576.8 L334e
Circulating Collection
Edward J. Larson presents a history of evolutionary science. Larson begins his discussion with natural historian Georges Cuvier to scientists Watson and Crick.
This Is Biology: The Science of the Living World
Call Number: 574 M474t
Circulating Collection
A culmination of biologist Ernst Mayr’s reflections and research on biology, this title discusses how biology explains the natural world in ways that the physical sciences are unable to do. The title also includes a bibliography and glossary of terms.
Concise Encyclopedia Biology
Call Number: 574.03 A134X
Reference Collection
This encyclopedia of over 7,000 entries covers the major areas of biology, including botany, genetics, and zoology.
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
Call Number: 575.8 D22 2003
Circulating Collection
This title introduces Charles Darwin’s theories on natural selection. This edition also includes selections from Darwin’s autobiography, Voyages of the Beagle, and the Descent of Man.
Symbiosis in Cell Evolution: Microbial Communities in the Archean and Proterozoic Eons
Call Number: 577 M331s 1993
Circulating Collection
The author introduces evidence that symbiogensis is a major source of evolutionary innovation leading to the origins of new species.
Van Nostrand’s Scientific Encyclopedia
Call Number: L 503 V269 2002
Reference Collection
This general scientific encyclopedia covers all areas of science and has been updated with recent developments from its 1994 edition. New articles have been added as well as older material being revised.
EBOOKS
The New Penguin Dictionary of Science
Covering a wide range of scientific topics including chemistry, physics, and molecular biology, this reference work provides clear concise definitions of scientific terms. This works includes tables and illustrations as well as internal links to other entries.
SERIALS
The following serials are merely a selection of journals available online. The Main Library has print copies of numerous other biological journals. Copies of articles can be obtained using the “Article Request Form” in the Schaffner Library or available on the Schaffner Web site.
BMC Biology
BMC Biology is a general biology periodical with a biomedical focus. This peer reviewed journal publishes articles online as soon as they are accepted for publication.
PloS Biology
Covering all areas of the biological sciences, PloS Biology in an online journal that includes research articles, summaries of research, opinion essays, and books reviews. Users can conduct a keyword search for previously published articles.
Journal of Biology
This new journal publishes articles from all areas of biology including genetics and anatomy. The journal also commissions commentaries to go along with every research article.
For questions about this page, please contact Qiana Johnson, Reference and Instruction Librarian, q-johnson@northwestern.edu, 312/503-6617.
Last updated 08/29/07 |
