The purpose of a Research Guide is to help get you started on your research projects. On this page, you will find our librarian's recommendations for best resources for your subject. This includes relevant resources, such as subject specific databases, citation format guidance, search tips, and contact information of the subject librarian.
Require further assistance? Reach out to your subject librarian! We are always happy to help.
Subject Areas:
Our library uses the Library of Congress Classification system.
To get started searching our physical collection, we recommend starting here:
Q Science
QH Natural history. Biology
QK Botany
QL Zoology
OR Microbiology
If you are still unsure of where to look, please visit the info desk to ask for library student assistance.
Library Services now uses OpenAthens as a proxy server! Follow these steps:
The purpose of a Research Guide is to help get you started on your research projects. On this page, you will find our librarian's recommendations for best resources for your subject. This includes relevant resources, such as subject specific databases, citation format guidance, search tips, and contact information of the subject librarian.
Require further assistance? Reach out to your subject librarian! We are always happy to help.
Best Bets: Databases
A database produced by the National Agricultural Library (NAL), consists of two subsets of records. The first contains citations for journal articles that include abstracts. The second consists of bibliographic records describing monographs, serials, audiovisual materials and online content from around the world. AGRICOLA includes but is not limited to resources available in the library. The database contains 5,200,000+ records and includes printed works from as far back as the 15th century.
BioOne Complete is a database of more than 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences.
Alternate Name(s) Oxford University Press
16000+ scholarly books in 20 subjects with an estimated 1000 additional titles per year
Citation Format: APA
So, how do you organize all of that information to ensure you're giving credit to the author(s)?
For online resources, we recommend Purdue Owl at: https://owl.purdue.edu/ to get started.
Remember - this to get started, you do not want to copy and paste! It is a tool to help you build the bones of your citation - always edit before turning your work in!
For a book or eBook, we recommend:
To get access, please search our library catalog and request through InterLibrary Loan (ILL services) - do not procrastinate using this service - it will take time to arrive.
Search Tips
Getting Started:
When searching in any search engine, (databases, library catalog, google scholar, etc.) it is best to use keywords rather than typing the full question or topic. For example, if your question is:
"How do microplastics impact the environment?"
Remover the filler words such as "how", "do", "impact", "the". Break the question down into categories like this:
| Who? | What specific microplastics; primary and/or secondary? |
| What? | Plant environments, marine environments? |
| Where? | In a specific country, a specific state? |
Next, brainstorm synonyms OR related key words. You may type words such as these in the search bar:
| microplastics, environment, marine-life, US, United States, microplastic, synthetic polymer, marine debris, plankton, particles, pollution |
Advanced Search Tips:
Using Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT)
Boolean operators are used to either refine or expand your search. They are placed in between your keywords to yield more specific search results.
| Too Few Results |
| Use: AND |
| For example: microplastics AND marine |
| Too Many Results |
| Use OR, NOT |
| For example: microplastics AND marine OR sea. microplastics NOT plant NOT animal |
Visual Brainstorming:
If you prefer to draw when brainstorming, you may want to draw a concept map. You can do this on paper, a white board, or a smart board. For online resources focused on concept mapping, we recommend Canva.
Have you ever wondered if the author of a source is legitimate? Or have you ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of information you collected and start to wonder if all of your sources relate to your research topic? Does the website you found information on seem outdated or sketchy?
Check out this nifty acronym - CRAAP. Oh CRAAP! I can't tell if this source is credible...
The CRAAP Test exists to help you identify credibility and relevance of source. The purpose of the test is to sort through sources and determine whether or not some choices are appropriate for your research.
Juniata College
1700 Moore Street
Huntingdon, PA 16652
Juniata College
1815 Moore Street
Huntingdon, PA 16652
