GEOLOGY, OCEANOGRAPHY, AND ASTRONOMY

Databases | Books | Web Resources | Print Journals | Citation Guides | College Resources

FIND AN ARTICLE: SEARCH THE LIBRARY’S DATABASES

These databases are either tailored to your subject or they provide coverage over a wide range of interdisciplinary topics. Before you start, you might take a look at some tips on searching databases.

• Academic Search Premier: An interdisciplinary database that provides full text for nearly 4,500 journals, including more than 3,600 peer-reviewed titles

• Issues and Controversies: Covers current social topics that inspire debate, such as pollution or conservation, and offers information on both sides of the argument

• Points of View: Offers overviews on a variety of current events and sets of opposing viewpoints on controversial subjects

• Agricola: Access to information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Library with records that range from 1970 to the present

• Student Research Center: Access to information organized by subject from several kinds of resources, including magazines, country reports, and encyclopedias

FIND A BOOK: GO STRAIGHT TO THE STACKS

If you can't go the library's stacks, check out our collection of online reference books:

• Credo Reference Online: Access to more than 300 reference books, including general and specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries for overviews on topics

• Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia: Online access to a general encyclopedia covering a wide range of topics

• World Atlas: Provides maps, images, and the ability to compare demographic information from different countries

If you can visit the library, it's easy to browse our collection because we organize books by their subject:

You also might try these reference books:

• Glossary of Geology: Provides concise definitions of the terms and concepts often used in geology and earth science Ref QE 5 .B38 2005

• Oxford Companion to the Earth: Provides more than 800 encyclopedic entries along with illustrations, appendices, and an index Ref QE 5 .O94 2000

• Universal Book of Astronomy: Presents 3,000 cross-referenced entries related to astronomy, along with illustrations and an index Ref QB 14 .D37 2004

• Astronomy Encyclopedia: Offers more than 3,000 entries on astronomy and provides color photographs and star maps Ref QB 14 .P48 2002

• Encyclopedia of Volcanoes: Provides entries divided into nine thematic sections and offers tables, figures, and color plates on volcanoes around the world Ref QE 522 .E53 2000

• McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology: A 20-volume set that offers more than 7,000 entries on scientific and technological developments and concepts Ref Q 121 .M3 2007

• Van Nostrand’s Scientific Encyclopedia: A set of two volumes providing information on scientific terms and concepts Ref Q 121 .V3 2002

• Science Dictionary: Offers concise definitions of terms used in a wide range of sciences Ref Q 123 .A5178 2005

FIND A WEBSITE: USE INTERNET RESOURCES WISELY

Although these websites are likely to be accurate, you should still evaluate information found on the Internet.

• Geology.com: Provides maps, satellite images, a dictionary, and overviews of topics in geology and earth science

• National Geophysical Data Center: Contains government data, divided into subjects, that includes information on space and astronomy, oceans and marine geology, as well as national hazards, global relief, and geomagnetic data sets

• U.S. Geological Survey: Offers government data that can be browsed by a wide variety of topics related to geology and related earth sciences

• Center for International Earth Science Information Network: Categorizes data on environmental science, GIS, and geology by subject and provides information on projects

• National Ocean Service: Provides governmental data on oceans and coastal regions, divided by topic

• National Park Services--Geology Resources Division: Offers overviews on minerals, geological hazards, and other topics, along with information on permits and planning

• Intute: Sciences, Engineering & Technology : Provides articles on geology and earth sciences, arranged by topic, and includes virtual training suites and selected sites for scientific data by topic

• Lunar and Planetary Institute: Provides information on space and scientific research, along with lunar atlases and maps of Mars, and is maintained by the Universities Space Research Association

FIND A PRINT JOURNAL: READ THE LATEST ISSUES

The library subscribes to magazines and journals that are related to your field. Head to Tioga 3 and browse through some of these journals:

• Mother Earth News
• Environmental History
• Science
• BioScience
• Nature
• Conservation in Practice
• Audubon
• Fishery Bulletin
• Oregon Geology
• Geological Society of America Bulletin
• Geology

CITATION GUIDES: CREATE A BIBLIOGRAPHY

Whether you use websites, electronic journals, reference books, or print resources, you will need a bibliography. Here’s some information on how to cite your sources:

• Avoid inadvertent plagiarism: It’s possible to copy from a source and not even know that you’ve done anything wrong.

• KnightCite: This great site formats the bibliographic entry for you, and you can select the appropriate style (MLA, APA, Chicago).

• Guide to the MLA style: The MLA-style is generally used for papers written in the humanities.

• Guide for the APA style: The APA-style is generally used for papers written in the social sciences, especially psychology.

FIND MORE HELP: USE COLLEGE RESOURCES

Don’t hesitate to talk to a librarian, a tutor, or your instructor when conducting research. Make the most of these resources!

• Library Hours
• Writing Center
• Tutoring Lab

Descriptions of databases are paraphrased or taken directly from Ebsco.

This page was created and is maintained by Smita Avasthi.