Books

Books are important sources of basic information on a topic, providing necessary definitions, background information, and statistics. They can provide a foundation for research which can be supplemented by more current information from periodical articles. Books also often contain useful bibliographies which may lead to additional research material. To locate books, use DELCAT, the Library catalog. Examples of subject terms:

adaptation (biology) anatomy biology biology--classification biology--history cell populations evolution

gene expression genetics immunology--genetic aspects immunology--technique natural selection plant genetics reproduction

Besides subject searching, the researcher can perform searches for known author(s), title(s), and specific formats like videos or journals.

Periodicals including Electronic Journals

Use databases to identify articles on specific topics in journals. Consult the selected list below to get started. For more options, go the list of Databases for Biology on the Biology Subject page. Once you have identified pertinant articles, search for the title of the journal in DELCAT or in the Library Electronic Journals list to determine if the Library subscribes to the journal.

You can also see a listing of electronic journals in biology on the Library Web.

Current issues of journals to which the Library subscribes in print format can be found in the Periodicals Room (arranged by title). Older issues in are bound into volumes by year of publication. These volumes can be found in the book stacks by call number.

Additionally, the Library also has access to journal articles in a number of databases featuring selected journals with full text content. Go to the Databases page and click on "Full-Text Databases."

Searching for journal articles can be a complex process; if you have questions, Ask a Librarian.

Databases

These resources are relevant to most periodical literature searches in biology. Sometimes it is necessary to use more than one database to adequately cover a topic. If you are uncertain about the database(s) to use, browse the Databases for Biology Web page or Ask a Librarian.

Academic OneFile.
Location: Library Databases

Biological Abstracts (BIOSIS).
Location: Library Databases

Biological Sciences Set (Life Sciences Collection).
Location: Library Databases

BioOne.
Location: Library Databases

Chemical Abstracts (SciFinder Scholar).
Location: Library Databases

Web of Science (ISI Citation Databases/ Science Citation Index).
Location: Library Databases

NCBI: National Center of Biotechnology. Bethesda, MD: National Center of Biotechnology.
Location: Internet (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)

PubMed.
Location: Internet (http://www.pubmed.gov)

PubChem
Location: Internet (http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)

A database of chemical structures of small organic molecules and information about their biological activities.

Guides, Encyclopedias, Handbooks, etc.

Dictionaries, guides, encyclopedias, and handbooks often provide very significant research information in the initial stages of a research project.

Dussart, Georges. Biosciences on the Internet: A Student's Guide. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2002.
Location: Morris Library (QH303.5 .D87 2002)

Encyclopedia of Human Biology. 2nd ed. 9 vols. Edited by Renato Dulbecco. San Diego: Academic Press, 1997.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QP11 .E53 1997)

Animal Anatomy on File. New York: Facts on File Publications, Inc., 1999.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QL806 .A55 1999)

A good source of black-and-white, anatomical drawings suitable for photocopying.The drawings, in loose-leaf format, range from very simple outlines to more complex renderings.

American Men and Women of Science. 21st ed. 8 vols. New York: Bowker, 2000.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Q141 .A1 A47)
Location: Morris Library (Q141 .A1 A47) Library has 17th (1989/1990) and 18th (1992/1993) eds.
Location: Marine Studies Library - Reference (Mars Ref Q141 .A1 A47) Library has 18th (1992/1993) ed.
Location: Temporary Chemistry Library - Reference (Chem Ref QD21 .A45) Library has 19th (1995/1996) ed.

This work is a biographical directory of today's leaders in physical, biological and related sciences.

Altman, Philip L., and Dorothy S. Dittmer, eds. Biology Data Book. 2nd ed. Bethesda, MD: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 1972.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QH310 .A39 1972)
Location: Agriculture Library - Reference (Agr Ref QH310 .A39 1972)
Location: Marine Studies Library (Mars QH310 .A392)

This 3-volume set is comprised of the following arrangement: Volume I covers genetics, cytology, reproduction, development and growth of plants and animals. Volume II includes information on biological regulators and toxins; on the biological effects of the environment; parasitism of plants on plants, animals on animals, and each on the other. There is also a section on sensory and neuro- biology. Volume III closes out the series with information on nutrition, digestion and excretion; metabolism; respiration and circulation; and blood and other body fluids.

Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. 4 vols. Edited by David R. Boone and Richard W. Castenholz. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 2001.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QR81 .B46 2001) vol. 1
Location: Agriculture Library (Agr QR81 .B46 1984) vols. 1 - 3
Location: Marine Studies Library (Mars QR81 .B46 1984) vols. 1-2

Netter, Frank Henry. The Ciba Collection of Medical Illustrations: A Compilation of Pathological and Anatomical Paintings. 7 vols. in 9. Summit, NJ: Ciba Pharmaceutical Products, 1959-1983.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QM25 .N48) vols. 1-5
Location: Morris Library (QM25 .N48) vols. 2-4
Location: Agriculture Library - Reference (Agr Ref QM25 .N48)

Volume 1. Nervous System. -- Volume 2. Reproductive System. -- Volume 3, Part 1. Upper Digestive System. -- Volume 3, Part 2. Lower Digestive system. -- Volume 3, Part 3. Liver, Biliary Tract, and Pancreas. --Volume 4. Endocrine System and Selected Metabolic Diseases. -- Volume 5. Heart.

Reich, Warren T., et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Rev. ed. 5 vols. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. : Simon & Schuster Macmillan; London: Prentice Hall International, c2004.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QH332 .E52 2004)

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. London: Nature Publishing Group, c2002.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QH302.5 .E53x 2002)

Armitage, Peter and Theodore Colton, eds. Encyclopedia of Biostatistics. 6 vols. New York: John Wiley, c1998.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (RA409 .E53 1998)

Nierenberg, William A., et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Environmental Biology. 3 vols. San Diego: Academic Press, 1995.
Location Morris Library - Reference (Ref QH540.4 .E52 1995)
Location: Marine Studies Library (Mars QH540.4 .E52 1995)

Bingham, Eula, Barbara Cohrssen, and Charles Powell, eds. Patty's Toxicology. 5th ed. 9 vols. New York: John Wiley, 2001.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref RA1229 .P38x 2001)

Lederberg, Joshua, ed. Encyclopedia of Microbiology. 2nd ed. 4 vols. San Diego: Academic Press, 2000.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QR9 .E53 2000)

Adelman, George, ed. Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. 2nd enlarged and rev. ed. 2 vols. New York: Elsevier, 1999.
Location: Morris Library (RC334 .E53 1999)

Juo, Pei-Show. Concise Dictionary of Biomedicine and Molecular Biology. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, c2002.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref R121 .J86 2002)

Schomburg, Dietmar, and Ida Schomburg. Springer Handbook of Enzymes. 2nd ed. Berlin: Springer, 2001.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QP601 .E5158 2001)

Drake, Richard L. Gray's Anatomy for Students. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone, 2005.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QM23.2 .D73 2005)

Grzimek, Bernhard, ed. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. 13 vols. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 2003.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QL7 .G7813 2003)

Grzimek, Bernhard. Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. 5 vols. Bew York: McGraw-Hill, 1990.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QL701 .G7913 1990)

Davis, Elisabeth B., and Diane Schmidt. Guide to Information Sources in the Botanical Sciences. 2nd ed. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1996.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QK45.2 .D38x 1996)
Location: Agriculture Library - Reference (Agr Ref QK45.2 .d38X 1996)

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology: An International Reference Work in Twenty Volumes Including an Index. 9th ed. 20 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref Q121 .M3 2002)

McKusick, Victor A. Mendelian Inheritance in Man: a Catalog of Human Genes and Genetic Disorders. 12th ed. 3 vols. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QH442.4 .M35 1998)

Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers. 7th ed. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref T11 .S386 2006)
Location: Morris Library - Temporary Chemistry Library (Ref T11 .S386 2006)
Location: Agriculture Library (Agr T11 .S386 2006)
Location: Marine Studies Library (Mars T11 .S386 2006)
Location: Internet (http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite8.html)

The citation style manual for the sciences. Published by the Council of Science Editors (formerly called Council of Biology Editors).

Parker, Sybil P., ed. Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. 2 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QH83 .S89)

Davis, Elisabeth B., and Diane Schmidt. Using the Biological Literature: A Practical Guide. 3rd ed., rev. and expanded. New York: M. Dekker, 2002.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref QH303.6 .D38 2002)
Location: Agriculture Library (Agr QH303.6 .D38 2002)

Other Sources of Information

Science.gov.
Location: Internet (http://www.science.gov/)

Science.gov is a gateway to authoritative selected science information provided by 10 U.S. Government agencies, including research and development results. Science.gov brings together, through one interface, reliable resources selected by the respective agencies as important science information. Easy access options are provided through a search feature, an in-depth search feature for more detailed information, and a browse feature.

Yahoo Science: Biology.
Location: Internet (http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/biology/)

This very popular site is an excellent jumping off point.

Internet Resources for Biotechnology.
Location: Internet (http://www2.lib.udel.edu/subj/biotech/internet.htm)

Internet Resources for Agriculture.
Location: Internet (http://www2.lib.udel.edu/subj/agr/internet.htm)

A resource guide for the the agricultural sciences.

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