Biological Science Resource Guide
- Check the Catalog
- Where do I find things? Check out where things are in the Cabell and Tompkins-McCaw libraries.
- Do other libraries have what you need?
Interlibrary Loan: VCU Libraries will get the items that you need if they are not in the collections. You do not need to identify which library has the required item - we'll do that for you. See what you need to do. To search for materials in other libraries, use the Worldcat
database or check the catalogs of other Virginia libraries.
Encyclopedias
- Encyclopedias in Print
- Encyclopedia of biodiversity Cabell Reference QH541.15.B56 E53 2001
- Encyclopedia of environmental science Cabell Reference GE10 .M66 2000
- Encyclopedia of evolution Cabell Reference QH360.2 .E54 2002
- Encyclopedia of genetics Cabell Reference QH427 .E535 2001
- Encyclopedia of human biology Tompkins-McCaw Reference QP11 .E53 1997
- Encyclopedia of molecular biology Tompkins-McCaw Reference QH506 .E53 1999
Handbooks / Data
- Biology Data Book Cabell & TML Reference QH310 .A392
Classic reference to quantitative and qualitative data on genetics, cytology, development, growth, materials and methods. - CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics Cabell & TML Reference Desk QD65 .H3
This standard reference contains some of the most frequently used data in science, including the periodic table of elements, basic constants and units, and geophysical data. It features tables and reference sections on everything from the aqueous solubility of organic compounds to the flash point data of common substances.
VCU Available on both campuses OR off-campus with EZProxy
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences VCU 1964 -
Each edition provides edited, reviewed papers based on presentations made at prestigious symposia, conferences, and workshops held around the world. The subjects, combining both original research and review articles, range across many scientific fields, with a concentration in fast-moving research areas of biomedical interest.
Subject collections: biochemistry, bioengineering, biotechnology, cell biology, genetics, molecular biology
- National Academies Press
Over 2,500 online books in the areas of science, engineering and medicine. Browse the titles by subject categories or search for a topic.
- NetLibrary VCU
A collection of over 13,000 electronic books from leading university, trade and professional publishers available via the Internet 24 hours a day. For full access, VCU faculty, students and staff must first create free individual user accounts.
Create a NetLibrary user account
More about NetLibrary
Dictionaries
- Biology Dictionary
- Concise Oxford dictionary of zoology VCU 2nd ed. 1999
- Dictionary of plant sciences (Oxford) VCU 2nd ed. 1998
- Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Defines more than 3000 terms used in biochemistry and molecular biology. - Online Medical Dictionary
Defines over 65,000 terms used in biochemistry, cell biology, chemistry, medicine,molecular biology, physics, plant biology, radiobiology, science and technology - Oxford dictionary of ecology VCU 2nd ed. 1998
Encyclopedias
Good sources to get an overview or outline of a topic. This is a selected group of more recent electronic titles:
- Blackwell's concise encyclopedia of ecology VCU
- Encyclopedia of ecology & environmental management VCU
- Encyclopedia of forensic sciences VCU
Handbooks/Data
- Biomedical Engineering Handbook VCU
Volume One provides outlines of cardiovascular structure and function, the endocrine, nervous, vision, auditory, gastrointestinal and respiratory systems, biomechanics, biomaterials and other bioengineering topics. - Handbook of Ecotoxicology VCU 1998
Journal Searches
- Online Journal Search
This will let you know whether an electronic version of a journal is available from VCU. Note: the search box only searches for the names of journals, not the subject content - use one of the research databases for this.
Alternative: Go to the VCU Libraries Catalog, select a title search, type in the title of the journal.
Advantage: In one step you will see if the journal is available in print or online, with a link to the online version.
- Online Journal Collections Choose the "Advanced" tab, then select a vendor name from the drop-down menu.
Journal Abbreviations
Some databases use abbreviations for the journal titles. Searching in the VCU Libraries catalog requires the full title name, so try some of these sources to clear things up.
- Biological Journals and Abbreviations
- All that JAS : Journal Abbreviation Sources
- ISI Master Journal List (ISI)
Go to Databases by Subject for a complete list of databases covering the science and technology fields. Choose the "Science and Technology" category, then select either a specific subject subcategory (biology, environmental...), or choose "All Resources" to view all the databases in this area.
Selected Databases
VCU Available on both campuses OR off-campus with EzProxy
- AGRICOLA
AGRICOLA (AGRICultural OnLine Access) is an electronic database of bibliographic records created by the National Agricultural Library and its cooperators. The records cover all aspects of agriculture including: plant and animal sciences, forestry, entomology, soil and water resources, agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, agricultural products, alternative farming practices, food and nutrition, agricultural trade and marketing, rural information, and animal welfare. AGRICOLA began in 1970, but its contents date from the 16th century to the present.
- ASFA: Aquatic Sciences & Fisheries Abstracts VCU 1978 - present
A major resource covering the aquatic literature including over 4,700 journals, books, reports and conference proceedings. Incorporates coverage of the print indexes ASFA 1: Biological Sciences and Living Resources, ASFA 2: Ocean Technology, Policy and Non-living Resources and ASFA 3: Aquatic Pollution & Environmental Quality. Some of the subject areas covered are : aquaculture, aquatic pollution, freshwater, brackish and marine environments, conservation and environmental quality, oceanography.
Citations Yes Abstracts No Fulltext No
- Biological & Agricultural Index Plus VCU 1983 - present
Citations to articles in English-language periodicals; abstracts and full text coverage for selected journals. Periodical coverage includes a wide range of scientific journals, from popular to professional. About 45 % of the focus is on agriculture.
Citations Yes Abstracts Some Fulltext Some
- Biological Sciences VCU 1982 - present
Abstracts of a wide variety of research in biomedicine, biotechnology, zoology, and ecology, and some aspects of agriculture and veterinary science.
Citations Yes Abstracts Yes Fulltext No
- Biology Digest VCU 1989 - present
Covers US and international literature in the area of life sciences, provides abstracts. It is primarily for students at the undergraduate college level to keep current on the latest developments in biological research. Covers all major areas of the biological sciences.
Citations Yes Abstracts Yes Fulltext No
- BIOSIS Previews VCU 1970 - present
The foremost reference database in the life sciences; provides abstracts of literature in biological and biomedical areas. Includes Biological Abstracts, Biological Abstracts/RRM, and BioResearch Index.
Earlier years: 1985 - 1989 1970 - 1984 1924-1998 Cabell Reference QH301 .B37
Citations Yes Abstracts Yes Fulltext Limited links to text
BIOSIS Quick Reference Card (pdf)
Journals covered in BIOSIS
Journal Titles & abbreviations (BIOSIS format)
- Biotechnology and Bioengineering Abstracts VCU 1982 - present
Provides coverage of groundbreaking research, applications, regulatory developments and new patents across all areas of biotechnology and bioengineering, including medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural, environmental and marine biology. Some of the major areas covered: aquaculture and fisheries, bioengineering, biomedical engineering, biopesticides, bioremediation, cloning, energy and environmental applications, human rehabilitation engineering, marine and medical applications.
Citations Yes Abstracts Yes Fulltext No
- Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management VCU (1981 - present) Abstracts of a variety of sources including journals, reports, books, and environmental impact studies.
- ENVIROnetBASE
Full-text searchable database of more than 150 CRC Press books on a wide range of environmental topics. Search or browse individual books, or search multiple books. Texts are in interactive PDF format. Adobe Acrobat Reader required
- MEDLINE:
PubMed VCU
This MEDLINE search interface from the National Library of Medicine provides links to publishers' web sites for over 1100 journals. Many of the VCU Libraries Online Subscriptions are linked from within PubMed. You must display the citation or the abstract record view to see the link to the VCU Libraries subscription.
Citations Yes Abstracts Variable Fulltext Some
- Microbiology Abstracts VCU 1982 - present
Abstracts of all aspects of microbiology including algology, mycology, protozoology, bacteriology, and industrial and applied microbiology.
Section A: Industrial and Applied Microbiology
Section B: Bacteriology
Section C: Algogy, Mycology & Protozoology
Citations Yes Abstracts Yes Fulltext Some links to text via Locate Document option
- OCEANIC
ABSTRACTS VCU(1981-present)
Abstracts of information pertaining to the marine and brackish-water environment.
- PLANT
SCIENCE VCU
Abstracts of information focusing on all aspects of plant science. (1994-present)
- SciFinder Scholar Available in either Library 1969 - present
SciFinder Scholar is the online version of Chemical Abstracts . SciFinder Scholar provides access to CAplus, CASReact, and Registry databases. Searches can be performed for chemical substances and reactions, research topics, authors, and CA abstract number or patent number. Log off when finished. (Download SciFinder Scholar Client for your on-campus desktop)
Citations Yes Abstracts Yes Fulltext No (Not available Sat 6 pm - Sun 8 am).
SciFinder Scholar Resources
- TOXLINE VCU(1994-present)
Abstracts of the literature in all areas of toxicology including chemicals and pharmaceuticals, pesticides, environmental pollutants, and mutagens and teratogens; (does not include information from Chemical Abstracts Service, BIOSIS, or IPA).
- WATER
RESOURCES ABSTRACTS VCU (1967-present)
Abstracts of the international literature on water-related topics.
- Web
of Science VCU 1993 - present
This online version of Science Citation Index enables searching by topic, author and cited reference. Researchers can identify who is referencing (citing) their research, or the number of times particular article is cited, locate cited authors and analyze the impact of key publications. The database is a useful tool in identifying related articles by entering details of a known article and retrieving a list of more recent articles which have included the known article in their bibliographies. Web of Science also includes the Arts & Humanities Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index.
Citations Yes Abstracts Some Fulltext No
Web of Science Tutorial
Web of Science Online Help
List of Journals covered in Web of Science
Web of Science Journal Title Abbreviations
- Complete list of Science & Technology databases
- Complete list of databases in the Health Sciences
- Infomine: Biological, Agricultural & Medical Sciences
Searchable collection of Scholarly Internet resources in Biological, Agricultural & Medical Sciences Resources - NBII (National Biological Information Infrastructure)
- National Reference Center for Bioethics Literature
- SciCentral: Biological Sciences
- Science.gov
A gateway to authoritative selected science information provided by 10 U.S. Government agencies, including research and development results.
Resources for Biotechnology, Genetics, Molecular Biology and Microbiology
- Cell and Molecular Biology Online
Research protocols links, research labs, recommended links, useful tables and more. - DNA Timeline
Be sure to click on the decades! - Entrez (National Center for Biotechnology Information: NCBI)
Link to an array of databases and data sets such as the GenBank nucleotide sequence and taxonomy organism databases, a protein sequence database, macromolecular structures, population study data sets, genome assemblies, plus more. - Flybase
Database for information on the genetics and molecular biology of Drosophila. - Guide to Biotechnology (Biotechnology Industry Organization)
Background information with industry statistics, timeline, technologies and applications, research tools, industrial, environmental and food applications, ethics information and links. - Microbes.info : The Microbiology Information Portal
A gateway to sites focused on general microbiology topics as well as environmental, food, industrial, medical and veterinary microbiology sites. Feature articles, news and events, plus links to organizations and job and career info. - National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)
- Virtual Library on Genetics
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Looking for other societies? Try the Scholarly Societies Project.
- Directories of Biologists (BIOSIS)
International list of researchers and specialists in a wide variety of fields.
Events
How to find info on meetings and conferences: Meetings/Conference Announcement Lists (Scholarly Societies Project)
Papers and Proceedings
- Conference Papers Index VCU (1982 - present)
Citations to papers and poster sessions presented at major scientific meetings. Emphasis since 1995 on life sciences, environmental sciences, and aquatic sciences. Updated bimonthly. - PapersFirst VCU (1993 - present)
Covers every published congress, symposium, conference, exposition, workshop and meeting received by The British Library. - Proceedings VCU (1993 - present)
Index of papers presented at conferences worldwide.
- Chesapeake Bay Program
Over 800 Chesapeake Bay Program publications covering a time span from 1957 through the present. - National Environmental Publications Internet Site (NEPIS)
A good site for environmental issues which is a searchable database with over 7,500 EPA scanned technical and public information publications that can be viewed online, downloaded, or printed. Subject areas included water quality, wastewater, pesticides, ecological issues, wetlands and more. - NTIS Database
Covers the latest research reports sponsored by the United States covering fields such as agriculture and food, behavior and society, biomedical technology and human factors engineering, environmental pollution and control, medicine and biology, natural resources and energy. Some of these reports will be available at VCU. - GreyLit Network
Provides access to reports, documents, books and other items which do not usually get covered by major research (bibliographic) databases. Searching covers documents from DOE Information Bridge, with areas such as biology, environmental sciences, renewable energy and other topics andalso EPA reports. These sectors can both be searched at the same time.