Overview of biological sciences
Use this guide to perform background research to refine a research topic, confirm terminology, and get a general understanding before finding books and articles to support a research project.
Getting started with academic research | Overview of biological sciences | Recommended databases
Biological Sciences encyclopedias from Oxford Reference Online
Biological Sciences encyclopedias from Oxford Reference Online
Search or browse across 13 subject encyclopedias and dictionaries with over 80,000 entries. References are linked via Get VText.
Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)
Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)
The Encyclopedia of Life is a collaborative effort to gather and share descriptions of all living things. Content includes photos and videos, bibliographic links, distribution maps, and taxonomies of animals, plants, and microorganisms.
Encyclopedia of Ecology from ScienceDirect
Encyclopedia of Ecology from ScienceDirect
The Encyclopedia of Ecology contains over 500 entries on all aspects of ecology. Each article is presented as a PDF, and links to other encyclopedia articles as well as relevant journal articles hosted on ScienceDirect. First edition 2008.
Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia from Gale Virtual Reference Library
Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia from Gale
Grzimek's Animal Life is the online version of the authoritative, 17-volume print encyclopedia. It is an image-rich, dynamic online resource with more than 4,000 species categorized by Amphibians, Reptiles and Birds, Fish, Insects, Mammals and Simple Aquatic Life and includes information on evolution, habitat, behavior, range and more. This work includes illustrations, photos, maps, a glossary, contact information for organizations, and a geologic time scale. Content presented in HTML and PDF.
Birds of North America - BNA
Birds of North America (BNA)
Birds of North America is a comprehensive reference covering the life histories of North American birds with detailed scientific information for each of the 716 species of birds nesting in the USA and Canada. This is an updated online version of the print series of the same name. Each encyclopedic entry includes a list of references and may include images, audio, and video.
PLANTS Database from the USDA
PLANTS Database from the USDA
The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories. Fact Sheets provide brief descriptions of a plant, its uses, and cultural recommendations. Plant Guides are similar but more extensive. Both are provided as PDFs. The database also includes an image gallery of photos and line drawings of U.S. plants plus cultivated or foreign taxa.
Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria from CABI
Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria from CABI
Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria provided full-text statements in PDF about individual species of fungus or bacterium, particularly species of economic importance. 1964-present.
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