NR 1114: Introduction to renewable natural resources
Note this guide is to be used as a starting point to find materials for your topic, and should not be mistaken as an all inclusive list of resources. To keep this guide open while accessing the resources listed, use the right-click context menu and open links in a new tab or window.
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Jump to: Books | Databases | Key Journals | Other subject guides
Basic guides and tools before getting started
- Understanding "Boolean"
- Concept table (this table can help you keep track of terms & concepts to combine in your searches - also try a more interactive mind map at bubbl.us - can create an account to save maps)
- Using Addison
- How to Access Items Using Citations
Finding books and materials in Addison
Keywords: broad/general terms found anywhere in the record; use as starting point to find information, then move to subject searches based on items returned of interest in your search.
Some keywords to try:
- renewable resources
- solar power
- sustainable forest*
- use * for truncation – searches forest, forests, forestry, etc
- wildlife (conservation or management or habitat)
- use of () dictates search must include the first term, wildlife, and could include either conservation or management or control (or two or more terms, just as long as one of the three is present with "wildlife" a record will be returned).
Subject headings (specific classifications given to materials about their subject area): these are also called "controlled vocabulary" or "index terms" as these are assigned to materials that meet criteria for a specific subject area. These are similar to items that have tags. You might also notice some books have an area in the record that says "Library Thing." These books have been assigned tags by users who have Library Thing accounts, and then entered into our catalog to help you see what else the resource is about in addition to the subject headings.
| Examples of broader subject headings | Examples of more specific subject headings |
| Renewable Natural Resources | Solar Air Conditioning |
| Geothermal Resources | Hot Springs |
| Forests and Forestry | Forests and Forestry -- Virginia |
| Wildlife diseases | Chronic wasting disease -- United States. |
A sample of the many useful books and resources available through the library
Background resources for departments in the College of Natural Resources and Environment
- Forest Products and Wood Science: and Introduction
- Geography: a Very Short Introduction
- Introduction to Forest Ecosystem Science and Management
- Introduction to Wildlife Management
Examples of books in the collection on different aspects of renewable natural resources
- America's Renewable Resources: Historical Trends and Current Challenges
- Biofuels
- Geothermal Energy: Utilization and Technology
- The Nanoscience and Technology of Renewable Biomaterials
- Renewable Energy: Sources for Fuels and Electricity
- Solar Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment
- U.S. National Debate Topic 2008-2009: Alternative Energy
Using databases to find articles
If a PDF of HTML version is not available directly through the database, use the "Get VText" icon to see if there is online access from another resource or if it's available in the library (print or microfilm). If the library doesn't have access, use Interlibrary Loan (step 3, you create/have an account) to request from another library. Be aware, items located in our storage facility, or that need to be requested through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) will take a few days to arrive.
There are many tutorials and screencasts available to help you use databases more efficiently. The library has several (for example, how to effectively search by author, searching a single database, or searching multiple indexes from the same provider - all of these are examples from our CSA screencasts. Additional CSA tutorials can be found at http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/screencasts/csa/index.html and we have screencasts from other database providers). You can also look at the "help" features of databases to learn more about how to effectively use the resource.
- General, for getting started
- Academic Search Complete: Covers several hundred topics,
- LexisNexis Academic: Covers news stories from around the world
- More specialized by subject area
- Biological Abstracts: Covers articles from life sciences research journals published worldwide
- CABDirect: Covers articles, government and conference reports on life sciences topics worldwide
- Engineering Village: Provides technical articles and research on a variety of engineering-related areas
- Environment Complete: Covers articles related to environmental aspects
- Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management: Covers articles related to environmental aspects
- Wildlife and Ecology Studies Worldwide: World's largest index to literature on wild mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
A few key journals by topic area
There are hundreds of journals published that relate to natural resources topics. Below are just a handful of titles to be aware of. All of these journals are known for the quality of articles that are published, as articles undergo a review process by peers before they are published (these are also known as peer-reviewed, refereed, or scholarly journals).
- Conservation
- Environment
- Fisheries & Wildlife
- Forestry
- Geography
- Renewable or Sustainable Energy
- Wood Science & Forest Products
Additional subject guides to check
- Departments in the College of Natural Resources & Environment
- Other subject guides
- Kyrille K Goldbeck DeBose
- College Librarian for Natural Resources and Environment
- (540) 231-0495
- (540) 231-0419 (Cheatham Hall office)
- kgoldbec@vt.edu
-
315B Cheatham Hall
4005 Newman Library
Blacksburg, VA 24061
