Course Guides
- See also:
Catalogs & Databases
- How Do I…?
Find
Quick Links
Course Guides
Environmental Sciences & Policy -- Applied Research Methods -- Discussion Groups (ESP 178)
2011 Winter
Bret A. Beheim — babeheim@ucdavis.edu
TA Joshua Perlman — jmperlman@ucdavis.edu
Librarian Subject Specialist
- Ruth Gustafson
- ragustafson@lib.ucdavis.edu — (530) 752‑1883 — Biological/Agricultural Sciences Reference Department (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/bioag/)
Librarian Subject Specialist for: General Biology; Animal Science; Avian Science; Entomology (including Bee Biology and Pollination); Environmental Science & Policy; Environmental Toxicology; Evolution and Ecology; Forensic Science; Nematology; and Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology
Need assistance? Ruth Gustafson will have office hours Mon/Wed/Fri 11am-noon starting October 1st through December 7th (exceptions Friday November 2nd & 9th; Monday, November 12th; and Wednesday, November 14th).
SUNDAY Reference -- Available at 1st floor Shields, November 25th, 1-5pm
Research Help
- Library Resources for Undergraduate Students (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/ul/help/student.php)
- Library Research Aids: How Do I...? Guides (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/instruc/research/guides/)
- These guides include Choose a Research Topic, 5 Steps to Better Library Research, Find a Book, and more.
Science Library Collections
- Biological & Agricultural Sciences, Shields Library (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/bioag/)
- The BioAg Sciences collections are located on the 3rd floor of Shields Library.
- Government Information Collection [UC Davis] (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/govinfo/)
- The UC Davis Library is a federal and state depository library with extensive historical and current collections in print, microform and electronic formats. We collect extensively from major international, intergovernmental organizations, selectively from local jurisdictions, and on a very limited basis from foreign governments. Agriculture, forestry, the environment and ecology are areas of strength. We collect comprehensively from the U.S. Congress and California Legislature, along with federal and state laws and regulations. The Library's collection of technical report literature is extensive. We emphasize statistical data in all collecting areas. Most government documents and maps are listed in the Harvest UC Davis Library Catalog and the UC-wide MELVYL Catalog. Some materials, such as technical reports and historical documents, may require specialized indexes or assistance from government information librarians. Government documents circulate on the same basis as other library materials. Some are housed in a separate stacks area in the Lower Level of Shields and are retrieved via the service desk on that level.
- Physical Sciences & Engineering Library (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/pse/)
- The Physical Sciences & Engineering Library is located near the Chemistry and Physics/Geology building, just NorthWest of Mrak Hall.
- Date: Monday-Friday 11am-5pm
Connect From Off-Campus
- Connect from Off Campus (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/ul/services/connect/)
- Instructions for UC Davis students, faculty, and employees to access our licensed resources from off campus. VPN is the preferred method for remote access in most cases.
Library Catalogs
- Harvest UC Davis Catalog (http://harvest.lib.ucdavis.edu)
- Harvest is the UCD library online catalog of the collections of all five UC Davis General Libraries. It does not include the holdings of the Law Library. If you log in (My Account) using your library card number and PIN, you can renew books online, and request items that have been checked out to another borrower, or are in storage.
E-book Collections
- ENVIROnetBASE [via CRCnetBASE] (http://www.crcnetbase.com/search/advanced)
VPN - PLEASE NOTE: Access is via combined ENTIRE CRC e-book collection. From Advanced search, scroll down to check off "Environmental Science" category for focused searches. This full-text ENVIROnetBASE collection includes over 600 environmental sciences handbooks and includes indexing of chapters and their figures, charts, tables, illustrations, formulas and rules of thumb. Environmental sciences areas covered include environmental engineering and biotechnology, agricultural and natural resources, ecology, pollution and more.
- Related:
- Access Issues (http://blogs.lib.ucdavis.edu/pse/2009/05/08/accessing-online-crc-books-through-the-vpn/)
- Access Issues (http://blogs.lib.ucdavis.edu/pse/2009/05/08/accessing-online-crc-books-through-the-vpn/)
- Springer eBooks Package (http://springerlink.com/books/)
VPN - This UC-wide pilot is now (2013) a three-year package for Springer eBooks and includes more than 55,000 titles in English (and selectively in German) from every scientific discipline and many social sciences. This online interface enables all books to be searchable at the full-text level. Scope (textbook areas are starred) ranges from Architecture and Design, *Behavioral Science, *Biomedical and Life Sciences, *Business and Economics, *Chemistry and Materials Science, *Computer Science, *Earth and Environmental Science, *Engineering, *Humanities & Social Sciences and Law, *Mathematics and Statistics, *Medicine, *Physics and Astronomy, to Professional and Applied Computing. NEW books are added monthly. NEW INTERFACE as of November 26, 2012.
- Coverage: 2005-2013
- Related:
- CDL webpage describing the UC Libraries Springer eBooks Pilot (http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/springerebooks/)
- CDL webpage describing the UC Libraries Springer eBooks Pilot (http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/springerebooks/)
Statistical Analysis Resources
- Current Index to Statistics (CIS) (http://query.statindex.org/)
VPN - Covers publications in statistics and related fields. CIS is a joint venture of the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics
- Coverage: 1974-present
- STATSnetBASE (http://www.crcnetbase.com/page/statistics_ebooks)
VPN - Full-text searchable database collection of almost 100 statistics handbooks, textbooks and manuals covering environmental statistics, introductory statistics, probability theory & applications, reference statistics, SPC/reliability/quality control, statistical theory & methods, statistics & computing, biological sciences, business & finance, engineering & physical science, medicine & health science.
- Safari Tech Books Online (http://uclibs.org/PID/33109)
VPN - A collection of computing books that includes the full text of over 300 O'Reilly Press books, dating from 2004 to the present. Safari will grow to include all new O'Reilly titles. The full-text is searchable across titles and searches can be limited to code fragments. Books can also be browsed by topic. Access is limited to 28 simultaneous UC connections. Includes guides to using statistical software/programs such as works about SASS and SPSS and titles such as "Statistics in a Nutshell".
- Coverage: 1999-present
- Related:
- RSS feed of new titles in Safari (http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/rss)
- RSS feed of new titles in Safari (http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/rss)
Subject Guides
- Subject Guides (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/ul/research/subjects/)
- Use the Subject Guides to identify additional databases to search for information on your topic. For ESP, the most appropriate subject guides may be "Environmental Sciences" or "Plant Sciences" or "Political Science" (for policy) or "Environmental Engineering" or "Toxicology" or "Transportation".
Databases
- Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management (ESPM) [via ProQuest] (http://www.csa.com/htbin/dbrng.cgi?username=davis&access=davis856&db=envclust-set-c&db=eisft-set-c&adv=1)
VPN - New Interface 8/7/12 (from CSA Illumina to ProQuest): Major areas of coverage include aquatic pollution, bacteriology, ecology, energy resources, environmental biotechnology & engineering, environmental impact statements, hazardous waste, industrial hygiene, microbiology, and risk assessment. Separately searchable subfiles include: ASFA 3: Aquatic Pollution and Environmental Quality; Bacteriology Abstracts (Microbiology B); Ecology Abstracts; Environmental Engineering Abstracts; Health and Safety Science Abstracts; Industrial and Applied Microbiology Abstracts (Microbiology A); Pollution Abstracts; Risk Abstracts; Sustainability Science Abstracts; Toxicology Abstracts; and Water Resources Abstracts. EIS: Full Text and Digests of Environmental Impact Statements is combined for cross-searching with ESPM.
- Coverage: 1967-present (varies by subfile)
- Related:
- New ProQuest Platform -- User Guide (http://www.proquest.com/assets/downloads/products/userguide_np.pdf)PDF
Generic 12-page guide explaining the major ProQuest changes with the new August 2012 interface. - Switching over old CSA Alerts/RSS feeds to ProQuest (Migrating My Research Accounts) (http://migration.support.proquest.com/#tab:homeTab:crumb:7:artId:3739)
- Register for a library class! (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/instruc/classes/descriptions.php#class45)
The new ESPM ProQuest interface will be reviewed. - CSA ESPM Fact Sheet (http://md1.csa.com/factsheets/envclust-set-c.php)
- CSA Help (http://www.csa.com/help/index.html)
- CSA Alerts/Automatic Updating Service (http://www.csa.com/help/Search_Tools/alerts.html)
- New ProQuest Platform -- User Guide (http://www.proquest.com/assets/downloads/products/userguide_np.pdf)PDF
- BIOSIS Previews [via Web of Knowledge] (http://isiknowledge.com/BIOSIS)
VPN NEW interface loaded July 17, 2011 -- result retrievals will be larger due to search design changes.
More than 22 million records in all life science areas, including agriculture, biochemistry, biomedicine, biotechnology, ecology, environmental sciences, genetics, microbiology, plant biology, veterinary medicine & pharmacology, and zoology. Indexes over 6000 journals, serials, books and book chapters, conference proceedings and patents.
- Coverage: 1926-present
- Related:
- FAQ -- NEW July 2011 Interface! (http://wokinfo.com/wok5/faq/)
- OLD Version BIOSIS Access (http://webofknowledgev4.com/biosis)
VPN
Backup until end of 2011. Most complete load as of week of July 18th. - Quick Reference Card: BIOSIS Previews, ISI Web of Knowledge (http://wokinfo.com/wok/media/pdf/qrc/bpqrc.pdf)PDF
- Online BIOSIS information (http://images.isiknowledge.com/WOK45/help/BIOSIS/h_database.html)
- Video training: Saving Histories and Creating Alerts for current awareness. (https://www.brainshark.com/brainshark/vu/view.asp?pi=27087902)
- Register for a library class! (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/instruc/classes/descriptions.php#class35)
- FAQ -- NEW July 2011 Interface! (http://wokinfo.com/wok5/faq/)
- Web of Science [via Web of Knowledge] (http://isiknowledge.com/wos)
VPN NEW interface loaded July 17, 2011 -- result retrievals will be larger due to search design changes.
Provides access to the content from three Thomson Reuters ISI (Institute for Scientific Information) Citation Databases: Science Citation Index Expanded; Social Sciences Citation Index; Arts & Humanities Citation Index.
- Coverage: 1900-present [Science 1899-, Social Sciences 1900-, Arts & Humanities 1975-]
- Related:
- Web of Science tutorial (http://www.thomsonisi.com/tutorials/citedreference/crs1.htm)
- Web of Science Tips (version 7) (http://thomsonscientific.com/media/scpdf/wos7_tips_cit.pdf)PDF
- Web of Science tutorial (http://www.thomsonisi.com/tutorials/citedreference/crs1.htm)
- National Technical Reports Library (NTRL) (http://uclibs.org/PID/144637)
VPN - NTRL (National Technical Reports Library) is from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). NTRL indexes government-sponsored research, development and technical reports and provides full-text access to reports that have been digitized. Searches over 2 million reports with links to over 500,000 full-text reports. NTRL replaces NTIS via CSA bibliographic database as of 9/2009.
- Coverage: 1964-present
- CQ Electronic Library (http://www.library.cqpress.com/)
VPN Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Electronic Library includes many resources for the study of current and historical congressional and American government issues. The CQ Researcher is an invaluable source of background information on topical issues since 1991. The Global Researcher is similar to CQ Researcher but with an international orientation. CQ Weekly Report, available starting in 1983, reports in depth on congressional activities and political developments.
Search from the CQ Electronic Library home page, where you may register a user profile in order to save documents and search strategies, or search in each online edition separately. See similar entry "CQ Press Electronic Library" for individual titles as related listings.
- Related:
- CQ Global Researcher, 2007 to present (http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/)
VPN - CQ Researcher Online, 1991 to present (http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/)
VPN
The CQ Researcher produces in-depth, analytical reporting on congressional issues and is an excellent resource for term paper topics. Issues are released weekly and each issue explores a single topic with references included. Online access begins in 1991. - CQ Weekly, 1983 to current (http://library.cqpress.com/cqweekly/)
VPN
- CQ Global Researcher, 2007 to present (http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/)
- PAIS International Database [via Proquest] (http://search.proquest.com/pais?accountid=14505)
VPN - Indexes all types of materials in the area of public affairs and public policy - journal articles, books and book chapters, reports, government documents. Topics include agriculture, banking, demographics, education, environment, finance, government, health, law, legislation, political science, social sciences, and statistics. Note that PAIS was formerly a CSA database and transitioned to a new interface via Proquest in August, 2012.
- Coverage: 1972-present
- Related:
- New Proquest Platform -- User Guide (http://www.proquest.com/assets/downloads/products/userguide_np.pdf)PDF
Generic 12-page guide explaining the major ProQuest changes with the new August 2012 interface. - PAIS International [via CSA] (http://search.proquest.com/pais/advanced)
VPN
PAIS transitioned to the new Proquest interface during the first week in August, 2012. - Fact Sheet (http://md1.csa.com/factsheets/pais-set-c.php)
- Help (http://www.csa.com/help/index.html)
- New Proquest Platform -- User Guide (http://www.proquest.com/assets/downloads/products/userguide_np.pdf)PDF
- LexisNexis Academic (http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic)
VPN - One of the largest web-based full-text databases for current news, business and legal information, supporting a broad range of interdisciplinary research, LexisNexis Academic provides full-text access to nearly 6,000 individual titles. Includes a wide range of U.S. and foreign newspapers, plus transcripts of television and radio news programs. Business resources include business articles, accounting literature, company financial information. Legal resources include state and federal laws and regulations, a full range of case law, and law review articles.
- Academic Search Complete [via EBSCO] (http://uclibs.org/PID/126936)
VPN - The multi-disciplinary database Academic Search Complete (ASC) provides full-text access to more than 5,500 periodicals, including over 4,600 peer-reviewed journals, and indexing and abstracts for an additional 9,500 journals and 10,000 publications, including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc. This scholarly collection offers coverage of information in many areas of academic study including, but not limited to: animal science, anthropology, area studies, astronomy, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, ethnic & multicultural studies, food science & technology, general science, geography, geology, law, materials science, mathematics, mechanical engineering, music, pharmaceutical sciences, physics, psychology, religion & theology, veterinary science, women's studies, zoology and many other fields. The database features PDF content going back as far as 1887, with the majority of full text titles in native (searchable) PDF format.
- Coverage: 1887-present
- Related:
- See also MasterFILE Premier database for popular magazines (http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=f5h)
- See also MasterFILE Premier database for popular magazines (http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=f5h)
- CAB Abstracts [via OvidSP] (http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&MODE=ovid&NEWS=N&PAGE=main&D=cabz)
VPN NOTE: default UCD Search Type set to Advanced Ovid Search. Citations and abstracts to the international agricultural literature, including veterinary medicine, human and animal nutrition, forestry, rural development, as well as other related topics such as tourism and human ecology. Covers over 11,000 journals & conference proceedings and selected books in agriculture. Produced by CAB (Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux) International (CABI) with more than 9.0 million records as of 10/27/10.
HISTORICAL SCOPE: Archive abstracts added in August 2005 go back to 1910 with 1,860,000 additional records.
CAB DATABASE PDFs: As of January 2009, hard-to-find literature may be available as CAB Database PDFs (so noted *below* the UC-eLinks button). Currently, ONLY Internet Explorer (PC platform) or Safari (Mac platform) loads these PDFs. These CABI Full Text items give users automatic access to over 187,000 (as of March 2013) journal articles, conference papers and reports - 80% of which are not available electronically anywhere else.
- Coverage: 1910-present [Archives added for 1910-1971]
- Related:
- Fact Sheet [CABI] (http://www.cabi.org/default.aspx?site=170&page=1016&pid=125)
Describes content of CAB Abstracts database and provides tabs to coverage and serials cited. - Database Guide (http://www.ovid.com/site/products/ovidguide/cabadb.htm)
Database guide to all features of the CAB Abstracts database - Saved Searches/Alerts/Automatic Updating Service (http://www.ovid.com/site/help/documentation/ospa/en/my_alerts.htm)
- BioAg Librarians (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/bioag/about/meet-staff.php)
For assistance with searching CAB Abstracts, e-mail bioagquestions@lib.ucdavis.edu or contact your BioAg librarian subject specialist - Veterinary medicine / health-related questions (http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/hsl/)
Carlson Health Sciences Library (530)752-7042, hslref@lib.ucdavis.edu
- Fact Sheet [CABI] (http://www.cabi.org/default.aspx?site=170&page=1016&pid=125)
- INSPEC [via Web of Knowledge] (http://uclibs.org/PID/22771)
VPN - Citations from scholarly journals, conference proceedings, books, reports, and dissertations in physics, electrical engineering and electronics, computers and control, and information technology.
- Coverage: 1898-present
- Related:
- Use UC-eLinks to determine availability.
- Use UC-eLinks to determine availability.
- TRID (Transport Research International Documentation) (http://trid.trb.org/)
- TRID includes over 900,000 records covering transportation research from ITRD and TRIS. It includes TRB publications going back to 1923, including Highway Research Board, SHRP, and Marine Board publications. Also indexed are Environmental Impact Statements, theses, reports, and research in progress. TRID is the world’s largest and most comprehensive bibliographic resource on transportation research information, covering all modes and disciplines of transportation.
- Coverage: 1920's-present
Peer-Reviewed Journal Databases
- Peer Review
A process through which manuscripts submitted to a journal are evaluated for quality -- by one or more subject experts in addition to the editor -- before being accepted for publication.
All CSA Illumina databases (such as Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management and PAIS) separate result sets into tabbed categories including "Peer-Reviewed" journals. For journals retrieved from other databases, use the online Ulrich's Periodicals Directory to locate your journal and then look for the black symbol indicating the publication is "Refereed".
- Ulrich's Periodicals Directory (http://www.ulrichsweb.com/)
VPN - The standard source for information on virtually every active and ceased periodical, annual, irregular publication, and monographic series published throughout the world (plus thousands of newspapers). Indicates whether a publication is a refereed (peer-reviewed) title.
Journal Ranking
- Journal Citation Reports (JCR) (http://uclibs.org/PID/36787)
VPN Journal Citation Reports is an annual publication by Thomson Reuters with each yearly data analysis being completed in the following year. The most recent edition is always published in the summer following the year analyzed. Journal Citation Reports can show you the most frequently cited journals in a field, the highest impact journals in a field, and the largest journals in a field. JCR Science Edition contains data from over 7,300 journals in science and technology. JCR Social Sciences Edition contains data from over 2,200 journals in the social sciences. NOTE: For disciplines that have longer timespans for citation, consider sorting for ranking by using the newer 5-year Impact Factor.
- Coverage: 2007-2011
- Date: 2011
- Related:
- Journal Citation Reports: Information for New Users (http://admin-apps.isiknowledge.com/JCR/help/h_info.htm#information)
- Impact Factors in Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_factor)
Definition of terms, details on how the metrics are calculated, and information on the validity, manipulation, and misuse of Impact Factors - Using Journal Citation Reports Wisely (http://admin-apps.isiknowledge.com/JCR/help/h_using.htm)
- Journal Citation Reports: Information for New Users (http://admin-apps.isiknowledge.com/JCR/help/h_info.htm#information)




