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BIO103 - Unit Guide

Exercise 1 Reference Resources

Searching the Scientific Literature

Reference resources, such as dictionaries and encyclopaedias, help you to define terms and find background information on a topic.
The University Library has a good collection of both electronic and print dictionaries and encyclopaedias.

Please note that references to electronic versions of encyclopedias and dictionaries should be incorporated into the text of the essay or assignment and not included in the reference list - in accordance with the Chicago Referencing Guide, "Article from an electronic encyclopaedia/dictionary".

How to define and find background information for case studies 

These examples will assist you in how to define terms and find background information for your unit case studies: Crown-of-thorns Starfish and Leadbeaters Possum.

Clarify the meaning of terms associated with your case studies using relevant print or electronic dictionaries and encyclopaedias.

There are various ways of finding subject specific dictionaries or encyclopaedias. Two examples are listed here:

Example 1

Find a full list of biology dictionaries (print and electronic) that the Library holds using Library Search:

  1. Search for biology dictionary
  2. Search results can be refined using the filter on the left of screen
  3. From the Content Type filter heading, expand the list by selecting "Show More"
  4. From the Content Type list, select "Books"
  5. From the Availability filter heading, select "Available online" to include only online resources in the results list
  6. Clear the Active filters by clicking on "Available online X"
  7. From the Availability filter heading, select "Held by library" to include only print resources in the results list.

Example 2

Find a full list of biology encyclopaedia (print and electronic) that the Library holds using Library Search:

  1. Search for biology (encyclopedia OR encyclopaedia)
  2. Search results can be refined using the filter on the left of screen
  3. From the Content Type filter heading, expand the list by selecting "Show More"
  4. From the Content Type list, select "Books"
  5. From the Availability filter heading, select "Available online" to include only online resources in the results list
  6. Clear the Active filters by clicking on "Available online X" 
  7. From the Availability filter heading, select "Held by library" to include only print resources in the results list

This is a step by step guide on how to use one of the electronic encyclopaedias subscribed to by the University Library – the "Encyclopedia of Life Sciences".

Note: Each dictionary and encyclopaedia has its own interface, which may vary from what you see here.

  1. In Library Search type in Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
  2. Select the record for the book "Encyclopedia of Life Sciences" published by John Wiley and Sons Inc
  3. From the "View Online" heading in the resource record, click on the link to Wiley Online Library to open
  4. When the encyclopaedia is shown, enter your keyword(s) in the search box, e.g., echinodermata
  5. When the result screen is shown, select "Echinodermata"
  6. View the full text of the article or the PDF
  7. Several functionalities are highlighted:
    • Use the Sections menu to view and jump to section headings
    • Use the Tools menu to export or track the citation for this article
    • Use the Share menu to email a link to this article or share it via social media
    • Use the tabs to view figures or references, as well as related articles
    • Use "See also" links contained within the article for related information

To test your knowledge of the library resources discussed in Exercise 1 Reference Resources, please go to Quiz 1 - Reference Resources on the Quizzes page.