Introduction

Library of Congress Classification

Materials in Reference Collection

Indexes and Databases

Internet Resources

Citing Sources

Introduction

Biology is a division of the natural sciences which is concerned with the study of living organisms. Biology is an old discipline, but is rapidly evolving and is also multifaceted and multidisciplinary.

Library Of Congress Classification

Library materials are organized by a system created by the Library of Congress that groups materials based on what they are about. This LC system uses letters and numbers to determine the call number of a book, which serves as that book¯s address within the collection. The advantage of this system is that books about the same subject should be in the same area. Find a good book on your subject and you should be able to find others in the same area.

The Library of Congress system classifies books on biology in classes QH-QR. These classes are broken down into subclasses that define more specific subjects. Some important classes for biology are listed below. Click here for a more complete look at the Library of Congress Classification schedule Q.

Specific books and other library materials can be found by searching the Online Catalog. This is a catalog that not only lists the collection of the Rockhurst University Greenlease Library, but can also be used to see the collections of the other MOBIUS libraries.

One can search by title, author, subject and keyword to find books owned by the library. A good research strategy is called subject heading tracing. This strategy involves first doing a keyword search to find books relevant to a topic. Once a ‘good’ book is found, look at its subject headings. Then do a subject search and type in that subject heading. You should find other books on your topic this way.

Materials In Reference Collection

The library's reference collection contains materials that are quite useful to students studying biology. These reference items include:

Dictionary of Microbiology & Molecular Biology
Ref QR 9 S56 2001

Elsevier's Dictionary of Biology
Ref QH 302.5 E47 1998

Encyclopedia of Forest Science
Ref. SD 126 E53 2004
This multi-volume set summarizes recent advances in forest science techniques, but also thoroughly covers the basic information vital to comprehensive understanding of the important elements of forestry.

Encyclopedia of the Human Brain
Ref QP 376 E586 2002

Encyclopedia of Microbiology
Ref QR 9 E53 2000

Encyclopedia of Hormones
Ref QP 571 E52 2003

Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology
Ref QH 506 C74 1999

Encyclopedia of Plant and Crop Science
Ref. SB 45 E486 2004
This encyclopedia covers classic and modern studies in plant biology in conjunction with research, applications, and innovations in crop science and agriculture.

Facts on File Dictionary of Biology
Ref. QH 302.5 F38 2005
This fourth edition contains 3,700 cross-referenced entries explaining the most frequently used terms in modern

biology.  There is a pronunciation key and 60 line drawings.  Topics covered:  anticoding strand, biophysics, cardiac cycle, gene knockout, genetic fingerprinting, kingdom, molecular clock, race, tumor and water.

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
Ref Q121 M3 2002

Scientific style and format : the CBE manual for authors, editors, and publishers.
Ref. T 11 S386 1994

Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences
Ref QH 304 M36 2001

Linda Hall Science and Technology Library

This privately-funded research library is known worldwide as one of the best independent libraries with collections in science, engineering and technology. Most of the collection is made up of current journals and research monographs which cannot be checked out.

However, some of the general book collection can be checked out through a special checkout agreement between Linda Hall Library and the Greenlease Library. The student must be in good standing with the Rockhurst Library and have no outstanding materials or fines from the Rockhurst Library. The Linda Hall Library librarians will determine on an individual basis the checkout period for each item, generally this is one week. For information about a card please speak with a librarian Monday through Friday at the Rockhurst University Greenlease Library.

LEONARDO is the name of the computer catalog containing the holdings of the Linda Hall Library, as well as the Spencer Art Library of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Fine Arts.

Indexes And Databases

Indexes and databases are tools used to find journal articles about a particular topic. Some are used primarily for academic research, while others can be used to find popular articles to practice one’s reading skills. Some are available only in print, while others will be electronic and may even contain the full-text of the article. See our Electronic Resources page for more information.

General Science Abstracts
This is an index to general science periodicals in the English language. Citations and abstracts from journals and magazines from the U.S. and Great Britain since 1993 to the present, covering such subjects as anthropology, astronomy, biology, computers, earth sciences, medicine and health, and much more. Covers articles, reviews, biographical sketches, and letters to the editor.

JSTOR
This database provides electronic access to back issues of selected journals in the humanities, social sciences and sciences. It is full text and some titles go back to the 19^th century. JSTOR will not include the last 2-5 years of the journal.

American Chemical Society Journals Online
This is a collection of current and archived web editions of selected publications from the American Chemical Society. Articles are available in HTML and PDF formats.

MathSciNet
MathSciNet is the searchable Web database providing access to the journals Mathematical Reviews and Current Mathematical Publications (from 1940 to the present). These journals provide reviews of the mathematical literature.

Academic Search Premier
This database offers full text articles from scholarly and popular periodicals in the social sciences, humanities, general science and more.

Applied Science and Technology Full Text
International and English-language periodicals, covering industries, engineering, mathematics, physics, and technology. Includes articles, interviews, meetings, conferences, exhibitions, new product reviews/announcements, and more. Indexing from 1983 - present; full text from 1997 - present.

Internet Sources

Biotech
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/
Biology and chemistry resources for researchers and students, with educational guides and references.

Bugs in the News
http://people.ku.edu/~jbrown/bugs.html
Microbiology, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. This site from the University of Kansas, ranges from basic information to articles, to other web sites. An interesting site.

Harvard University Biology Links http://golgi.harvard.edu/BioLinks.html
An introduction to molecular and cellular biology, education, programs, job opportunities, and many biology links including model organism databases.

Kimball's Biology Pages
http://www.ultranet.com/~jkimball/Biology Pages/
Contains informational pages on animal behavior, biochemistry, cell biology, DNA and RNA, ecology, embryonic Development, Genetics, immunology and more. Very good directions on navigating the site.

Citing Sources

For information on citing resources in a research paper, see Citing Print and Electronic Resources in Research Papers.