Biology
A guide to resources in Biology at UMass and beyond.
Biology Reference Resources
Reference materials are a great way to get a broad overview of background information on a topic. Start with reference works to help you choose or define a research topic. Reading some basic background information will lead you to new terminology and concepts which you can then use to search databases or the library catalog for more specific information on a narrower portion of the topic.
Encyclopedias
- Encyclopedia of Life Sciences This link opens in a new window
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Commissioned, peer-reviewed and citable articles in the life sciences. - Encyclopedia of Chemical Biology This link opens in a new window
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Wiley reference guide searchable by article keyword (topic) or article title. - Encyclopedia of Biological Chemistry This link opens in a new window
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Second edition of this comprehensive Elsevier reference work. - Encyclopedia of Astrobiology This link opens in a new window
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The most comprehensive reference resource for the field of Astrobiology, with over 2,700 entries. Covers the topics of Astrobiology, Bioorganic Chemistry, General Biochemistry, Planetology, Astrophysics and Astroparticles, and Biogeosciences.
Dictionaries
A Dictionary of BiologyCall Number: E-bookISBN: 9780199204625Publication Date: 2008Also available in print:
UM Science Reference / QH302.5 .D54 2008
The Cambridge Dictionary of Human Biology and Evolution by Call Number: QP34.5 .M24 2005ISBN: 0521662508Publication Date: 2005
Other Reference Resources
- Reaxys This link opens in a new window
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Organic, organo-metallic, and inorganic chemistry data. Find structures, properties, synthesis possibilities, reactions and bioactivity data. Searchable by structure, substructure, reaction, text, and property data. Reaxys also searches NIH PubChem and eMolecules. - Cold Spring Harbor Protocols This link opens in a new window
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Research methods for microbiology, genetics, bioinformatics, proteins, plant biology, neuroscience, lab organisms, and imaging. - Britannica Online This link opens in a new window
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The classic general encyclopedia, constantly updated. A good starting point for all kinds of research. - Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
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A collection of several hundred current subject encyclopedias.
