Biology
Helpful Biology Websites
- eLifeeLife is a researcher-led, open access digital publication for outstanding research in life science and biomedicine. Editor-in-chief is 2013 Nobel Prize Winner Randy Schekman.
- Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)HERO contains the key studies EPA uses to develop environmental risk assessments for the public. EPA uses risk assessments to characterize the nature and magnitude of health risks to humans and the ecosystem from pollutants and chemicals in the environment.
- ScitableScitable is a free science library and personal learning tool brought to you by Nature Publishing Group and currently concentrates on genetics and cell biology.
- Neuroscience Information FrameworkThe Neuroscience Information Framework is a dynamic inventory of Web-based neuroscience resources: data, materials, and tools accessible via any computer connected to the Internet.
- The University of Oklahoma's Digital History of Science CollectionsIncludes historic geology texts available in ePub format to download on eReaders, images & videos of scientific instruments, and a scanned text by Copernicus.
- BBC Science in Action Podcasts"The BBC World Service's weekly look at new developments in science from around the world."
Podcasts are available for 30 days, but can be downloaded for future listening - Encyclopedia of Life (eol)"Our Mission: To increase awareness and understanding of living nature through an Encyclopedia of Life that gathers, generates, and shares knowledge in an open, freely accessible and trusted digital resource."
- Encyclopedia of EarthAn electronic reference about the Earth, its natural environments, and their interaction with society. The EoE is a free, expert-reviewed collection of content contributed by scholars, professionals, educators, practitioners and other experts who collaborate and review each other's work.
- Lamont-Doherty Earth ObservatorySeeks fundamental knowledge about the origin, evolution and future of the natural world. Its scientists study the planet from its deepest interior to the outer reaches of its atmosphere, on every continent and in every ocean, providing a rational basis for the difficult choices facing humanity.
- American Museum of Natural History Science Bulletins"Science Bulletins are documentary feature stories produced by the Museum on the latest developments in the fields of astrophysics, Earth science, biodiversity and human biology and evolution."
- IUCN World Database on Protected Areas"The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is the most comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas. It is a joint project between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), managed by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). "
- EurekAlert! The Global Source for Science NewsLatest science news, includes multi-language news
Evaluating Websites
How can you tell whether information you find on the web is accurate? The following criteria can help you with evaluating web resources.
Accuracy: The domain (i.e. .com) can tell you a lot about a website. Sites can be .com (commercial), .edu (academic institutions), .gov (governmental), .mil (military), or .org (organization - usually non-commercial). Of these, .edu and .gov sites are the most trustworthy.
Objectivity: Is the site subjective (opinion-based) or objective (fact-based)?
Purpose:
- Are the authors trying to sell you something? Convince you of something? Convey factual information?
- Look for sections like "About Us" or "Mission Statement" to get a better idea of what the site is trying to do.
- Some websites that appear to be informational and scholarly are actually sneakily trying to sell you something or have a hidden agenda, so you need to play detective and dig for clues about a site's true purpose.
Timeliness: Hunt around for a "last updated" statement. If it's been more than a year or two since the last update, it can be a clue that the site is not maintained very well.
Authority: Can you find out who the author of the content is? If so, is s/he an expert on the subject? Does the author leave contact information?
MORE on Evaluating Web Pages from UC Berkeley
National Library of Medicine's Selection Guidelines for Non-National Library of Medicine Resources
Science News
Community and Citizen Science
Whether it's in class or on your own, community and citizen science projects are a way that anyone can contribute to real research, right now. Most projects can be done online and offer instructions and tutorials to get you started. Others involve more hands-on effort, such as taking samples and mailing them somewhere or getting outside and recording observations of nature. Explore the links below to find a project that catches your interest!
- ZooniversePeople-powered research. Carefully-curated, remotely accessible, and active research projects just waiting for volunteers.More than a million people around the world come together on Zooniverse to assist professional researchers. Our goal is to enable research that would not be possible, or practical, otherwise. Zooniverse research results in new discoveries, datasets useful to the wider research community, and many publications.
- SciStarterOver 3,000 projects and events are searchable by location, scientific topic, and age level. By joining SciStarter, members can track their contributions and provide valuable feedback. SciStarter also supports researchers in managing projects, including best practices for engaging participant partners.
- NASA's Citizen Science ProjectsWant to work on some real NASA science? Projects with a person icon can be done by anyone, anywhere, with just a cellphone or laptop. Others projects are a little more involved!
- iNaturalistWith an app and online platform, identify the plants and animals around you. Get connected with a community of over a million scientists and naturalists who can help you learn more about nature!What’s more, by recording and sharing your observations, you’ll create research quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature. iNaturalist is a joint initiative by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society.
- Last Updated: Sep 24, 2024 12:52 AM
- URL: https://guides.library.umass.edu/BioLib
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