Guides: BIO 260: Introduction to Research in Biology: Home

Course Description

BIO 260: Introduction to Research in Biology emphasizes skills necessary to become working scientist and sets stage for upper-level biology courses.

The Course Guide to BIO 260 provides quick access link to top resources in biological research.

Books

View the LC Call Number ranges for books related to topics in biology. Use the NOBLE Catalog to find even more books on these topics.

Databases

View a list of top library databases you can use to search for scholarly journal articles on topics in Biology.

Journals

View a list of biology related journals, both peer-reviewed and popular sources, available at Jenks Library. Use the Journal Finder search interface to find other academic journals both in print and online.

Web Resources

View a list of common websites and other web resources for accessing resources in topics related to Biology. Also view web information evaluation tips to ensure the information you are finding is creditable, reliable, and accurate.

Research in Biology

There are three major types of information communication in the sciences. Each of these forms of communication have their own set of resources that may be accessed for research purposes. They are:

Informal Communication
Resources that have not been through a review process. This includes information such as lab notes, working papers, data sets, blogs, etc.
Formal Communication
Resources that have undergone a peer-review process by other colleagues and professionals within the field of study. The journal article is the most common example of formal communication. It provides information on the experiment conducted including a literature, information necessary to understanding the results and replicate the experiment if needed.
Aggregate Communication
Resources that compile and report on seminal works in the field of study. These might be review articles, books, encyclopedias, or dictionaries. These resources are often a place to begin research to help gain an idea of what information is out there as well as gain quick access to information.

Citation: The above information came from Keeran, P. & Clark, M. L. (Eds.). (2014). Research in the sciences. Research within the disciplines (185-213). New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield. This specific information came from pages 192-195.