Biology

Books and More! 

To find books, type your search terms into Primo Search and select BOOKS AND MORE from the dropdown menu.

Below are a couple of best bets for reference books. Reference books contain a little bit of information about a lot of different topics and are a great starting point. 

What are databases? 

Databases are organized collections of information (usually journal articles). Each database contains information from different sources. Read the descriptions for each database to pick the database that is best for you. 

How do I search databases?

To search a database well, you will need to select quality keywords and combine them using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT). 

• Keywords
  • This video breaks down how to select keywords
  • Identify the main interests for your topic or question. Then, brainstorm any synonyms or similar topics that may be relevant. 
• Boolean Operators
  • This video breaks down how to use Boolean operators to create an awesome search strategy
  • AND controls your search. Use AND to combine your areas of interest.
  • OR expands your search. Use OR to combine synonyms or similar subjects.
  • NOT really controls your search. Use NOT sparingly. NOT excludes any results with the keywords combined with NOT
  • The search strategy below will retrieve articles that about nutrition and dogs, cats, or dogs and cats.

dogs OR cats

AND

nutrition

And remember... 

If you have been searching for more than 10 minutes and aren't finding what you need, contact a librarian and we will figure it out together!