Forest and Rangeland Stewardship (FRS)
Find Information: Table of Contents
Encyclopedias & Reference Resources
CSU Libraries has many encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference materials available both online and in print. These can be excellent places to begin your research, since they provide an overview of the issues surrounding a topic. Pay special attention to any words or phrases that you could use to find more information.
- Gale ebooks (Gale Virtual Reference Library) This link opens in a new windowSearch in many reference works at the same time. Includes information on a wide variety of topics in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
Encyclopedia of EcologyPublication Date: 2008E-book available online to CSU students, faculty, staff, and affiliates. Also available in print at Morgan Library.
Encyclopedia of Life SciencesE-book available online to CSU students, faculty, staff and affiliates.
- Find more reference sourcesSearch for reference materials in the CSU Libraries catalog by choosing "Books and More." Then type in keywords that relate to both the topic and type of information source that you wish to find, such as: natural resources encyclopedia.
Books & More
Books often approach a subject more broadly than journal articles do, so it can be beneficial to include them in your research. Search the catalogs listed below for books and e-books, government documents, theses and dissertations, journals, and more.
- Primo Advanced SearchFind materials in the CSU Libraries catalog by using the "Books and More" option. To search the catalog and some additional library resources, choose the "Almost Everything" option.
- Prospector CatalogSearch for and request items from numerous regional libraries.
- WorldCat.org (OCLC)Includes materials at libraries worldwide. Use Interlibrary Loan to request materials that you find.
Journal Articles & Databases
Library databases are great places to search for journal articles. Databases may also include newspaper articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, and other types of materials. No single database will contain all of the information that is available on a topic, so it is a good idea to search in at least two. Pick databases that include the subject areas and types of materials that you hope to find.
Recommended Databases for FRS
- Web of ScienceIncludes scholarly articles and conference papers across the science fields. Non-science fields are covered to a lesser extent.
- CAB Abstracts 1973 - presentSearch for scholarly articles, conference papers and government publications in many natural resources and life sciences fields. Contains literature from 1973 and later. Use CAB Abstracts Archive for content published from 1910 to 1972.
- AGRICOLA (EBSCO)Extensive coverage of agricultural research including scholarly articles, books, government documents, and more.
- Wildlife & Ecology Studies WorldwideIncludes scholarly and popular literature on all aspects of wildlife research.
- Sustainability Science AbstractsCoverage of journal literature and other select materials on a wide range of sustainability topics.
- Find more databasesFind all of the databases available through CSU Libraries. Browse by title using the alphabetical list or by topic using the Subject drop down box.
Find the Whole Article
Many library databases only include abstracts (summaries) of articles. If you don't see a link that says "PDF full text" or "HTML full text" in a database, look for the FindIt@CSU icon. This will link you to the full text of the article.
Searching Effectively
Search Terms
A single concept can be described in many different ways, so use a variety of words when you are searching to retrieve more information on your topic.
Boolean Operators
Boolean operators can help you to find exactly the information that you need. Learn more about how to use them by watching this video from the University of Alabama Libraries.
Video by University of Alabama Libraries. CC BY-ND
More Search Techniques
Two other search techniques work in most databases.
- Truncation: Place an asterisk at the end of a word stem to search for other forms of that word
- Ex) bicycl* - finds bicycle, bicycling, etc.
- Truncation expands the results
- Phrase searching: Put short phrases in quotations to search for results which contain that phrase
- Ex) "bicycle commuting"
- Phrase searching narrows the results
More Information Sources
The tips and information sources on this page are useful for most topics in forest and rangeland science.
For additional information sources recommended for specific topical areas, visit these pages:
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