Reading Articles
Reading scientific articles can be hard: they are full of technical terms and methodologies. However, reading review articles and communications can be a great way to get into the literature. When searching databases and journals, keep an eye out for review articles and start with those!
Open Access Resources
- Journal of Botany"Journal of Botany is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes original research articles as well as review articles in all areas of botany."
- Special Issues from Frontiers in Ecology and the EnvironmentA list of open access special issues.
- Plant Methods"Plant Methods is an open access, peer-reviewed, online journal for the plant research community that encompasses all aspects of technological innovation in the plant sciences."
- BMC Ecology"BMC Ecology is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that considers articles on environmental, behavioral and population ecology as well as biodiversity of plants, animals and microbes."
Internet Resources
There are some Internet resources that could be useful in your information gathering. Be sure to critically evaluate the source! Is the site current? Relevant? Do you know who the author is? Can you verify the information? Is the information objective?
- Science.gov This link opens in a new windowSearches over 60 databases and over 2,200 scientific websites to provide users with access to more than 200 million pages of authoritative federal science information including research and development results.
- PLANTS DatabaseThe PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories.
- The Biota of North America ProgramThe Biota of North America Program (BONAP) has produced a variety of online resources, including local plant distributions, a polyclave or computer key to the families, and a plant image database.
- Tree of Life ProjectThe Tree of Life Web Project (ToL) is a collaborative effort of biologists and nature enthusiasts from around the world. On more than 10,000 World Wide Web pages, the project provides information about biodiversity, the characteristics of different groups of organisms, and their evolutionary history
- Google Scholar SearchClick on the arrow to the right of the search box. It'll bring up the advanced search window that lets you search in the author, title, and publication fields, as well as limit your search results by date.