[Edens Library Home]

Edens Library Resources
for the Biological and Physical Sciences



For related Edens Library resource guides...
Return to the Resource Guides page

Selected Reference Books

Great for statistics, definitions, a general overview of the topic...

Top of Page
  • The American Heritage Dictionary of Science
    		•  Ref Q 123 .B35 1986B
  • American Men and Women of Science
    		•  Ref Q 141 A47 1992 (v.1-8)
  • American Women in Science: A Biographical Dictionary
    		• Ref Q 141 .B25 1994
  • Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery
    		•  Ref Q 125 .A765 1989
  • Biographical Index to American Science
    		•  Ref Q 141 E373 1990
  • Biology Digest
    		• INDEX QH 301 B44 (1974-present)
  • Black Women Scientists in the United States
    		•  Ref Q 141 W367 1999
  • A Century of Nobel Prize Recipients: Chemistry, Physics, and Medicine
    		•  Ref Q 141 C252 2003
  • A Chronology of the History of Science, 1450-1900
    		•  Ref Q 125 G39 1987
  • Dictionary of Scientific Biography
    		•  Ref Q 141 D5 (v.1-18)
  • Dictionary of the History of Science
    		•  Ref Q 125 D5
  • Dictionary of the Physical Sciences
    		•  Ref Q 123 .E46 1987
  • Encyclopedia of Evolution
    		•  Ref QH 360.2 E54 2002 (v.1-2)
  • Encyclopedia of the Scientific Revolution: From Copernicus to Newton
    		•  Ref Q 125 E53 2000
  • The Greatest Scientists
    		•  Ref Q 141 .M38 1987
  • History of Modern Science and Mathematics
    		•  Ref Q 125 H6298 2002 (v.1-4)
  • The History of Science and Religion in the Western Tradition: An Encyclopedia
    		• Ref BL 245 H57 2000
  • Instruments of Science: An Historical Encyclopedia
    		•  Ref Q 184.5 .I57 1998
  • Makers of Science
    		•  Ref Q 141 A44 2002 (v.1-5)
  • McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
    		•  Ref Q 123 .M34 1989
  • McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
    		•  Ref Q 121 .M312 (1988-present)
  • Merck Index
    		• Ref RS 51 M4 1996
  • Nature Encyclopedia
    		•  Ref QH 13 N38 2001
  • Peterson's Graduate Programs in Engineering & Applied Sciences
    		• Ready Ref L 901 P446
  • Peterson's Graduate Programs in the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Agricultural Sciences, the Environment & Natural Resources
    		•  Ready Ref L 901 P445
  • The Premedical Planning Guide
    		•  Ready Ref R 838.4 C73 1994
  • Reader's Guide to the History of Science
    		•  Ref Q 125 R335 2000
  • Using the Biological Literature: A Practical Guide
    		•  Ref QH 303.6 D38 1995
  • Women in Science
    		• Ref Q 141 .O34 1986
  • Women in Science (National Institute of Health)
    		•  Ref Q 130 .W6 1988

    Top of Page

    Suggested Subject Headings and Location of Books in Our Library

    Search the Library Catalog by keyword, subject, title, or author. Edens Library offers books and other materials on a variety of Biological and Physical Sciences subjects, including:
    Anatomy
    Astronomy
    Biochemistry
    Biology
    Botany
    Chemistry
    Earth sciences
    Ecology
    		 Genetics
    Geology
    Histology
    Human anatomy
    Immunology
    Meteorology
    Microbiology
    Natural history
    		 Oceanography
    Parasitology
    Physical geology
    Physics
    Physiology
    Science
    Zoology

    ...Or, you can browse the following sections in the library's General Collection and Reference areas:
    Q -- Science (General)
    QA -- Mathematics
    QB -- Astronomy
    QC -- Physics
    QD -- Chemistry
    QE -- Geology
    QH -- Natural History, Biology
    QK -- Botany
    QL -- Zoology
    QM -- Human Anatomy
    QP -- Physiology
    QR -- Microbiology
    R - RZ -- Various Topics in Medicine

    Top of Page

    Databases for Research

    *For additional databases, see the Databases for Research page.
    Top of Page
    discusInfoTrac: Expanded Academic ASAP (1980-present) From arts and the humanities to social sciences, science and technology, this database meets research needs across all academic disciplines. Access scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text and images!
    *A password (obtainable at the library's reference desk) is required for access from off-campus.
    discusInfoTrac: OneFile (1980-present) A one-stop source for news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics: business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, technology, and many general interest topics. Millions of full-text articles, many with images.
    *A password (obtainable at the library's reference desk) is required for access from off-campus.
    discusInfoTrac: Health Reference Center-Academic (1980-present) Use this database to find articles on: Fitness, Pregnancy, Medicine, Nutrition, Diseases, Public Health, Occupational Health and Safety, Alcohol and Drug abuse, HMOs, Prescription Drugs, etc. For informational purposes only.
    *A password (obtainable at the library's reference desk) is required for access from off-campus.
    discusHealth and Wellness Resource Center (HWRC) Use Health and Wellness Resource Center to research topics in health and medicine, medications, and wellness. Includes encyclopedias, directories, a medical dictionary, magazines, journals, and newspapers," featuring about 400 health/medical journals, 390+ with full-text and 195+ with images. For informational purposes only.
    *A password (obtainable at the library's reference desk) is required for access from off-campus.
    PubMed
    "PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, provides access to over 11 million MEDLINE citations back to the mid-1960's and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources."
    discusSIRS Knowledge Source SIRS Researcher contains thousands of full-text articles on social, scientific, health, historic, economic, business, political and global issues. Articles are selected from around 1,500 newspapers, magazines, journals, and government publications.
    SIRS Government Reporter contains thousands of full-text documents and graphics from agencies, departments, and commissions of the U.S. government, including information on health, science, economics, the environment, politics, foreign affairs, workplace issues, business and industry.
    SKS WebSelect provides indexing, summaries and links to carefully-selected web sites.
    *This database is only available on the Columbia College campus.
    discusInfoTrac: Custom Newspapers Full-text articles from over 100 domestic and international newspapers. Includes the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Post and Courier (Charleston, SC), Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, NC), Christian Science Monitor, San Francisco Chronicle, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and papers from 40+ other US cities, as well as the London Times and 60+ other papers from Great Britain, Australia, Mexico and elsewhere.
    *A password (obtainable at the library's reference desk) is required for access from off-campus.
    NewsBank: The Carolina's Full Text Newspaper Package Full-text articles from:
  • The Charlotte Observer (NC) (Available 1985 to present)
  • The Greensboro News & Record (NC) (Available 1990 to present)
  • The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) (Available 1991 to present)
  • The State (Columbia, SC) (Available 1987 to present)
  • The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, SC) (Available 1996 to present)
  • Winston-Salem Journal (NC) (Available 1998 to present)
    *This database is only available on the Columbia College campus.
    • discusBiography Resource Center + The Complete Marquis Who's Who®
    "The Biography Resource Center is a comprehensive database of biographical information on more than one million people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas. It combines approximately 250,000 biographies from respected Gale Group sources with nearly one million biographies from The Complete Marquis Who's Who®. The database also includes full-text articles from nearly 250 periodicals. Search for people based on one or more personal facts such as birth and death years and places, nationality, ethnicity, occupation or gender, or combine criteria to create a highly-targeted custom search path."
    *A password (obtainable at the library's reference desk) is required for access from off-campus.
    FirstSearch
  • FirstSearch: BasicBIOSIS
  • Basic information about biology and other life sciences
  • FirstSearch: Biology Digest (BioDigest)
  • Life-science information written in a non-technical style
  • FirstSearch: GEOBASE
  • Worldwide literature on geography, geology, and ecology
    *A user authorization and password (obtainable at the library's reference desk) are required for access, both on and off-campus.

    • Top of Page

    Periodicals (Journals, Magazines, Newspapers)

    The following periodicals, held by Edens Library, are excellent resources for exploring current topics in the Biological and Physical Sciences. Check the Library Catalog for holdings.

    American Journal of Botany
    American Scientist
    Audubon
    Discover
    Journal of Cell Biology
    Journal of Chemical Education
    Natural History         		New Scientist
    Science
    Science News
    Scientific American
    Sierra
    Sky & Telescope
    South Carolina Wildlife
    *Bold indicates journal publishes primary material.
    *All titles are indexed by InfoTrac Web Expanded Academic ASAP (except South Carolina Wildlife).

    **For FULL-TEXT journals, magazines, and newspapers available from online databases and the Web, go to:
  • Electronic Publications: Sciences
  • Electronic Publications: Environmental Issues
  • Electronic Publications: Health and Medicine
  • Electronic Publications: Mathematics

    For additional categories, browse the Electronic Publications page.
    		•

    Top of Page

    Recommended Internet Sites for the Biological and Physical Sciences

  • General
  • Organizations
  • Additional Resources
    		•
    Top of Page | Return to the Sites by Subject index
    General Biological and Physical Sciences Sites
    4000 Years of Women in Science (Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Alabama)
    "4,000 years of women in science! Did you know that? Women are, and always have been, scientists. This site lists over 125 names from our scientific and technical past. They are all women! This site grew out of the public talks given by Dr. Sethanne Howard, currently with the National Science Foundation. As we learn more, we add it to this page. . . . This includes inventors, scholars and writers as well as mathematicians and astronomers." (2/2/05)
    Catalog of the Scientific Community in the 16th and 17th Centuries (Rice Univ.)
    "This catalog is a collection of 631 detailed biographies on members of the scientific community during the 16th and 17th centuries with vital facts about each individual and their contributions to science. . . . All individuals in the catalog are systematically described by ten categories using twenty searchable fields." (2/2/05)
    Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University (2/2/05)
    The Science Channel (sciencechannel.com) (2/2/05)
    ScienceDaily - "Your link to the latest research news..."
    Top of Page | Top of Internet Sites

    Organizations
    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
    "The American Association for the Advancement of Science, "Triple A-S" (AAAS), is the world's largest general scientific society, publisher of Science. . . . Our mission: to advance science and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people." (2/2/05)
    Association for Women in Science (AWIS)
    "The Association for Women in Science is dedicated to achieving equity and full participation for women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. . . . We are a non-profit association which works to promote women's activities in all scientific fields, from mentoring to scholarships to job listings. . . . AWIS has over 5,000 members in fields spanning the life and physical sciences, mathematics, social science, and engineering. Over 50% of AWIS members have doctorates in their respective fields, and hold positions at all levels of industry, academia, and government. . . .
    As part of its efforts to promote the entrance and advancement of women in science, AWIS has a long-standing commitment to fostering the careers of women science professionals. Events at the 76 local chapters across the country facilitate networking between women scientists at all levels and in all career paths. AWIS chapters also encourage the participation of girls and women in science by sponsoring educational activities in schools and communities. At the national level, AWIS publishes a variety of materials to inform girls and women about science programs and women's issues, including the bimonthly AWIS Magazine. The organization serves as a voice for women in science by helping to shape national policy through Congressional testimony and by participating in a variety of national coalitions." (2/2/05)
    National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
    "The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private, non-profit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters."
    (2/2/05)
    National Audubon Society Online
    "Audubon's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. . . . Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences." (2/2/05)
    National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE)
    "Improving the scientific basis for making decisions on environmental issues" . . . "The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) has been working since 1990 to improve the scientific basis for environmental decisionmaking. For its efforts, the Council has earned a reputation for objectivity, responsibility, and achievement.
    The Council believes that comprehensive and integrated science can help society achieve its environmental goals in the most effective manner, recognizing economic, social, and security implications. The Council’s approach to science is embodied in the new phrase ‘sustainability science.’
    Supported by over 500 academic, scientific, environmental, and business organizations, and by federal, state and local government, the Council works closely with the many communities that create and use environmental knowledge to make and shape environmental decisions. As an organization where diverse communities can find common ground, the Council focuses on the role of science but does not take positions on environmental issues themselves.
    The Council carries out innovative activities in the areas of: promoting science for the environment; enhancing programs at academic institutions; catalyzing and advancing science-based ideas from diverse communities; communicating science-based information to society; and developing science solutions for environmental challenges." (2/2/05)
    National Science Foundation (NSF)
    "The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the U.S. Government, established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended, and related legislation. . . . The Act established the NSF's mission: To promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense." (2/2/05)
    Top of Page | Top of Internet Sites

    Additional Resources
    For more Biological and Physical Sciences sites, check out the following Edens Library "Recommended Internet Sites" links:
    Biology
    Chemistry
    Physics
    Physical Sciences
    Astronomy
    Geology
    Meteorology / Weather
    Top of Page | Top of Internet Sites

    *NOTE: The date at the end of each "Recommended Internet Sites" entry indicates when the entry was added or modified.

    Return to the Sites by Subject index
    Return to the Resource Guides page
    Page last modified by Sarah Hood
    Date: 2/2/05
    [Columbia College]
    [Edens Library, Columbia South Carolina]