This course guide provides an overview of library resources and search tips for finding books and scholarly, peer-reviewed articles on biology lab topics and citing biology research.
Note: The BIOL 1510 Library Workshops have ended. If you have questions, please email refdesk@nova.edu
The book in the image above was found by searching the topic "shark research" in the catalog. Now what?
The orange box indicates the location, or in which NSU Library you'll find the book. This book is available at the Alvin Sherman Library.
The yellow box is the book's call number. Write down or screenshot your book's call number. It is used like an address to find the book on the shelves. (Tip: Ask a Librarian to point you in the right direction!)
The blue box indicates the book's status. If the status says AVAILABLE, the item may be checked out at the Circulation Desk. If the status is "DUE" or "LIB USE ONLY," you will not be able to check out the item.
Library databases contain a wide range of information including e-books, book chapters, news articles, scholarly journal articles, research studies, and more. When researching a biology lab topic, search for information within the library's Biology databases.
Within a database, use the Advanced Search page to enter your search terms, choose your Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT), and select the peer-reviewed option:
After selecting an article from your results page, use the toolbox on the top right to help cite and email the article to yourself:
Remember, if you need to locate a specific article, you can use Full Text Finder to track it down using the article's citation.
To conduct a broader search for articles, try using the Library's link to Google Scholar. This will connect your Google Scholar search results to library resources using the Find It @ NSU tool.
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