KAMSC Biomedical Sciences Class (Ms. Joyce 2023-24)
Find background information
Use the resources on this page to get to know a new research area or choose a topic for a paper. These are not necessarily sources you can cite in a paper, but they will help you understand the basics and come up with keywords to use when you search for sources later.
Open web searches (Google, Wikipedia, etc.)
Feel free to begin your research on Google, as long as it doesn't end there. Use this time to try out different keywords for your topic.
Review articles
Many databases, including Scopus, ScienceDirect, and PubMed, allow you to filter results to see only review articles. These kinds of articles give a broad overview of scholarship in a topic and are a good place to start your research. The databases section has more on these resources.
Encyclopedias
Try one of the specialized encyclopedias below for expert-written articles on your topic, including citations to important sources.
Books
Books are a great place to start your research because they take the time to explain things you may not understand (unlike journal articles). You don't have to read the whole book! Search for books using Library Search.
Reference books
These are a few of the biology-related background info sources available through the library. To find more, use Library Search on the main library page.
Encyclopedia of Microbiology by Publication Date: 2019Offers an up-to-date and authoritative resource that covers the entire field of microbiology, from basic principles, to applied technologies
Space Physiology and Medicine by Publication Date: 2016This fourth edition of Space Physiology and Medicine provides succinct, evidence-based summaries of the current knowledge base in space medicine and serves as a source of information on the space environment, responses, and practices.
Comprehensive Gut Microbiota by Publication Date: 2022Provides a comprehensive introduction to gut microbiota research and its role and relation to human health.
Netter's Sports Medicine by Publication Date: 2022
Encyclopedia of Ecology by Publication Date: 2018It covers all scales of biological organization, from organisms, to populations, to communities and ecosystems.
Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene by Publication Date: 2017Covering a multitude of aspects related to Climate Change, Biodiversity, Contaminants, Geological, Energy and Ethics, leading scientists provide foundational essays that enable researchers to define and scrutinize information, ideas, relationships, meanings and ideas within the Anthropocene concept.
Biomedical topics
- AccessMedicine This link opens in a new window
McGraw-Hill provides this set of online medical books that are both searchable and browsable for students and professionals.
This subscription is limited to two simultaneous users. Please log out when finished.
- ClinicalKey This link opens in a new windowClinicalKey is an online search tool which brings answers from the largest collection of published medical resources in every medical and surgical specialty. It contains comprehensive content with the most current, evidence-based answers available for all medical and surgical specialties.
