WMU Research Guides: Environmental and Sustainability Studies: Exploring / Choosing a topic

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, 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 in the list 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:

Library Search
Use the filters to the left of the search results to select "books".
Most of our more recent science books are available as e-books. To access physical books, come to the library and ask at the desk for help finding it on the shelf.

Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of the Anthropocene by Michael I. Goldstein (Editor-In-Chief); Dominick A. DellaSala (Editor-In-Chief)
Publication Date: 2017
Covering 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.
Imperiled: the Encyclopedia of Conservation by Dominick A. DellaSala (Editor-In-Chief); Michael I. Goldstein (Editor-In-Chief)
Publication Date: 2022
This book provides a global synthesis of the world’s imperiled species and ecosystems. It documents rarity and endangerment, the major drivers of loss, areas of conservation importance, and implementation strategies to save and restore imperiled species and ecosystems.
Encyclopedia of Ecology by Brian D. Fath
Publication Date: 2018
Offers the most broad-ranging and comprehensive resource available in the field of ecology Provides foundational content and suggests further reading Incorporates the expertise of over 500 outstanding investigators in the field of ecology, including top young scientists with both research and teaching experience.
Routledge Handbook of Global Environmental Politics by Paul G. Harris (Editor)
Publication Date: 2022
This handbook brings together leading international academic experts to provide a comprehensive and authoritative survey of global environmental politics.
Comprehensive Renewable Energy by Trevor Letcher (Editor-In-Chief)
Publication Date: 2022
Provides a one-stop resource and a contemporary review of current renewable energy research Presents meticulously organized chapters that are split into key topics Written by academics and practitioners from various fields and regions to ensure that the knowledge within is easily understood by, and applicable to, a large audience
Encyclopedia of Inland Waters by Klement Tockner (Editor-In-Chief); Thomas Mehner (Editor-In-Chief)
Publication Date: 2022
Focuses on a variety of key areas surrounding inland waters, from the distribution of water on Earth to the properties of water, including the hydrologic cycle, the physics of water movement in lakes and rivers; it includes topics such as waterborne diseases, the metabolism of aquatic ecosystems, pollution conservation, biodiversity, pollution and cycling of chemicals.