Environmental and Sustainability Studies
Find sources
Find good keywords
- Keyword tool: This tool from the University of Texas at Austin guides you through the process of creating a keyword search.
- Using Boolean logic: This pdf from the University of Toronto explains how to use AND, OR, NOT, " ", * , and other modifiers in your search.
Choose a database (or use Library Search)
- Databases: specialized resources to find scholarly sources about a specific area, such as sciences, agriculture, medicine, etc.
- Library Search: search the entire library's holdings, including books and articles.
Evaluate your sources
How do you know if your sources are credible?
- Watch this video from North Carolina State University Library about evaluating sources.
- Consult this guide from the University of Texas Libraries.
Get sources from outside WMU
If a source you need is not available in our library, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan.
Get help
If you aren't finding the articles you need, or are unable to access the articles you find, contact a librarian.
- email me
- make an appointment to meet virtually or in-person
- contact the library with email or live chat
Environmental Science Databases
- GreenFILE This link opens in a new window
A multidisciplinary database of scholarly, government, and general-interest titles on environmental topics. Subjects covered include global climate change, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. The database provides indexing and abstracts for approximately 295,000 records, as well as Open Access full-text for more than 4,600 records.
- Scopus This link opens in a new windowIndexes scholarly literature in the natural and social sciences. Use this to get extensive inter-disciplinary access to journal articles and also to find out which articles are being cited by other scholars . Cited references from 1970-present, records from 1788-present. NOTE: WMU users do not have access to SciVal through Scopus
- Biodiversity Heritage LibraryThe Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is the world’s largest open access digital library for biodiversity literature and archives. The BHL portal provides free access to hundreds of thousands of volumes, comprising over 60 million pages, from the 15th-21st centuries.
- AGRICOLA (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
Covers agriculture, forestry and animal science, includes food science and nutrition. Updated monthly.
- BioOne This link opens in a new windowBioOne provides aggregation of high-impact bioscience research journals, featuring timely content on a wide-array of today’s most pressing topics, including global warming, stem cell research, ecological and biodiversity conservation. User Guides and Tutorials are available at this link. Content available through July 2020
- GeoRef This link opens in a new window
Major index for geology and earth sciences which includes journal articles, books, maps, conference papers, reports, and theses. Coverage for North America from 1666 to Current; Coverage for International from 1933 to Current. Over 100,000 new records added annually.
- Dissertations and Theses Global (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Indexes virtually all doctoral dissertations and many masters theses produced in the U.S. since 1861. Dissertations from other countries date back to 1637. Abstracts available from 1980. Full-text for dissertations are being added continually. Most since 1997 are full-text, though some authors choose not to make their work available. Print and microfilm copies are offered for a fee, but request the item via Interlibrary Loan before paying for a copy.
New search functionality includes metadata from Clarivate's Citation Connection. To ensure your search results take advantage of this new functionality, please add “AND ref(1)“ to your search terms.
