Welcome to A Biologist's Guide to Library Resources! This site is dedicated to teaching essential library research skills for every practicing and aspiring scientist. Whether you are writing a paper or designing an experiment, the critical first step is to find relevant reviews and original papers that have been published on your research topic. This guide will teach you how to identify, locate, evaluate, and use many different kinds of library resources.

After using this guide, you will be able to:       Efficiently search periodical databases such as Medline or Biological Abstracts Locate full-text journal articles in both print and full-text electronic versions Search for web resources on biological topics Evaluate and properly format citations of articles and websites       A Biologist's Guide to Library Resources is designed to complement intermediate and advanced biology courses: if you'd like a more basic review, take a look at the Biology 14 Library Resources site. The Biology 14 site provides ideas for identifying a research topic, a description of the cycle of scientific literature, and an overview of the different types of library resources that are available, along with strategies for their effective use.       No matter what field of biology interests you, this guide will provide you with library research skills that you'll use over and over again. In addition, check out the course listings to find reference materials, journal lists, and websites relevant to specific areas of biology.