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Biology

Article Databases

Google Scholar

TO ACCESS FULL TEXT: Go to SETTINGS, then LIBRARY LINKS and add FGCU Library.

Google Scholar Search

Helpful Hints

  • Consider broader or narrower terms if needed.
  • For species, try common name and scientific name.
  • Try synonyms and alternate spellings, i.e. cancer OR carcinogen OR carcinogenic
  • Use quotes to search for an "exact phrase"
  • Use an asterisk (*) for truncation, i.e. educat* = educate, educated, education
  • Try searching different fields i.e. Title, Abstract, Subject etc.
  • Sort and narrow results by Publication Date, Source Type, Subject, etc.
  • Once you've found a relevant article:
    • Look at the citing and cited references to find more articles
    • Look at the conclusion for directions for future research

Peer-Reviewed Journals

Peer reviewed (or refereed) journals have been reviewed by a panel of subject experts, a researcher's "peers."  Peer reviewers scrutinize articles for significance, relevance, sound research design, accurate presentation, and clarity before they are accepted for publication.

Many databases allow searches to be limited to peer-reviewed journals. Look for a limit box to check for peer-reviewed or refereed. You can also use Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory to check a journal's peer-reviewed status. Look for a referee jersey icon to indicate that a journal is peer-reviewed.

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