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BIOL 105: Attributes of Living Systems

Start your research with these databases:

Search Tips

Make a list of keywords for your search topic. Include:

  • Scientific names
  • Common names 
  • Higher classification of a species (e.g., class or family)
  • Synonyms
  • Similar organisms you can use as a comparison
  • Methods / equipment 
  • Connection words: impact, adapt, influence

Google or Wikipedia can be a great resource when looking for keywords!

Do a subject search paired with a keyword search, by changing the dropdown menu from "select a field" to "SU Subjects":

screenshot from biological abstracts of search: subject: fermentation, all fields: rice wine

You can also add connection words, separated by the word "or" in your search query:

screenshot of search in Biological Abstracts with search: all fields - fermentation, all fields - rice wine, all fields - process or procedure or steps

You'll find lots of links on the article record page; click on linked keywords, subjects and other articles in the record and introduction of a source. This will bring you to other articles that share these keywords. The keywords will be linked on the record page like this:

screenshot of keywords and subject terms from a biological abstract record

Note: in Science Direct, highlight a term to create a prompt to search the database for that term.

term highlighted in science direct and a search box reading "search" popping up from the highlighted word

A peer-reviewed article has been examined by other experts in the field to make sure the research is scientifically sound. Original research published in a peer-reviewed journal will be considered peer reviewed; you can find out if a journal is peer reviewed by looking at the journal's website. Many databases will have a "peer reviewed" filter that you can apply to your search results:

in Biological Abstracts the peer-reviewed filter appears under "limit to"

The majority of articles found in the ScienceDirect database are peer reviewed. Occasionally there are pieces in a peer reviewed journal that are not technically peer reviewed research articles, such as book reviews or literature reviews. However, if it is a research article (i.e., if it's original research) in a peer reviewed journal, then the article would be considered peer reviewed.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar Search

Tomlinson Library has registered our journal holdings with Google Scholar.  After setting up full text linking for CMU (see next section), you can search Google Scholar and see the full text of articles available through our databases.

Google Scholar can be a great resource for accessing scientific research. Go to scholar.google.com and enter your keywords. Use an advanced search to be more specific about which phrases you'd like included in your search. Google Search also offers useful tools, like the "related articles" link to see articles on a similar topic and the "cite" button to generate a citation in common citation styles. 

Google Scholar

Tell Google Scholar you’re affiliated with Colorado Mesa and you’ll be linked to resources in our databases:

  1. To access Google Scholar, click on the Google Scholar link logo above
  2. Click on the Settings link from the menu at the top of the page
  3. Select Library links from the left-hand menu 
  4. Type “Colorado Mesa University” in the Show library access links box 
  5. Check the box next to Colorado Mesa University—Full-text available
  6. Click Save to save this setting

Google Scholar can be used to search on a topic, but it is especially effective for tracking down a specific article.  If an article is available in full text through the library databases, a link will be provided to the full text.