LibGuides: Biology: Using Library Resources

Using Library Resources

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Recommended Databases for Biology Research

ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
Use this general science database to find full text articles, technical reports, and medical research.
PubMed This link opens in a new window
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A great place to start for health, science, and psychology research. Narrow your search to clinical trials or by using the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH). If you connect to PubMed through this link you can use the "Find It @ CSUDH Lib" button to access the full text in our library databases.
Scopus This link opens in a new window
Scopus is an abstract and citation database updated daily. This large multidisciplinary database specializes in the life sciences, social sciences, physical sciences and health sciences. It provides tools for tracking citations, creating researcher profiles, and visualizing search results. Use the "Find It @ CSUDH Lib" button to access the full text in another library database.
USDA National Agricultural Library This link opens in a new window
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One of the world's largest collections devoted to agriculture and its related sciences.

Reading a Scientific Paper

Most scientific papers follow a similar format - and most scientists do not read a paper in a linear format from start to finish. Understanding the format will help you make sense of the paper quicker.

A typical paper will be structured:

Abstract - a brief summary of what you can expect in the paper

Introduction and Literature Review - how this study fits in to the existing research

Methods - the design of the experiment, data collected, and how the analysis is conducted

Results - the results of the study

Discussion - what those results mean and future work that can be done

How to Read A Scientific Paper
Infographic on suggested order for reading a scientific paper

Google Scholar is a search tool where you can find scholarly sources like peer-reviewed articles, dissertations, theses, and books with Google's simple look and feel. Add CSUDH in Library Links to connect Google Scholar to OneSearch to get the full text through our library subscriptions. You can also use Google Scholar to find freely available PDFs, trace citations, look up authors profiles and journal metrics, and generate a citation.

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Accessing Library Resources Off-Campus

If you're following a permalink from your instructor in Blackboard, a library database link, or a full text link in OneSearch, you will be prompted to log in to the CSUDH Authentication Service using your CSUDH username and password. Or, sign in to My Account in OneSearch.

Trouble logging in? Check that you are not mistyping your username or password, try clearing your browser cookies and cache, or reset your password at password.csudh.edu.

If you have questions about resetting your password, please contact the IT Help Desk or call (310) 243-2500.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

If a book or article isn’t available through one of the library’s subscriptions, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan. Interlibrary Loan is a resource sharing service with libraries across the country that provides research materials at no cost to you. If you're requesting an article or book chapter, you'll receive a copy as a PDF.

First, check to see if it's available in OneSearch or another library database. Look for the Find It @ CSUDH Lib button.

Find it @ CSUDH Lib button.

You can also borrow books from other CSU campuses and have them delivered to the CSUDH Library. Look for the Request through CSU+ option in OneSearch.

For more information about borrowing books from the library, check out the Library's "Borrowing Materials" page.