BI164 McKee: Researching birds
Researching birds
Find news and research articles about birds online and in library databases.
Government Agency Websites
Government agencies such as the EPA and the Department of Fish and Wildlife conduct substantial scientific research, much of which is freely available online. You can limit a web search to government sources by adding site:gov to a web search. For example,
Here are some recommended government agencies useful for researching environmental issues, including birds.
Find Articles with Google Scholar
Before searching, be sure to set PCC as your library in your browser by:
- Visiting the link to set "Library Links" settings for Google Scholar,
- using the search box to search for "Portland Community College",
- checking the check box that appears underneath the search to select “Portland Community College – Find it @ PCC”,
- and then selecting the Save button.
This will ensure that when you search Google Scholar in your browser, you will see Find It @ PCC links to full text if we have the article (Google Scholar sometimes also provides links to other free sources for full text).
You can learn more about setting Google Scholar preferences on the PCC Library Website.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowGoogle Scholar searches the web for scholarly articles, reports, books, and other materials. If using Google Scholar from a PCC campus, you can access full text articles. If PCC has access to an article, a "Find it @ PCC" link will appear to the right of the search result. Click “Find it @ PCC” to go to the library catalog where you will be offered a choice to view the article. From home, you will need to set your Google Scholar preferences to access PCC Library resources. See How to Search PCC Library on Google Scholar for directions on how to set your Google Scholar preferences at home.
Searching library databases
This six minute video tutorial shows you the fastest way to find articles from PCC Library databases, using the EBSCOHost databases from the Articles tab.
For more tips on selecting effective search terms, watch this three minute video: Brainstorming keywords
Get tips for reading and understanding peer reviewed research articles: How to Read a Scientific Article.
Recommended databases for researching birds
- Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new windowFull text for more than 4,500 scholarly social sciences, humanities, general science, education and multi-cultural journals. 3,700 are peer-reviewed.
- Biological Science Database This link opens in a new windowFull text articles from 280 biology journals, many of them peer-reviewed.
- Building Green This link opens in a new windowProvides comprehensive content on sustainable design practices and green building materials. Shares expertise and lessons learned from design experts working in the field. Builds context for sustainable design strategies and what makes a building product or material green.
- Gardening and Horticulture (Gale OneFile) This link opens in a new windowA collection of more than 100 journals focused on key issues in gardening, landscaping, and other areas of horticulture, with the addition of over 20 subject specific reference sources, this collection provides information for gardening enthusiasts and professionals alike.
- GreenFILE This link opens in a new windowScholarly, government and general-interest content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more.
- Environmental Studies (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new windowVideos, interactive maps, news sources, refereed case studies, and primary source articles are included. Browseable by issue or topic as well as by location.
- ScienceDirect This link opens in a new windowFull text for more than 1,000 peer-reviewed life sciences, Health Science, physical sciences, and engineering journals with citation information for thousands more. Look for the "Full-text available" indicators to view articles online. View the Science Direct handout.
- US Major Dailies This link opens in a new windowFull text newspapers from five U.S. national and regional newspapers: New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune