Geology -- Information Strategy/Sources

Information Strategy -- a basic guide for tracking down relevant, high-quality information needed for papers, lab reports, discussions, and other purposes

1. Define ... a topic by gathering background/overview information; help formulate your question

Sources:

Glossary of Geology (in paper)

Natural Communities (glossary; The Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory's recognized Natural Communities, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)

The Historical Atlas of the Earth: A Visual Exploration of the Earth's Physical Past (in paper)

AccessScience (the online version of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and Yearbooks, current science news from Science News magazine, biographies of scientists, and more)

Additional relevant encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other publications that may provide this type of information and are available locally can be located by searching the Library Catalog.

2. Identify ... specific sources of information about the defined topic--to answer your question

Databases (1 general/non-technical -- in-depth/primary 3):

1. LexisNexis Academic (useful for coverage of newspapers and some popular magazines 1980's-present; use the Power Search)

To supplement the above database, try --

Academic Search Premier

Grinnell College Libraries Catalog (for other than articles)

For materials published prior to the beginning of the above databases, try --

Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (in paper; covers 1890-present)

2. GEOBASE (description)

To supplement the above database, try --

United States Federal Government Documents

WorldCat (description; for non-article publications)

3. GeoRef (description; contact Science Librarian for use of this database)

Reference Sources:

U.S. Geological Survey

National Geologic Map Database (USGS)

State Geological Surveys

3. Locate ... the publications identified above at Grinnell or elsewhere--get your information

Grinnell College Libraries Catalog

Search for Full Text (journal, magazine, and newspaper articles; Article Linker)

U.S. Geological Survey Publications Warehouse

Interlibrary Loan

Other Library Catalogs:

Iowa State University Library Catalog

University of Iowa Libraries Catalog

4. Evaluate ... the validity, objectivity, and usefulness of the information