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GES 150/GEOPHYS 199: Senior Seminar: Issues in Earth Sciences

GES 150/GEOPHYS 199 - Fall 2014 - Instructor: Klemperer, S., and Bird, D
Last Updated: 2-Oct-2014

Research and resources for Senior Seminar: Issues in Earth Sciences

Databases

 Not sure where to start? Try one of these databases.

Santa Fe, N.M.: Deep Web Technologies
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)
xSearch allows you to search multiple databases at one time. Resources searched include abstracts and indexes that cover articles, conference proceedings, patents, and technical reports. xSearch resources also include full-text resources (books, journals, and reference materials).
Alexandria, Va. : American Geological Institute,
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)
Covers worldwide technical literature on geology, geophysics and geochemistry. Coverage: 1785 - present
[S.l.] : Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, [199-]-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)
Covers environmental sciences topics, including ecology, energy resources, and pollution issues. Coverage Dates: 1967 - present
[New York] : Elsevier, 2004-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)
Updated daily, Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. It provides international coverage of literature in science, technology, and medicine, and social sciences plus related content in the arts & humanities. Also includes articles in-press. Coverage: 1996-present.
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)
Search 10,000+ journals across the sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities. Move backward or forward in time using cited/citing references. Updated weekly, covers Sciences 1899-present, Social Sciences 1898-present, and Arts and Humanities 1975-present.
[New York] : JSTOR [New York] : ITHAKA, 1995-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)
Core scholarly journals in the humanities, social sciences, and basic sciences from the earliest issues to within a few years of current publication. 

Searching Tips

  • Less is more!  If you don't find enough results on cycling of nitrates, instead try nitrogen.
  • Expand time or geography. If you don't find enough results on Post-Eocene San Joaquin-Tulare Basins, instead try (mesozioc or paleozoic or precambrain) AND San Joaquin.
  • Limit with caution. Certain limiting features may limit your retrieval in ways you don't expect. Some recommended limits are: Source Type, Date, and Limiting to “Peer reviewed” (in Basic and Advanced Search).
  • GeoRef search tip: The truncation symbol is an asterisk (*) and the wildcard is a questionmark (?). Using the * on a word will look for ALL possible variations for that word:

environment* will search for environment, environmental, environments …

[*3]magnet* will search for magnetic, demagnetization, geomagnetic, geomagnetism …

geolog*  will search for geology, geologic, and geological

  • Remember to use Boolean logic. Use the OR search connector to search for different phrasings. If you use AND and OR search commands in the same search, put parentheses around the OR terms: try (mesozioc or paleozoic or precambrain) AND San Joaquin.

To specify a location, consider your site at different scales. For information about Lake Tahoe, use terms like:

  • Lake Tahoe
  • Northern Sierra Nevada
  • State names (California and Nevada); County names

Also add geologically-related terms:

  • tectonics
  • stratigraphy
  • paleogeography
  • mines and mining

And consider both time periods and rock formations:

  • Cambrian, Pleistocene, etc.
  • Navajo Sandstone

Subject Searching: For a more directed search, do a subject search. In a subject search, you need to use official Library of Congress terminology. This type of language might not seem natural to you, but if you are not having any luck with keywords, it can be quite useful. For example, to find a guide for the Lake Tahoe region, you would type:

  • Geology--California--Guidebooks
  • Geology--Tahoe, Lake, Region (Calif. and Nev.)--Guidebooks
  • Geology--Nevada--Reno Region--Guidebooks

Other "official" subject terms include:

  • Geology, Structural
  • Faults (Geology)
  • Geology, Stratigraphic
  • Geology, Stratigraphic--Pleistocene
  • Plate tectonics

Subject Terms

For the subject Geochemistry
search also under the broader term: Chemistry
search also under the broader term: Earth sciences
search also under the narrower term: Analytical geochemistry
search also under the narrower term: Biogeochemistry

More Subject Terms

 

 

Data

Properties Databases

[Gaithersburg, Md.?] : National Institute of Standards and Technology
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)
The NIST Data Gateway provides easy access to NIST scientific and technical data. These data cover a broad range of substances and properties from many different scientific disciplines.
[Frankfurt, Germany ; New York, NY] : Elsevier
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)
Reaxys Xcelerate is a fully integrated electronic chemistry database that contains organic, inorganic and organometallic substance, property, and reaction data for small molecules housed previously in the Beilstein, Gmelin, and Chemistry Patent databases. Coverage from 1771- present.
Berlin : Springer, 2009-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)
SpringerMaterials is based on the Landolt-Börnstein New Series, the unique, fully evaluated data collection in all areas of physical sciences and engineering. SpringerMaterials also comprises the Dortmund Data Bank Software & Separation Technology, a Database on Thermophysical Properties and the Linus Pauling Files, a Database on Inorganic Solid Phases and chemical safety data. This resource is expanded and updated on a quarterly basis and offers advanced search & navigation functionalities.

Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and Handbooks

Major Reference Works and Encyclopedias

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002.
Green Library » InfoCenter (non-circulating) » GE149 .E47 2002 V.1
This encyclopedia captures the current knowledge of natural and anthropogenic changes in the physical, chemical, and biological systems and resources, and explores the effects of those on changes on human society.
New York : Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1966-
Earth Sciences Library (Branner) » Reference (non-circulating) » QE501 .E56
The Springer Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series provides comprehensive and authoritative coverage of all the main areas in the Earth Sciences.
Washington, D.C. : NCSE
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)
The Encyclopedia of Earth is a reference about the Earth, its natural environments, and their interaction with society. EoE is a free, expert-reviewed collection of content presented in a style intended to be useful to students, educators, scholars, professionals, as well as to the general public.

Dictionaries

Premium collection Oxford ; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, c2002-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)

Oxford Reference Online brings together language and subject reference works from one of the world's biggest and most trusted reference publishers into a single cross-searchable resource. The Premium Collection offers a huge range of fully-indexed, extensively linked, up to date, and cross-searchable dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press.

Handbooks

[Norwich, N.Y.] : Knovel, 2003-
Stanford University Libraries » Online resource » (no call number)

Knovel provides access to over 2,000 leading reference works and databases from over 50 international publishers and professional societies through a single interface.

Writing Help

A list of resources to assist with writing and publishing in the sciences.

2nd, comp. rev. ed. Weinheim ; Cambridge : Wiley-VCH, 2004.
Chemistry & ChemEng Library (Swain) » Stacks » QD9.15 .E23 2004
PRINT ONLY. Coming to the aid of all those wishing to improve the quality of their scientific writing -- established researchers and aspiring students alike -- three experienced authors / scientists from differing backgrounds and cultures have compiled this classic guide.
Boston : Pearson, c2012.
Earth Sciences Library (Branner) » Reference (non-circulating) » QE48.85 .C67 2012
PRINT ONLY. Instruction concerning the rules and styles of writing and speaking are addressed in relation to technical concerns specific to the Earth sciences, illustrating the importance of effective communication in geologic investigations. The book includes guidance on how to write an effective research paper, and the creation of PowerPoints, posters, a thesis, funding proposals, and more is covered in detail.
5th ed. Alexandria, Va. : American Geological Institute, c1995.
Earth Sciences Library (Branner) » Stacks » QE48.85 .G46 1995
PRINT ONLY. This introduction to writing, editing, and printing will help students and scientists cope with a process that many dread - the process that starts with a decision to write something for publication.
New York : Springer, c2011.
Biology Library (Falconer) » Stacks » T11 .B543 2011
ONLINE. This guide provides a framework, starting from simple statements, for writing papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals.