Most databases provide a description of articles and other resources to help you find what you need by searching through the indexed literature within their website. Included as part of the item record is the “Get it at UC” button. Clicking this button will direct you to a copy of the full text of the article.
If we do not own a journal or book, you can submit an interlibrary loan (ILL) request to have the book or article (e)mailed to you for free from another UC library. Learn more about how to request books or articles.
In deciding which database(s) to use, it is helpful to note:
NOTE: Your database comparison table distributed in the class (and also to be available from your Canvas class site) helps with locating the above criteria for four of the key databases for finding animal-related literature: BIOSIS Previews, Zoological Record, CAB Abstracts & ASFA.
Search BIOSIS Previews for the basic biology of birds including: anatomy and physiology, behavior, ecology, genetics, molecular biology, nutrition and feeding, reproduction, and taxonomy and systematics.
Use Zoological Record for rarer species which mostly have scientific literature from field work/studies and for conservation and taxonomy/systematics information.
Search CAB Abstracts (world’s largest international agricultural database) for domesticated birds including poultry. Both CAB Abstracts and PubMed are key databases for Veterinary Medicine.
ASFA (Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts) is useful for locating publications on seabirds.
A peer-reviewed source is an article that has been reviewed by several other experts in the field before being published in order to ensure its quality. This 2 minute video describes the peer review process.
Many databases allow you to specify that you want to search only in “peer-reviewed” or “refereed” sources.
Search online for your journal’s title. Sections like “about this journal” or “editorial policies” generally mention whether the journal is peer-reviewed/refereed.
Use the Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory to find key information about a journal, including whether it has a peer-review process.