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, ASFA & Fish, Fisheries and Aquatic Biodiversity.
Use FishBase to help determine the scientific name of your organism or to explore a family of fishes to pick a particular species. Library literature databases for fish biology/conservation range from databases strictly about fish/aquatic animals (ASFA, Fish/Fisheries & Aquatic Biodiversity), to very broad databases which include ecological or animal behavior literature (BIOSIS Previews & PsycINFO), to specialized databases concerning wildlife (Zoological Record and Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide).
Searching for a fish species requires that one use both the common name and the scientific name. It is possible that the genus may have changed so keep in mind that the same animal may have a different genus name in the older literature.
For example, the best search for coho would be the following:
“Coho Salmon*” OR “Oncorhynchus kisutch*”
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.