Objective: Despite perceived ubiquitous access to information via Google and other popular search engines, access to trustworthy and/or peer-reviewed scholarly/scientific literature remains problematic. And with multiple systems for accessing information, knowing where to begin can be a difficult and overwhelming task; particularly if one is not an expert or familiar with a specific area of study. Thus, the objective of this workshop and guide is to introduce you to the various resources and methods for obtaining information on the biology, fisheries, and management of a chosen fish species. Specifically, we'll discuss using the library's research databases to find journal articles, technical reports, government documents, and other materials related to fisheries.
Using the library, databases, or other sources to find information can be complex and frustrating. If you need help at any time, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to help you.
Starting Points
Encyclopedias and Overview Literature
Articles & eResources
The following databases (i.e. indexes) will be helpful for finding scientific articles regarding fisheries research. Particularly useful databases to begin with are Aquatic Sciences & Fisheries Abstracts , Oceanic Abstracts , and Zoological Record although each of the databases below will likely yield information on your research topics. When searching the databases try searching for your fish's scientific name in the title of articles. Many times, authors of scientific papers will include the fish's scientific name in the title of the paper and this help you find relevant articles easier.
For the most part, the above databases are all citation-based. They do NOT include the full-text of the articles . Also note that each of these is a stand alone database. This means that if you enter a search, they will only tell you what has been published on the term(s) that you entered. You will then need to search the library's catalog to see if the library subscribes to the journal referencing your article. By searching the library's catalog, you will be able to determine if the library has print and/or electronic access to the journal referencing your article. If the library does not subscribe to the journal in which your article was published you will need to use Interlibrary Loan to obtain the article. See the following section for more information on this service.
ASFA is a premier reference database for citations and abstracts of the world's literature dealing with the science, technology and management of marine, freshwater and brackish water environments and organisms. This source combines three major files that cover the biological sciences and living resources; ocean technology, policy and non-living resources, and aquatic pollution and environmental quality. Two specialized files are also included, which are aquaculture and marine biotechnology.
comprehensive index for worldwide journal literature in the life sciences and is one of the most important index to biologists.
Focuses exclusively on worldwide technical literature pertaining to the marine and brackish-water environment, and has long been recognized as a leading source of information on topics relating to oceans. Coverage includes marine biology and physical oceanography, fisheries, aquaculture, non-living resources, meteorology and geology, plus environmental, technological, and legislative topics. Oceanic Abstracts is totally comprehensive in its coverage of living and non-living resources, meteorology and geology, plus environmental, technological, and legislative topics. Documents indexed include journal articles, monographs, technical reports, theses, letters, meeting abstracts, papers and reports. Please see the Oceanic Abstracts Fact Sheet for more information on using this database.
a free resource (1951-present) developed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), PubMed is the most comprehensive biomedical research database. It provides access to 12 million citations and additional life science journals published in the US and 70 foreign countries. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources. Please see the PubMed Overview Sheet for more information or the Guide to Using PubMed for more information on using this database.
a combined catalog of thousands of libraries, including Randall Library. Search WorldCat if you want to search the largest universe of book and other cataloged items.
Books & Library Materials
Journals
Reviews and Important Journals in Fisheries Research
Bulletin of Marine Science
Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences
Copeia
Environmental Biology of Fishes
Estuaries
Fish and Fisheries
Fisheries Research
Fisheries Science
Fishery Bulletin *
ICES Journal of Marine Science
Ichthyological Research
Journal of Aquatic Animal Health
Journal of Fish Biology
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
Journal of the North American Benthological Society
Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science
Marine Biology
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Marine Fisheries Review *
NOAA Professional Paper NMFS series*
NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS* series
North American Journal of Aquaculture
North American Journal of Fisheries Management
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries
Reviews in Fisheries Science
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
NOTE: (*) Each of these publications is published by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA). For more information on each, please click on each title.
Websites
Covers over 25,000 species of fish and has over 70,000 synonyms and 180,000 common names in over 200 languages. Over 35,000 pictures illustrate these fish. Information about them has been extracted from 20,000 references. The classification of higher taxa follows the version of Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes . Data includes family, order, class, environment, climate, importance, resilience, distribution, biology, ecology, diet, reproduction, and references. Developed at the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and many other partners, and with support from the European Commission (EC).
"the world's premier online information system on coral reefs, and provides information services to coral reef professionals involved in management, research, monitoring, conservation and education."
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