| Primary Contact: |
|---|
| Peter Fritzler |
| Email: |
| fritzlerp@uncw.edu |
| Phone: |
| 910-962-7807 |
| IM Chat Name: |
| AIM: peterfritzler1 |
BIO 495: Biology of the Brain
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. Specifically, this guide will address methods for beginning your research, finding journal articles, and other sources of information.
I. Encyclopedias and Overview Literature (back to top)
If you are not familiar with a topic when beginning your research a great place to begin is with a specialized encyclopedia. These types of materials are excellent resources for summarizing what is known by scientists, what questions or issues remain, and often include suggestions regarding directions for future research. Often, these materials are authored by highly regarded scientists who have made lasting contributions to the particular field of research. The following list provides a topical overviews, bibliographies, and other related information in the study of the biology of the brain. The library maintains many more sources than those listed here, so it is important to search the library's catalog and/or browse the the shelves around these titles to locate other relavant materials.
Selected Books (available in library's Reference Collection - located to the right of the library's entrance).
- Barrows, Edward M. Animal Behavior Desk Reference: a Dictionary of Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution
Call Number: QL750.3 .B37 2001
- Blachford, Stacey L. The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders
Call Number: RB155.5 .G35 2002
- Friday, Adrian, and David S. Ingram, eds. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
Call Number: QH307.2 .C36 1985
- Grzimek, Bernhard. Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Ethology
Call Number: QL751 .G8945
- Immelmann, Klaus, and Colin Beer, eds. Dictionary of Ecology
Call Number: QL750.3 .I4513 1989
- Pagal, Mark. Encyclopedia of Evolution - (2 volumes)
Call Number: QH360.2.E54 2002
- Ramachandran, V.S., ed. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior - (4 volumes)
Call Number: BF31 .E5 1994
Selected Books (available in the library's General Collection) (back to top)
- Alcock, John. Animal behavior: an Evolutionary Approach. 6th ed.
Call Number: QL751 .A58 1998
- Allen, Colin, and Marc Bekoff. Species of Mind: the Philosophy and Biology of Cognitive Ethology.
Call Number: QL785 .A585 1997
- Burghardt, Gordon M. Foundations of Comparative Ethology.
Call Number: QL751.6 .F67 1985
- Calvin, William H. A Brief History of the Mind: from Apes to Intellect and Beyond.
Call Number: QP360.5 .C348 2004
- Eichenbaum, Howard. The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory: an Introduction.
Call Number: QP406 .E334 32002
- Ferrier, David. The Functions of the Brain.
Call Number: QP361 .E44 2000
- Finger, Stanley. Minds Behind the Brain: a History of the Pioneers and their Discoveries.
Call Number: QP353 .F548 2000
- Ghazanfar, Asif A. Primate Audition: Ethology and Neurobiology.
Call Number: QP383.15 .P75 2003
- Kesner, Raymond P., and David S. Olton, eds. Neurobiology of Comparative Cognition.
Call Number: QP356.15 .N45 1990
- Haug, Marc, and Richard E. Whalen. Animal Models of Human Emotion and Cognition .
Call Number: BF671 .A55 1999
- LeDoux, Joseph E. Synaptic Self: How our Brains Become Who We Are.
Call Number: QP402 .L43 2002
- McCance, Kathryn L., and Sue E. Huether, eds. Pathophysiology: the Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children.
Call Number: RB113 .M35 2002
- McClelland, James L., & Robert S. Siegler, eds. Mechanisms of Cognitive Development: Behavioral & Neural Perspectives. Call Number: BF311 .M4333 2001
- Parker, Sue Taylor, Jonas Langer, & Michael L. McKinney, editors. Biology, Brains, & Behavior, the Evolution of Human Development. Call Number: BF701 .B56 2000
- Rose, Steven. The Future of the Brain: the Promise and Perils of Tomorrow's Neuroscience.
Call Number: QP376 .R679 2005
- Squire, Larry R., et al. Fundamental Neuroscience. 2nd ed.
Call Number: QP355.2 .F862 2003
II. Reviews and Important Journals (back to top)
|
|
III. Finding Scientific Articles (back to top)
As you begin researching a topic, you may not be aware of any published material on your subject. And with multiple systems for accessing information, knowing where to begin can be a difficult and overwhelming task; particularly if one is not familiar with that specific area of study. However, knowing what sources are available for finding this information, and how to search through these sources is a critical function of a well-trained scientist/researcher.
To help you begin learning about core bibliographic databases in the study of brain biology a list of these resources is provided below. These should also help you find scientific/scholarly journal articles related to your presentations for this class. Please note that each database has a limited scope, so depending on your topic it may be necessary to search one or more of these databases.
Key Databases (i.e. indexes) for Finding Articles (back to top)
Note: These databases are stand alone resources and primarily citation-based; i.e. they will not generally contain the full-text of the articles listed. You will need to search the library's catalog to determine 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 access to your article.
If you find that the library does not subscribe to the journal referencing your article or is missing the journal issue that contains your article, use the library's Interlibrary Loan service and the library will obtain it for you from another university. This is a FREE service! All you need to do is give us the citation and we'll do the rest. All you need to do is create an account so that you can submit the information to us and so we know who to send the article to when it arrives. This service also applies to books.
Don't wait until the last minute to do your research. Interlibrary Loan requests can take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks to fill so make sure you give yourself enough time to obtain the best information possible for your paper!
- Biological Abstracts - both the electronic (1969-present) and print editions (1926-1996) are available through Randall Library. Biological Abstracts (BA) is the most comprehensive index for worldwide journal literature in the life sciences and is one of the most important index to biologists. Please see the BA Fact Sheet and Guide for more information on using this database.
- PsycInfo - published by American Psychological Association, PsycInfo is the leading citation database indexing the psychological literature (1887-present), and includes citations to articles and book chapters in psychology and behavioral sciences. Please see How to search PsycInfo and Classification Codes for more information on using this database.
- PubMed - a free resource (1950s-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 Fact Sheet and Guide for more information on using this database.
- Web of Science - provides a unique search method for cited reference searching. A favorite tool among scientists, users can navigate forward, backward, and through the literature (2002-present), searching multiple disciplines to explore how many times an author or article has been cited and by whom, and to located later publications that cite a specific article.
- Zoological Record - the premier resource comprehensively indexing literature in zoology, ZooRecord indexes every aspect of zoology including biochemistry, behavior, ecology, evolution, genetics, etc. ZooRecord indexes over 4,500 international serials, and includes approximately 1,500 non-serial publications (i.e. professional journals, magazines, newsletters, monographs, books, reviews, and conference proceedings). ZooRecord is published by BIOSIS and the Zoological Society of London. Please see the Zoological Record Fact Sheet for more information on using this database.
IV. Selected Internet Resources (back to top)
- Animal Behaviour Society - purpose of this society is to promote and encourage the biological study of animal behavior in the broadest sense, including studies at all levels of organization using both descriptive and experimental methods under natural and controlled conditions. The ABS co-publishes the journal, Animal Behaviour.
- Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour - Founded in 1936 to promote the study of animal behaviour, and membership is open to all who share this interest. There are now approximately 2000 members, mostly drawn from Britain and Europe. Many members are professional biologists who work in universities, research institutes or schools. The ASAB co-publishes the journal, Animal Behaviour.
Atlases of the Brain - available from the University of Utah Health Sciences Center, the atlases include brain and spinal cord images and MRIs of the brain. Content is freely available for non-profit use by health science educators. Interactive features allow the user to request an outline of structures or a quiz on the image content. Please see the site's disclaimer for more information: http://www.utah.edu/disclaimer/index.html
-
CogNet - the CogNet Library is a growing collection of searchable electronic texts for the cognitive and brain sciences. The Library contains works from the MIT Press, as well as content and links to resources from other publishers, professional associations, institutions, and individuals who are willing to share public access to online work.
- CogPrints - an "archive for self-archive papers in any area of psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics, and many areas of computer science, philosophy, biology, as well as any other portions of the physical, social and mathematical sciences that are pertinent to the study of cognition." Free registration required.
- Evolutionary Psychology: A Primer - an introduction to evolutionary psychology by Leda Cosmides & John Tooby at the Center for Evolutionary Psychology at the University of California-Santa Barbara.
- Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences - the Federation is a coalition of 19 member organizations, university departments of psychology, schools of education, research centers, regional psychological associations and science divisions of the American Psychological Association (APA). Efforts are focused on legislative and regulatory advocacy, education and getting information to scientists.
- Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology - Members include: The American Physiological Society, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, American Society for Investigative Pathology, American Society for Nutritional Sciences, The American Association of Immunologists, Biophysical Society, American Association of Anatomists, The Protein Society, American Society for Bone & Mineral Research, American Society for Clinical Investigation, The Endocrine Society, The American Society of Human Genetics, and Society for Developmental Biology .
- MedlinePlus - available from the National Library of Medicine has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 600 diseases and conditions including information on the brain. Also included are lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to clinical trials.
The Health Topics homepage now showcases new graphical elements and an expanded color palette. Links to frequently requested topics and special resources are also featured prominently. Fourteen clickable, illustrated body maps were added to provide an interactive way to navigate to MedlinePlus health topics. Each of the Body Locations/Systems on the Health Topics homepage links to an interactive body map and a listing of related health topics. All of these enhancements are available in both English and Spanish.
- The Whole Brain Atlas - Available from the Harvard Medical School, the site provides still pictures and movies (*.html and *.mpg files) of the brain. The site creators allow use and distribution of these materials for educational purposes as long as proper credit is provided. For more copyright information, see: http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/cprt.html
V. Communicating Scientific Research (back to top)
The following titles (available in the library's General Collection) may be helpful to you as you develop technical writing and speaking skills:
-
Chicago Guide to Communicating Science.
Call Number: T10.5 .M65 2003 -
Communicating in Science: Writing a Scientific Paper & Speaking at Scientific Meetings.
Call Number: Q223 .B664 1993 -
Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed & Critical Errors to Avoid.
Call Number: Q223.A44 2003 -
Dazzle 'Em with Style : the Art of Oral Scientific Presentation.
Call Number: Q223 .A63 1994 -
Doing Science: Design, Analysis, and Communication of Scientific Research.
Call Number: Q180.A1 V35 2001 -
Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers.
Ready Reference Collection Call Number: T11 .S386 1994
For a more extensive guide on communicating scientific research, please see the following guide: Resources for Evaluating, Developing, and Presenting Scientific Proposals and Papers