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Biological sciences resources and support

Your Subject Librarian

Barbara Costello

Other Biological Sciences Library staff can answer your more general library queries.

Recommend other items

Biological sciences resources are available in these libraries

Most biology resources are held in the Biological Sciences Library. Use the Library catalogue to find the classmark for an item.

Other related resources can be found in the following libraries:

  • psychology - in the Arts and Social Sciences Library
  • palaeontology - in the Wills Library
  • environmental science - in the Geography Library
  • microbiology, neurobiology, genetics, biochemistry and parasitology - in the Medical Library
  • veterinary science - in the Veterinary Science Library

New books

  • New books are displayed on the New Book Display in the Biological Sciences Library for two weeks, during which time they may be reserved using the Library Catalogue but not borrowed.

Course based materials

A wide range of materials to support biology courses are available in the Biological Sciences Library (ask at the Desk):

  • Recommended textbooks: in the Short Loan Collection (SLC) and, often, long loan copies in the Desk collection (details are on the catalogue).
  • Reading lists: available for consultation at the Library Desk
  • Most biology undergraduate course materials, including examination papers, workshop questions & answers, and some lecturer’s notes, are available on Blackboard or on the School's website at www.bio.bris.ac.uk/

Thesis collection

Biological Sciences PhD theses are available in the thesis collection in the Arts and Social Sciences Library.

Special collections

The Biological Sciences Library contains a special collection of rare books.

How to find books, journals, and more

Inter-Library Loans and ILL vouchers

The Inter-Library Loans (ILL) service can be used to obtain Items not held in print in the University  libraries or available online. There is a charge for this service, though it may be possible to obtain an Inter-library loan voucher to pay for this:

  • Biological Sciences academic staff should be able to obtain an Inter-library loan voucher from CD6.
  • Biological Sciences research postgraduates may be able to obtain an Inter-library loan voucher to pay for this from from your supervisor.
  • Biological Sciences undergraduates and taught postgraduates may be able to obtain an Inter-library loan voucher to pay for this from your tutor. Please ask before you make the request.

Information for academic staff and researchers

  • Our Research support pages cover finding information, managing information, and exploiting your research, together with sources of further help and advice.
  • Each academic department in the university has its own library representative, whose duties are detailed in these guidelines. The Library Representative for Biological Sciences is Prof. Mark Beaumont.
  • The School's Information Services Committee meets each term and deals with library issues.
  • Book purchase recommendations can be made using the 'Make a book suggestion' option at the top of this page or to the Subject Librarian for Biological Sciences.
  • New journal / database subscription requests can be made to the Subject Librarian for Biological Sciences, though you will need to suggest how we might fund a new subscription.
  • New academic staff are welcome to contact the Subject Librarian to arrange a session on how the Library can help you.

Databases

Internet links

Effective use of the Internet

  • Virtual Training Suite -a set of free Internet tutorials to help you develop Internet research skills for your university course.

Subject gateways

  • SciCentral - a gateway to science resources on the web, including the life sciences.
  • Web Virtual Library Biosciences - lists biomedical subject resources, including genetics, microbiology, neurobiology, physiology and biophysics.

Organisations and institutions

Other useful resources

Quick reference tools

Resources available in the Biological Sciences Library

  • Chambers biology dictionary - at 02.1 CHA
  • Oxford concise dictionary of botany - at 02.1 ALL
  • A Student's dictionary of zoology - at 02.1 LEF
  • The Plant book (Mabberley) - at 02.1 MAB
  • A Dictionary of ecology, evolution and systematics - at 02.1 LIN
  • The Oxford Companion to animal behaviour - at 71 OXF
  • Grzimek's animal life encyclopedia - at a complete set in Biological Sciences Library at 70.1 GRZ
  • The Cambridge encyclopedia of human evolution - at 22.3 JON
  • The new encyclopedia of mammals - 99 MAC
  • Encyclopedia of plant physiology - at 45 ENC
  • The Cambridge encyclopaedia of ornithology - at e BRO
  • Handbook of birds of the world - at b HAN

Reviews and bibliographies

Reading review articles can be a good way of familiarising yourself with a topic quickly. Review articles can be published in normal journals, or in review type journals like the following. In many databases you can search for review articles, eg by refining search results in Web of Science by Document type.

Annual reviews in Biological Sciences

Advances in Biological Sciences

  • in the Biological Sciences Library at Per ADV

Bibliography of biology

  • in the Biological Sciences Library at 01

Information skills training for undergraduates

  • A number of general 'Self-learning resources' are available below, including video tutorials, downloadable library guides, and web resources.
  • Find out about referencing in your written work and EndNote referencing software in 'Referencing help'.

Information skills training for postgraduates

  • A number of general 'Self-learning resources' are available below, including video tutorials, downloadable library guides, and web resources.
  • Find out about referencing in your written work and EndNote referencing software in 'Referencing help'.

Self-learning resources

  • Video tutorials - topics include the Library Catalogue, understanding references on reading lists, using the MetaLib resource gateway, off-campus access to eResources, etc.
  • Finding and using information pages - covering key aspects of information skills, including researching a topic, effective use of Google, evaluating your search results, avoiding plagiarism, etc. Also includes a Jargon-buster page.
  • Library guides - downloadable guides to each branch library, our main search tools, special library services, etc.
  • External resources for developing your information skills - including online tutorials and downloadable guides.
  • Find out about referencing in your written work and EndNote referencing software in 'Referencing help'.

Referencing

  • General referencing guidance - includes Why reference? What is included in a reference? Referencing styles, How to reference, Links to useful sites on referencing, and brief details of EndNote and EndNote Web referencing software (see the EndNote referencing software section below for more details).

Referencing guidance

Referencing

  • General referencing guidance
    includes Why reference? What is included in a reference? Referencing styles, How to reference, Links to useful sites on referencing, and brief details of EndNote and EndNote Web referencing software (see the EndNote referencing software section below for more details).

Journal title abbreviations

Literature references are often written with abbreviated terms. Probably the most troublesome are abbreviated journal titles which can make finding a journal difficult.

In biology the journal title abbreviations used by BIOSIS are often used. A list of these is given in "BIOSIS serial sources" which is kept at the Issue Desk in the Biological Sciences Library.

If you are unable to find the abbreviation you are looking for, please ask a member of the Library staff for assistance.

Unofficial abbreviations

Sometimes very short unofficial abbreviations are employed in biology reference books or journals. Here are some examples that you may encounter:

  • JBC - Journal of Biological Chemistry
  • NPR - Natural Product Reports

Please note: these should not be used in the references that you write, unless they are stipulated by the body or journal that you are submitting your work to.

Writing for the subject, and how to avoid plagiarism

EndNote referencing software

EndNote is the University of Bristol's recommended bibliographical management software, which can be used to collect, store, organise and manage references, and to output them as reference lists or bibliographies. A particularly useful function is 'Cite While You Write', enabling you to format Word documents, producing bibliographies and adding references within the text.