BIO 2310 Evolution and Ecology: Home

Let’s assume you have been assigned to read the following article:
Wright, A., Schnitzer, S. & Reich, P. (2014). Living close to your neighbors: the importance of both competition and facilitation in plant communities. Ecology, 95(8), 2213-2223.

How would you find it?
Use the University Libraries website, eJournals search.  Determine if electronic access is available for the journal Ecology, for year 2014, issue 95.

Locate this article using the University Libraries website:  
Rooney, T. & Leach, M. (2010). Replacing hay-mowing with prescribed fire restores species diversity and conservation value in a tallgrass prairie sampled thrice: a 59-year study. American Midland Naturalist, 164(2), 311-321.

What URL would you use in your bibliography?

[Show the instructor the URL you would use.]

You might have heard of scholarly peer-reviewed articles. But what does it mean?
Watch this explanation video:

Let’s assume your professor wants you to research the following topic: 
What general biogeographical patterns exist in fungi?

Your search phrase should look like this:
“BIOGEOGRAPHICAL PATTERN*” AND FUNG*

• “ ” Quotation marks ensure that your search will find articles containing the exact phrase,  BIOGEOGRAPHICAL PATTERN. 
• * Truncation (or wildcard) allows you to search for variations of a word that begin with the same letters, the stem of several words.
  Example:  FUNG* will find articles mentioning any of these words: FUNGI, FUNGUS, FUNGAL.

Databases you can use to locate research articles for this lab class:

Use QuickSearch and Science Citation Index Expanded.  

Locate research articles for the following topic: examine the competitive behavior between fire ants and Argentine ants.  

What should your search phrase look like?

[If you are in a class session write down your search strategy on the provided index card.]

Databases you can use to locate research articles for BIO classes at the 3000 and 4000 level: