Online Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, etc.
General Resources
Over 3,000 peer-reviewed articles in the biological sciences. Updated monthly. More info
Gale Virtual Reference Library
Online encyclopedias for a range of disciplines, including biology, medicine, nutrition, law, etc. Great place to start a search for basic information.
Full text of over 49,000 scholarly books in a variety of disciplines. Clunkier than Google books but what you search is what you get (no previews to content that is unavailable).
Contains articles on all aspects of biology, including history and current issues. Provides color photographs and illustrations.
Biological Sciences (dictionaries from Oxford Reference Online)
Online full text of these works:
- A Dictionary of Animal Behavior
- Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- A Dictionary of Biology
- The Oxford Companion to the Body
- A Dictionary of Ecology
- The Encyclopedia of Underwater Life
- A Dictionary of Genetics
- The New Encyclopedia of Birds
- A Dictionary of Plant Sciences
- A Dictionary of Scientists
- A Dictionary of Zoology
Full text. Diagrams and descriptive and numeric data on chemical substances. More info
The Hutchinson Pocket Dictionary of Biology
- Provides concise definitions of over 500 biology terms
- Published 2004
The Scientific American Science Desk Reference
Contains sections devoted to measurement, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, earth science, ecology, biology, computer science and technology. Each section contains a subject overview, chronology, biographies of important figures, glossary of key terms and further reading.
Anatomy
Body Structures and Functions. Delmar, 2009. Part of the R2 electronic book collection.
The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2003. Part of the Oxford Reference Online.
Ecology
Blackwell's Concise Encyclopedia of Ecology
- Contains over 1,500 brief entries covering all areas of ecology.
- Published in 1999.
- Provides over 5,000 brief definitions covering all aspects of ecology and the environmental sciences, including topics ranging from plant and animal physiology, animal behaviour, and conservation to climatology, meteorology, and oceanography.
- Published in 1998.
Magill's Encyclopedia of Science: Plant Life
- Provides thorough articles covering a variety of topics relating to plants.
- Each article contains important terms with brief definitions and an annotated bibliography.
- Also includes a glossary, biographical list of scientists, a time line of advancements in plant science, and an annotated list of authoritative web sites.
- Published in 2003.
A Dictionary of Plant Sciences
- Provides over 5,500 entries covering biochemistry, plant physiology, cytology, ecology, genetics, evolution, bio-geography, earth history, the earth sciences, and taxonomic groups.
- Published in 2006
Zoology
Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia (2nd ed)
Evolution, physical characteristics, habitat, life history, and more on members of the animal kingdom. Searchable by common name or by kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, or species. Part of the Gale Virtual Reference Library. More info
- Contains over 5,000 brief entries on all aspects of animals, including animal behavior, genetics, evolutionary studies, ecology, physiology, and genetics.
- Published in 2003.
Magill's Encyclopedia of Science: Animal Life
- Provides thorough articles covering a variety of topics relating to animals.
- Each article contains important terms with brief definitions and an annotated bibliography.
- Also includes a glossary, biographical list of scientists, list of related journals and related organizations.
- Published in 2002.
- Contains over 5,000 entries on zoology.
- Published in 1999.
A Dictionary of Animal Behaviour
- Provides over 400 entries.
- Published in 2006
