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Researching Environmental Issues in the Central Valley

Quick Links:
Academic Search Elite
Lexis-Nexis: Academic Search
Biological Abstracts | Library Catalog
CERES | MELVYL
GPO | USA.gov | U.S. EPA


Identifying Scientific Research Articles

Academic Search Elite
- multidisciplinary database covering key academic journals and news magazines
- Subject search browses a list of pre-assigned subject headings
- Keywords search retrieves search terms anywhere in description of the article
- able to limit to refereed (i.e. peer-reviewed, scholarly) journals
- To find the full-text of an article listed in Expanded Academic:
- On the results screen, look for the first link under each entry.
If present, Text links to the full-text of the article.
In other cases, click check availability to search for the text of the article in another library database or in the library's print collection (via the Library Catalog).

Biological Abstracts
- identifies/describes articles on biological research
- able to search by author, title or subject
- click SFX button to check for availability of the text of the article in the library's online or print collections.

AGRICOLA
- identifies/describes articles on agricultural research
- Library Owns icon indicates the library may have the article in print
- click SFX button to check for availability of the text of the article in the library's online or print collections.

Library Catalog
- identifies books, titles of journals, and other materials available in the CSU Stanislaus Library
- for books, check the bottom of the full record for the location, call number and availability of an item.

Science Direct
- search interface for a variety of scientific journals and databases
- includes full-text of a variety of scientific journals published by Elsevier
- to limit search to articles available in full-text only:
        click Journals tab
        in Source: box, choose Subscribed journals
        In Dates: box, choose all years

Local Sources

Lexis-Nexis: Academic Search
- full-text of news sources, including the Modesto Bee, the Fresno Bee, and other California papers
- choose News, U.S. News, and Select Region: Western Regional Sources to search California papers
- system searches for contents of search box as an exact phrase, use "and" to separate concepts
    e.g. search for "air quality and Central Valley and ozone".

Great Valley
- information on the economic, social and environmental status of the valley
- publications includes reports on the environmental status of the valley
- resources include links to agriculture, government, and academic and media Websites

Yahoo Directories of Local Government websites
Central Valley Cities and Counties
California Cities
California Counties
- government sites are usually listed under the community section for each area


Federal and State Government Sources

GPO Catalog of Government Publications
- citations to U.S. federal publications from 1976 - present
- agencies covered include the EPA and the Department of the Interior
- CSU Stanislaus is a select depository
- most government publications held by library are not in the Library Catalog
- see Government Resources page for more information.

United States Environmental Protection Agency
- includes search interface for a wide variety of EPA information.

FirstGov
- search interface for U.S. federal government websites

MELVYL
- catalog of materials available in University of California system libraries
- includes excellent coverage of State of California documents
- CSU Stanislaus Library houses a selection of State of California documents
- identify a desirable document using MELVYL and check with Reference Librarian to see if available in Turlock.

California Environmental Resources Evaluation System (CERES)
- information by regions, counties, watersheds, organization, subject category, and type of data
- search interface covers a variety of state government resources
- regions include San Joaquin Valley, Delta, Sierra, and Sacramento Valley.

Retrieving the Text of Materials

Once you have a citation to an article or book (e.g. from a Biological Abstracts search), see if it's available in print or online in the CSU Stanislaus Library. If it is not, students, faculty and staff may request it via Interlibrary Loan.
SFX - Check Availability SFX Logo service
- many of the databases provide a check availability or SFX link next to a ctiation
- SFX attemtps to check if the library has the item online or in print
- if available in the library's online collection, SFX will display a link to the article saying Full text available via
- if the library holds the book or at least some issues of the journal in the print collection, SFX will display a link saying We may own this. Check the Library Catalog.
click the link and check the Library Catalog record to make sure library has the volume/year that contains the desired article
- if the item is not in the library's collection, SFX displays a link to Interlibrary Loan.

Printed Materials in the Library (Library Catalog)
  1. Identify the title of the book or journal (not the article!)
  2. In Library Catalog, choose ALL Library Materials for books or periodicals for journals
  3. Type title of book or journal and search in Title.
  4. If library has the title, go to full record and look at Library Holdings at bottom of window.

    Books:
    Check the status.
        Date Due means it's out of the library.
        If In Library, check Location.
    Locations:
        Main - general book stacks.
        Ref - Reference Room
        Reserves or Case or Closed Stacks - see Circulation Desk

    Journal articles:
    Check the library's volume/date holdings versus the volume/date of the article.
    If library has correct volume/date, identify which location has desired issue:
        Location MAIN Per - periodicals collection (large room behind the Reference Desk)
        Location CLOSED or RESERVE - ask for journal at Circulation Desk

Online Sources: EJournals at CSU Stanislaus
  1. Get into the library's list of EJournals.
  2. Click on first letter of the title of the journal (not the article!) to see if library has online access.
  3. Search appropriate database for your article (e.g. author or title of the article).

Interlibrary Loan
If library neither owns journal in print nor has access online, fill out a periodical interlibrary loan request.
Materials requested via Interlibrary Loan usually take 1-4 weeks to arrive.

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This document is maintained by: the CSUS Library(wwwlibrary@wwwlibrary.csustan.edu)
Page updated: 09/18/2008