Biology

Try these databases first to find scholarly articles in Biology.

Too few articles:

• Check for typos and spelling. Consider using both American and British spellings (eg. behaviour or behavior).
• Remove long phrases.
• Make sure you're using a database that is likely to include information on your topic.
• Try using other synonyms and alternate words joined by the Boolean Operator 'OR' (e.g. aboriginal or indigenous or First Nations).
• Check your Boolean logic.  Are you using 'AND' when you should be using 'OR'?
• If you have found at least one good article, look at the references of this article to find other related articles OR use the 'Find citing' or 'Find related' buttons when available in the databases.

Too many articles:

• Add another concept to your searching using the Boolean operator 'AND'.
• Add Limits (e.g. Peer Reviewed, Date of Publication, Language, Publication Type, etc.).
• Check your Boolean logic. Are you using 'OR' when you should be using 'AND'?
• When Keyword searching, try searching just in the Title field. This is not recommended for all searches, as you will eliminate relevant articles that don't have those keywords in the title, but it will likely find a few articles to get you started.
• If you're searching in a database that covers all subjects (e.g. Academic Search Elite, Web of Knowledge), look for a database that is subject specific.

If an article is not available, you can request it through our Resource Sharing service (i.e., InterLibrary Loan) using Omni.  Keep in mind articles via Resource Sharing are not available overnight, so this service is only useful if you have enough time to receive the article before your project is due. We recommend that you allow 5-10 days. For more information please go to the Resource Sharing web site.

How to request an article or book using Omni: 

1. Search for a book (or chapter) or an article in Omni.  
   1. For articles, after searching a title and it not appearing in the results, you will then need to select 'Expand Search Beyond Trent's Collection' under 'Modify Your Results' in the left menu. If this still doesn't work, you'll need to use a blank request form (see instructions in the Resource Sharing web site) 
2. Click the title to see the full record.  You will need to Sign in to your My Library Account. 
3. Click Get it from another library and complete the form. Most of it will be auto-filled. 
4. Click Send Request. 
5. If and when an article is available, you'll receive an e-mail with a link to the article.