Tackling a new topic?
Tackling a new topic?
Try looking for a review article first. Review articles attempt to summarize the state of research on a scientific topic. While lengthy and not generally including the very latest research, review articles can be a great way to start to get a handle on a topic.
Don't overlook the literature cited at the end of the review: the bibliography contains a wealth of information about the key discoveries and main researchers in the field.
Key Resources
For articles describing primary research using scientific methods, written by experts in the field or scientists, try these biomedical, biology and life sciences databases:
- Biosis Citation Index This link opens in a new windowCitations and abstracts to articles in life sciences and biomedical research covering pre-clinical and experimental research, methods and instrumentation, animal studies, and more. 1993 to present. Links to full text.
- PubMed (NU customized) This link opens in a new windowUse this link for direct full-text access to Northeastern's resources through PubMed.
PubMed comprises more than 34 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. For tips on searching efficiently and effectively in PubMed, click here. - Web of Science, Core Collection 1975-present This link opens in a new windowWeb of Science is a database that broadly covers all of the sciences with strengths in natural sciences, health sciences, engineering, computer science, materials sciences. Great for interdisciplinary research, it also includes coverage of social sciences, arts, and humanities. Web of Science contains over 73 million records.
New & Highlighted Resources
These resources may also help get you started on your research.
- Springer ProtocolsSpringerProtocols is a database of over 66,000 reproducible laboratory protocols in biomedicine and and life sciences, so users can find the right protocol for their lab set-up.
- The Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology by The Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology, Fifth Edition, provides definitions for thousands of terms used in the study of cell and molecular biology. The headword count has been expanded to 12,000 from 10,000 in the Fourth Edition. Over 4,000 headwords have been rewritten. Some headwords have second, third, and even sixth definitions, while fewer than half are unchanged. Many of the additions were made to extend the scope in plant cell biology, microbiology, and bioinformatics. Several entries related to specific pharmaceutical compounds have been removed, while some generic entries ("alpha blockers," "NSAIDs," and "tetracycline antibiotics," for example), and some that are frequently part of the experimentalist's toolkit and probably never used in the clinic, have been retained. The Appendix includes prefixes for SI units, the Greek alphabet, useful constants, and single-letter codes for amino acids. Thoroughly revised and expanded by over 20% with over 12,000 entries in cellular and molecular biology Includes expanded coverage of terms, including plant molecular biology, microbiology and biotechnology areas Consistently provides the most complete short definitions of technical terminology for anyone working in life sciences today Features extensive cross-references Provides multiple definitions, notes on word origins, and other useful featuresISBN: 9780123849328Publication Date: 2012-12-31
- Annual Reviews This link opens in a new windowScholarly overviews in 37 academic subjects, mostly biomedical sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. Excellent for finding authoritative overviews of new topics.
- Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (Journal)Cold Spring Harbor Protocols is an interdisciplinary journal providing a definitive source of research methods in cell, developmental and molecular biology, genetics, bioinformatics, protein science, computational biology, immunology, neuroscience and imaging.
- Cancer Cell (Journal)Cancer Cell provides a high-profile forum to promote major advances in cancer research and oncology.
- Human Gene Therapy (Journal)The first peer-reviewed journal in the field of human gene therapy, providing all-inclusive coverage of the research, methods, and clinical developments that are driving today's explosion of gene therapy advances.
- BCC Research This link opens in a new windowMarket research reports and forecasts covering a wide scope of industries and technologies including the sciences.
- Henry Stewart Talks, Biomedical and Life Sciences This link opens in a new windowOnline seminars on biomedical topics, including audio lectures and supplemental materials such as slide and notes, by faculty members and researchers from around the world.
What is a preprint?
A preprint is an article that is published prior to peer review, allowing scientists to see and discuss works immediately. As these articles are published before peer review, they may not be finalized by authors and some errors may appear. Advantages include the dissemination of scientific information in a timely manner, as the length of the peer review and publication process can be time consuming, and gives the authors the opportunity to receive feedback on their manuscript prior to journal submission. As a reader of preprints, it is important to remember that these articles have not yet been peer reviewed or accepted by a journal. Preprints are typically stored in preprint databases such as arXiv or bioRxiv.
- arXivarXiv a free online research-sharing platform in the fields of physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance, statistics, electrical engineering and systems science, and economics. It is maintained and operated by Cornell Tech.
- bioRxivbioRxiv is a free online archive and distribution service for unpublished preprints in the life sciences. It is operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a not-for-profit research and educational institution. Learn more about bioRxiv and its policies.
- ChemRxivChemistry preprint server
- engrxivAn open access preprint server for all areas of engineering