Getting started: Finding Relevant Sources in Biotechnology
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 & 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 & main researchers in the field.
Most databases (including BIOSIS Previews, PubMed & Web of Science below) will allow you to limit your search to include only review articles or literature reviews.
For articles describing primary research using scientific methods, written by experts in the field or scientists, try these biomedical, biology and life sciences databases:
Web of Science indexes over 11,000 scholarly journals in the sciences (1975-present). Web of Science's strength is in its interdisciplinary focus and its ability to perform citation searching.
More than just medical literature, PubMed was developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and publishers of life sciences literature. PubMed consists of 29 million citations for biomedical literature from Medline, life science journals and online books.
The most comprehensive resource for research in biology, life sciences, preclinical & experimental research, methods & instrumentation, and animal studies. Includes contents of 5,500 life sciences journals
For additional databases relevant for biotechnology topics, click here.
Top 5 Things to Know for Biotechnology Students
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MIT CommKit - Biology
The CommKit is a collection of guides to successful communication in the biological sciences, written by the Broad Research Communication Lab Fellows.
Within the CommKit, you can find resources to help you create successful documents and presentations. You can find additional guides for sciences outside of Biology here.