Science Resources

Please click on the pictures below for more information from these available resources.

Daily monitoring of solar flares, geomagnetic storms, Earth's aurora, and all forms of space weather

Let's go stargazing tonight...

Clear Dark Sky uses the power of technology to enhance a user's nighttime outdoor experience. The user can see whether or not they will have good stargazing viewing conditions based on their location, weather, and the state of the moon.

Sparticl is a new web and mobile service for teens, a collection of the very best the web has to offer in science, technology, engineering, and math or STEM. Sparticl includes answers to science questions, images, videos, games, and hands-on activities, all curated by a team of experts.
Scientific American covers the advances in research and discovery that are changing our understanding of the world and shaping our lives. 

Earth & Sky, also known as EarthSky was a daily radio series that presented information about science and nature. It began broadcasting in 1991. Earth & Sky was the creation of producers Deborah Byrd and Joel Block, who were also the hosts. ... Earth & Sky featured many fields of science.

The National Science Digital Library provides high quality online educational resources for teaching and learning, with current emphasis on the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines—both formal and informal, institutional and individual, in local, state, national, and international educational settings. 
WorldWideScience.org is a global science gateway comprised of national and international scientific databases and portals. WorldWideScience.org accelerates scientific discovery and progress by providing one-stop searching of databases from around the world 
ScienceDaily features breaking news about the latest discoveries in science, health, the environment, technology, and more -- from leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.
PubMed® comprises more than 30 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.
Latest Biology Articles, News & Current EventsSort latest biology articles & news by Date | Popularity

Search Tips from the Librarian

  • When using Google use the advanced search and limit sites to .edu and .gov. Also, use the word "journal" in your search if that's the type of article you are looking for.
 
  • If you are not finding what you need check the "search tips" for each search engine.

  • Few science journal articles are free. If you find something useful, review the abstract and introduction and take the citation. The full text article may be available for free through the school , state or university databases.
 
  • Know the purpose of your source. Is it to sell a product? Who is the intended audience?  scientist, student or layperson?

Science.gov is a gateway to U.S. government science information. The portal offers free access to research and development (R&D) results and scientific and technical information from scientific organizations across 13 federal agencies.
Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Space Science, Earth Science, Health and Medicine.
We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.

What does "Peer Reviewed" mean?

Not all academic journals are peer reviewed. Although writers are viewed as experts, they may have some ideas that are really "out there".
Peer review is a process an article undergoes before it is published. Therefore it is more likely to be scientifically valid and reach reasonable conclusions. steps:
  • Article is submitted to a journal for publication
  • It is reviewed anonymously by different experts for content, methodology  and conclusions
  • The researcher does not know the reviewers or their names. This is a "double blind" which means people's bias cannot affect how the article is reviewed. Therefore the article succeeds or fails on its own merit, not the reputation of the expert.
  • The researcher receives the article back and makes any necessary corrections or changes and then re-submits the article for publication.

A peer reviewed article is considered more credible than open access or non-peer reviewed journal. 
How do you know if the journal is "peer reviewed"?
  • Limit your database search to peer-reviewed journal only.
  • Refer to Ulrichsweb.com ( UAF) or look closely at the print version cover
  • Does it use technical terminology? Does the article format approximate the following: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion and references?
  • Is advertising non-existent or kept to a minimum? Are there references listed in footnotes or bibliographies?
  • Find the official website for the journal and check for an indication