Reference Basics
The following lists are not comprehensive. Check the OU Libraries Catalog (search box in left column) for more options using your desired keywords. For general books containing definitions of terms or overviews of a subject, search for your keywords plus "encyclopedia" or "dictionary". You may also schedule an appointment to consult with your subject librarian.
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Biology books are located in Bizzell Memorial Library in the following call number locations.
Library of Congress Call Numbers
QH - Natural History / Biology
- QH 1-278 Natural History
- QH 301-705 Biology General
- QH 426-470 Genetics
- QH 471-489 Reproduction
- QH 540-549 Ecology
- QH 573-671 Cell Biology
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Cambridge Encyclopedia of Darwin and Evolutionary Thought by Call Number: QH 360.2 .C36ISBN: 9780521195317Publication Date: 2013-02-28An encyclopedia covering the history of evolutionary biology.
Evolution by Call Number: QH 366.2 .F87 2017 TEXTBOOKSISBN: 9781605356051Publication Date: 2017"Suited for an undergraduate audience, the text emphasizes the interplay between theory and empirical tests of hypotheses, helping to familiarize students with the process of science."
Evolution by Call Number: QH 366.2 .Z526 2013 TEXTBOOKSISBN: 9781936221172Publication Date: 2012"Science writer Carl Zimmer and evolutionary biologist Douglas Emlen have teamed up to write a textbook intended for biology majors that will inspire students while delivering a solid foundation in evolutionary biology. "
The Princeton Guide to Evolution by Call Number: QH 367 .P85 2014ISBN: 9780691149776Publication Date: 2013"Edited by a distinguished team of evolutionary biologists, with contributions from leading researchers, the guide contains some 100 clear, accurate, and up-to-date articles on the most important topics in seven major areas: phylogenetics and the history of life; selection and adaptation; evolutionary processes; genes, genomes, and phenotypes; speciation and macroevolution; evolution of behavior, society, and humans; and evolution and modern society. [...] this is an essential volume for undergraduate and graduate students, scientists in related fields, and anyone else with a serious interest in evolution."
Ecology by Call Number: QH 541 .B415 2006ISBN: 1405111178Publication Date: 2006"Easy to use, lucid and up-to-date, and is the essential reference for all students whose degree program includes ecology and for practicing ecologists."
Ecology by Call Number: QH 541 .R53 1990ISBN: 0716720779Publication Date: 1990A classic textbook covering ecological concepts.
Foundations of Ecology by Call Number: QH 541.145 .F68 1991ISBN: 0226705935Publication Date: 1991"Forty classic papers that have laid the foundations of modern ecology. [...] Six original essays by contemporary ecologists and a historian of ecology place the selections in context and discuss their continued relevance to current research." Great for upper-level undergraduates or graduate students.
Arguing for Evolution: An Encyclopedia for Understanding SciencePublication Date: 2011
Encyclopedia of Ecology by Publication Date: 2008Entries by field experts covering a wide range of ecological topics.
Academic Research and Critical Thinking
- Web Literacy for Student Fact CheckersMostly focused on web and media, the approaches herein are useful for checking and tracing popular claims about science outside of the scholarly literature in particular.
- How to read and understand a scientific paper: a guide for non-scientists"how a layperson can approach reading and understanding a scientific research paper. It’s appropriate for someone who has no background whatsoever in science or medicine, and based on the assumption that he or she is doing this for the purpose of getting a basic understanding of a paper and deciding whether or not it’s a reputable study."
- How to (seriously) read a scientific paper"We’ve asked a dozen scientists at different career stages and in a broad range of fields to tell us how they do it. Although it is clear that reading scientific papers becomes easier with experience, the stumbling blocks are real, and it is up to each scientist to identify and apply the techniques that work best for them. " Shows a range of helpful approaches and how the reading process varies by individual.
- Guide to Reading Academic Research PapersOne data scientist's approach to reading scientific papers, with his step-by-step workflow.
- Art of reading a journal article: Methodically and effectivelyA medically focused how-to article for reading scientific journal articles.
- How to Read a PaperA three-pass system for understanding scientific papers.
- How to Read a Scientific Article"The worst way to approach this task is to treat it like the reading of a textbook—reading from title to literature cited, digesting every word along the way without any reflection or criticism. Rather, you should begin by skimming the article to identify its structure and features. As you read, look for the author’s main points. Generate questions before, during, and after reading. Draw inferences based on your own experiences and knowledge. And to really improve understanding and recall, take notes as you read. This handout discusses each of these strategies in more detail."
- How to read and assess research postersA patient-focused page from the American Asssociation of Cancer Research.
- Journal article notebook templateA free template (pdf download) to create your own notebook on reading journal articles.
Why Trust Science? by Call Number: Q175.5 .O75 2019ISBN: 069117900XPublication Date: 2019"Tracing the history and philosophy of science from the late nineteenth century to today, Oreskes explains that, contrary to popular belief, there is no single scientific method. Rather, the trustworthiness of scientific claims derives from the social process by which they are rigorously vetted. This process is not perfect--nothing ever is when humans are involved--but she draws vital lessons from cases where scientists got it wrong. Oreskes shows how consensus is a crucial indicator of when a scientific matter has been settled, and when the knowledge produced is likely to be trustworthy."
When Can You Trust the Experts? by Call Number: LB 1028 .W519175ISBN: 1118130278Publication Date: 2012This book is focused on educational examples, but provides a handy framework for spotting bad arguments.
Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life by Call Number: QA 276.12 .B45 2018 (RESERVES)ISBN: 9780134494043Publication Date: 2018"Designed to teach [...] core ideas through real-life examples so that students are able to understand the statistics needed in their college courses, reason with statistical information in their careers, and to evaluate and make everyday decisions using statistics. The authors approach each concept qualitatively, using computation techniques only to enhance understanding and build on ideas step-by-step, working up to real examples and complex case studies. "
Evaluating Research Articles from Start to Finish by Call Number: Q 180.55 .E9 G57 2010ISBN: 9781412974462Publication Date: 2010"Containing 25 engaging samples of ideal and flawed research, the text helps students assess the soundness of the design and appropriateness of the statistical analyses."
How to Think about Statistics by Call Number: HA 29 .P5175 1996ISBN: 0716728222Publication Date: 1995Addresses math-phobia right at the start and covers statistical topics conversationally and with general examples. This would be useful both as a supplement to using statistics in a class or as a guide to help you understand statistics you encounter in the news or in scholarly papers.
General communication
Communicating Clearly about Science and Medicine by Call Number: Q 223 .C536 2012ISBN: 9781409440376Publication Date: 2012This book "will help you develop and deliver impactful presentations on medical and scientific data and tell a clear, compelling story based on your research findings. It will show you how to develop clear messages and themes, while adhering to the advice attributed to Einstein: 'Make things as simple as possible...but no simpler.'"
Scientific Papers and Presentations by Call Number: T 11 .D27 2012ISBN: 9780123847270Publication Date: 2012-07-30"Topics include designing visual aids, writing first drafts, reviewing and revising, communicating clearly and concisely, adhering to stylistic principles, presenting data in tables and figures, dealing with ethical and legal issues, and relating science to the lay audience." A detailed reference work for scientific communication.
Clear and Concise Communications for Scientists and Engineers by ISBN: 1439854793Publication Date: 2012"Guides readers through the steps involved in producing a concise and understandable document in various formats." This includes everything from presentations and posters to project reports to professional correspondence (emails, faxes, memoranda, and more). A detailed reference work on professional writing.
- How to get useful answers to your questions"Often when I ask a vague or underspecified question, what happens is one of:
- the person starts by explaining a bunch of stuff I already know
- the person explains some things which I don’t know, but which I don’t think are relevant to my problem
- the person starts giving a relevant explanation, but using terminology that I don’t understand, so I still end up being confused
None of these give me the answer to my question and this can be quite frustrating (it often feels condescending when someone embarks on a lengthy explanation of things I already know, even if they had no way of knowing that I already know those things), so let’s talk about I try to avoid situations like this and get the answers I need." - Posters on how to design for accessibilityCovers designing for audiences who are autistic, using screen readers, having low vision, having dyslexia, with physical or motor disabilities, who are deaf or hard of hearing, or with anxiety.
- tota11y - an accessibility visualization toolkit"tota11y helps visualize how your site performs with assistive technologies. [...]
The process of testing for accessibility (a11y) is often tedious and confusing. In many cases, developers must have some prior accessibility knowledge in order to make sense of the results. Instead, tota11y aims to reduce this barrier of entry by helping visualize accessibility violations (and successes), while educating on best practices. - Designing ADA Compliant Online Courses"Two faculty members recommend easy ways for enhancing student learning online while meeting compliance." Concrete steps to make online courses, and materials in general, ADA compliant and more accessible.
- Chroma.js Color Palette Helper"for the sake of better use of colors in maps and data visualizations"
Popular Treatments of Evolution
These popular treatments should not be cited as primary or scholarly sources, but can be a great place to get inspiration, a general understanding of a topic, or find additional references.
The Fossil Hunter by Call Number: QE 707 .A56 E46 2009 (Youngblood Energy Library; also available in History of Science stacks)ISBN: 9780230611566Publication Date: 2009"A story worthy of Dickens, The Fossil Hunter chronicles the life of this young girl, with dirt under her fingernails and not a shilling to buy dinner, who became a world-renowned paleontologist. Dickens himself said of Mary: "The carpenter's daughter has won a name for herself, and deserved to win it." Here at last, Shelley Emling returns Mary Anning, of whom Stephen J. Gould remarked, is "probably the most important unsung (or inadequately sung) collecting force in the history of paleontology," to her deserved place in history."
The Song of the Dodo by Call Number: QH 541.5 .I8 Q35 1996ISBN: 0684800837Publication Date: 1996"Thirty years ago, two young biologists named Robert MacArthur and Edward O. Wilson triggered a far-reaching scientific revolution. In a book titled The Theory of Island Biogeography, they presented a new view of a little-understood matter: the geographical patterns in which animal and plant species occur. Why do marsupials exist in Australia and South America, but not in Africa? Why do tigers exist in Asia, but not in New Guinea? Influenced by MacArthur and Wilson's book, an entire generation of ecologists has recognized that island biogeography - the study of the distribution of species on islands and islandlike patches of landscape - yields important insights into the origin and extinction of species everywhere." Available in the stacks and on reserve. A fascinating book.
The Making of the Fittest by Call Number: QP 624 .C37 2006ISBN: 0393061639Publication Date: 2006"Sean Carroll guides the general reader on a tour of the massive DNA record of three billion years of evolution to see how the fittest are made. And what a eye-opening tour it is--one featuring immortal genes, fossil genes, and genes that bear the scars of past battles with horrible diseases."
Popular Treatments of Biology
These popular treatments should not be cited as primary or scholarly sources, but can be a great place to get inspiration, a general understanding of a topic, or find additional references.
Native American DNA by Call Number: E 98 .A55 T35 2013 (also temporarily available online)ISBN: 9780816665853Publication Date: 2013"TallBear notes that ideas about racial science, which informed white definitions of tribes in the nineteenth century, are unfortunately being revived in twenty-first-century laboratories. Because today's science seems so compelling, increasing numbers of Native Americans have begun to believe their own metaphors: "in our blood" is giving way to "in our DNA." This rhetorical drift, she argues, has significant consequences, and ultimately she shows how Native American claims to land, resources, and sovereignty that have taken generations to ratify may be seriously--and permanently--undermined."
Fatal Invention by Call Number: GN 269 .R64 2011 (also ebook)ISBN: 9781595586919Publication Date: 2011"An incisive, groundbreaking book that examines how a biological concept of race is a myth that promotes inequality in a supposedly "post-racial" era. Though the Human Genome Project proved that human beings are not naturally divided by race, the emerging fields of personalized medicine, reproductive technologies, genetic genealogy, and DNA databanks are attempting to resuscitate race as a biological category written in our genes. This groundbreaking book by legal scholar and social critic Dorothy Roberts examines how the myth of race as a biological concept--revived by purportedly cutting-edge science, race-specific drugs, genetic testing, and DNA databases--continues to undermine a just society and promote inequality in a supposedly "post-racial" era."
- A Natural Talent: The Taxidermy of Carl Cotton"Carl Cotton (1918–1971) was a taxidermist, artist, and exhibition preparator who worked at the Field Museum from 1947 until his death in 1971. He is the Field Museum’s first African American taxidermist, maybe even Chicago’s first professional one. [...] I’ve been able to sketch a portrait of a humble, talented man who was passionate about nature and the art of taxidermy. Cotton spent almost 25 years creating beautiful exhibitions behind the scenes, never expecting to be the subject of one."
- Black Apollo of Science: the life of Ernest Everett Just byCall Number: QH 31 .J83 M36 1983 (also available in History of Science and online)ISBN: 0195032993Publication Date: 1983"This biography illuminates the racial attitudes of an elite group of American scientists and foundation officers. It is the story of a complex and unhappy man. It blends social, institutional, black, and political history with the history of science."
Research Is a Passion with Me by Call Number: QL 31 .N5 A36, also available in History of Science collectionISBN: 0920474160Publication Date: 1979"In her incredibly productive lifetime (1883-1974), American-born ornithologist Margaret Morse Nice earned the admiration of ornithologists and naturalists in far distant lands. Research Is a Passion With Me is an enthralling autobiography of one of the great individuals in her field and of her time." Her autobiography includes many details of her time and work in Oklahoma.
Looking for a Few Good Males by Call Number: QL 761 .M48 2010ISBN: 9780801894190Publication Date: 2010'Approaching the topic from both biological and animal-studies perspectives, Milam not only presents a broad history of sexual selection - from Darwin to sociobiology - but also analyzes the animal-human continuum from the perspectives of sex, evolution, and behavior."
The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist by Call Number: QP353.4.B37 A3 2018ISBN: 9780262039116Publication Date: 2018"A leading scientist describes his life, his gender transition, his scientific work, and his advocacy for gender equality in science. Ben Barres was known for his groundbreaking scientific work and for his groundbreaking advocacy for gender equality in science. In this book, completed shortly before his death from pancreatic cancer in December 2017, Barres (born Barbara Barres in 1954) describes a life full of remarkable accomplishments--from his childhood as a precocious math and science whiz to his experiences as a female student at MIT in the 1970s to his female-to-male transition in his forties, to his scientific work and role as teacher and mentor at Stanford. [...] At Stanford, Barres made important discoveries about glia, the most numerous cells in the brain, and he describes some of his work. "The most rewarding part of his job," however, was mentoring young scientists. That, and his advocacy for women and transgender scientists, ensures his legacy."
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Call Number: RC 265.6 .L24 S55 2010ISBN: 9781400052172Publication Date: 2010"Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. [...] Henrietta's family did not learn of her "immortality" until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family--past and present--is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of."
Popular Treatments of Microbiology and Plant Biology
These popular treatments should not be cited as primary or scholarly sources, but can be a great place to get inspiration, a general understanding of a topic, or find additional references.
A Feeling for the Organism by Call Number: Available online; also available in History of Science StacksISBN: 071671504XPublication Date: 1984-02-15A biography of the Nobel Prize-winning scientist explains her work in genetics and traces her long unheralded career as a research scientist.
The Tangled Tree by Call Number: Learning Lab QH 367.5 .Q36 2018ISBN: 9781476776620Publication Date: 2018"In the mid-1970s, scientists began using DNA sequences to reexamine the history of all life. Perhaps the most startling discovery to come out of this new field--the study of life's diversity and relatedness at the molecular level--is horizontal gene transfer (HGT), or the movement of genes across species lines. It turns out that HGT has been widespread and important."
Slime by Call Number: QK566 .K37 2019 (Learning Lab)ISBN: 9780544432932Publication Date: 2019"With a multitude of lively, surprising science and history, Ruth Kassinger takes readers on an around-the-world, behind-the-scenes, and into-the-kitchen tour. Whether you thought algae was just the gunk in your fish tank or you eat seaweed with your oatmeal, Slime will delight and amaze with its stories of the good, the bad, and the up-and-coming."
I Contain Multitudes by Call Number: QR 171 .A1 Y66 2016ISBN: 0062368591Publication Date: 2016"Many people think of microbes as germs to be eradicated, but those that live with us--the microbiome--build our bodies, protect our health, shape our identities, and grant us incredible abilities. In this astonishing book, Ed Yong takes us on a grand tour through our microbial partners, and introduces us to the scientists on the front lines of discovery."
Spillover by Call Number: RA 639 .Q83 2013ISBN: 9780393346619Publication Date: 2013"David Quammen [...] illuminates the dynamics of Ebola, SARS, bird flu, Lyme disease, and other emerging threats and tells the story of AIDS and its origins as it has never before been told. Spillover reads like a mystery tale, full of mayhem and clues and questions. When the Next Big One arrives, what will it look like? From which innocent host animal will it emerge? Will we be ready?"
