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Library Resources for Research

What is a Scholarly Source? 

Scholarly Sources include articles, books, and other types of writings that have been written and published by experts in a particular field. Scholarly sources are often defined as having undergone the peer review process. Generally, the peer review process is an evaluation of an academic work (a submitted manuscript or preprint) done by other professionals (reviewers) in the same field. Many scholars consider an article trustworthy once it has been peer-reviewed; when crafting a bibliography for a course assignment, it is often expected that most sources be peer-reviewed, and some professors require this for all sources (ask your professor!).

Scholarly sources can be found in journals, academic databases, and online search engines. Below is a short list of databases you can use when searching for articles in Environmental Science & Environmental Studies. 

Environmental Science & Environmental Studies Databases

General Science

Environmental Sustainability

Finding Journals

What is Grey Literature?

Grey literature sometimes refers to documents that are not published commercially or not readily accessible via library databases. 

These documents may include conference papers or proceedings, theses or dissertations, handbooks, codes of safety data, clinical trials, government documents, etc. 

Grey literature search tips:

  • Identify the important professional societies in your discipline, and search their websites for publications or report series.
  • Examine the "works cited" section of influential published books and articles on your topic.
  • Use a web browser such as Google to search for "grey literature in engineering" or "grey literature in economics" (or whatever your discipline is).
  • Consult your librarian.

Looking for handbooks and encyclopedias? Go to the Background Information page. Looking for datasets? Go to Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis!

Dissertations

Dissertations Written by OU Students

  • Visit OU Libraries Discover/Local Catalog
    • Search by author or title.
    • Online full text access to doctoral dissertations (Masters' theses are not available electronically).
    • Print copies can be checked out (shelved by author's last name in the Great Reading Room, with overflow into the nearby Decks).
  • SHAREOK Repository https://shareok.org/
    • Joint repository of digital items for OU and OSU
    • Since 2014, OU dissertations have been deposited there so that they are freely available
    • Items can be found through a Google (or other search engine) search.

Dissertations & Theses from Other Universities

Professional Societies in Environmental Science & Environmental Studies

To find grey literature, identify professional societies in your discipline and use a web browser such as Google to search their web sites for publications or report series or search for "grey literature" plus your discipline. The list below is non-exhaustive and adapted from University of Southern California. Want to recommend an addition to the list? Email libstem@ou.edu.

  • American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists
  • American Solar Energy Society (ASES)
  • International Solar Energy Society (ISES)
  • Association of Climate Change Officers
  • Engineers for a Sustainable World
  • International Hydropower Association
  • International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE)
  • International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP)
  • Society Conservation Biology
  • Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS)

Environment Government Documents

Federal Resources

International Resources

State Resources

Questions? Reach out to OU Government Documents Librarian Jeffrey Wilhite.

Patent Searching

Business Information

Popular Treatments of Ecology and Environmental Science

What are Popular Works? 

Popular works consist of publications that do not undergo the same vetting process as a scholarly source (i.e. peer review).

Newspapers and magazines are considered popular works – check out OU Libraries Newspapers & Magazines guide, and our Popular Magazines guide to learn what you have access to. 

Popular works are more timely, but still require some measure of evaluation before using it for assignments. Visit the News Literacy research guide for information on identifying fake news, teaching news literacy, and resources for fact-checking.

Know of a good popular work? Send us your recommendations: libstem@ou.edu

News

Podcasts

Videos

The Library's Role Is Providing Access

OU libraries subscribe to both databases and publications to connect you to many different types of resources. Below is a list of helpful tutorials and handouts that will help you navigate the OU libraries' website and databases. These resources will also show you how to access full-text sources and provide tips and tools when searching on the databases and library catalog. 

If you find yourself getting stuck at any point in the research process, don't hesitate to reach out to the Research Help Desk or the STEM Services team for assistance.

Struggling to find the full text of an item? Look for the OU Link to Article button in the database or try searching the library catalog. Check out OU Libraries' Finding Full Text guide. You can also try the interactive tutorial, Access Full Text. If we don't have a resource available here, often another library has it and is willing to send us a copy via Interlibrary Loan. The Lean Library browser extension can make accessing full text easier and will even direct you to Interlibrary Loan where needed.

OU Libraries Handouts