Environmental Studies Research Guide
- Find Background Info
- Find Books and Films
- Find Articles
- Find Local Resources
- Citing Sources
Find Background Info
Background sources, such as specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries, are an essential piece of the research process. They can help you:
- Gather information about your topic and understand the scope of the research
- Locate reliable sources and clarify keywords
- Pinpoint important authors, texts, ideas, and keywords about the research area. Knowing what the primary phrases and concepts are will help you a lot as you are searching through library databases and online sources.
Credo Reference
Credo Reference is a multi-publisher collection of high quality reference titles covering everything from the arts to astronomy, law to literature, and science to Shakespeare. Available titles also include a range of multimedia options including thousands of high quality diagrams, photographs, maps, and audio files.
Environmental Science on Credo
Credo Reference offers the following relevant titles and many more:
- Atlas of Water
- Atlas of Climate Change
- Environmental History and Global Change: A Dictionary of Environmental History
- Dictionary of Environmental Science and Technology
- The Encyclopedia of Ecology and Environmental Management, Blackwell Science
- The Environmental Debate: A Documentary History
- Keywords for Environmental Studies
Science Database (ProQuest)
Science Database (ProQuest) contains full text articles from broad, interdisciplinary science and engineering sources. Science Database features ongoing full -text from prestigious and highly selective publishers such as Nature Publishing, Springer, Emerald, Cambridge University Press and many others.
Find Books and Films
Print and e-books are valuable sources for academic research. They will help you gain an overview of your topic and often contain in-depth information about the scholarship or history of research on a subject. Some books are written by single authors, while others include essays or chapters by multiple scholars within a discipline. Don’t let the length of books intimidate you because you don’t need to read them from cover to cover. Look at the table of contents and index to find the sections that are relevant to your work.
Find Books Using GriffinSearch
GriffinSearch is a good starting place if you are looking for books, journal articles, films, and other materials available in the library. In addition to searching the Giovale Library catalog for physical materials, GriffinSearch finds e-books and articles from several of our databases. To get started, search by keyword or type in the title of a book here:
Academic Videos Online (AVON)
Academic Video Online (AVON) provides unlimited access to a comprehensive selection of videos curated for the educational experience.
Videos about Environmental Studies
WorldCat
WorldCat lets you search for books, articles, videos, and other material that are available in libraries worldwide. If you are doing in-depth research on a topic and are considering requesting resources through Interlibrary Loan, WorldCat can help you discover resources that might not be in the Giovale Library collection.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
Interlibrary Loan is a service where patrons of one library can borrow books and other materials, and access journal articles that are owned by another library.
Explore Interlibrary Loan Materials
Utah Academic Library Consortium
Giovale Library participates in the Utah Academic Library Consortium (UALC) and Westminster University students have reciprocal circulation privileges at UALC partner libraries. Each UALC library has different circulation policies, but all require a current, valid, legal photo identification and proof of current enrollment at Westminster. Some libraries may also require other verification methods, so it is recommended that you contact the library you are interested in for details.
Popular Titles and Featured Texts
Great Salt Lake Biology: A Terminal Lake in a Time of Change
Edge of Morning: Native Voices Speak for the Bears Ears
A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars
Justice and Equity in Climate Change Education: Exploring Social and Ethical Dimensions of Environmental Education
Find Articles
The Giovale Library provides access to a number of subject databases that you can use to find journal articles on topics within a specific discipline or field of study. The databases listed on this page are those that are most useful for finding research published in environmental studies.
GriffinSearch
GriffinSearch is a good starting place if you are looking for books, journal articles, films, and other material available in the library. In addition to searching the Giovale Library catalog for physical materials, GriffinSearch finds e-books and articles from several of our databases.
Environmental Science Collection (ProQuest)
The Environmental Science Collection (ProQuest) collection combines specialist topic resources from engineering, biotechnology, bacteriology, atmospheric science, ecology, and biology. Subject coverage includes: climate change and global warming; conservation; environmental education; environmental health; safety and risk; environmental law and policy; plant science; soil science; sustainability; waste management; and wildlife.
Search Environmental Science Collection (ProQuest)
Environmental Studies (Gale)
Environmental Studies is an electronic resource provided by Gale that focuses on the study of sustainability and the environment. Topics include global warming, food safety, access to health care, and the impact of economic development on international relations.
Search Environmental Studies (Gale)
Environmental Studies and Policy (Gale)
Environmental Studies and Policy addresses environmental concerns and research with coverage from journals and book reference content.
Search Environmental Studies and Policy (Gale)
Earth, Atmospheric & Aquatic Science Database (ProQuest)
Earth, Atmospheric & Aquatic Science Database (ProQuest) includes scholarly journals, trade and industry journals, magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, and government publications. Included are the renowned Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (AFSA), and the Meteorological & Geoastrophysical Abstracts (MGA). This collection contains information about critical issues that affect the Earth's air, land, and water.
Search Earth, Atmospheric & Aquatic Science Database (ProQuest)
Find Local Resources
Non-profit and non-government organizations in Utah can also be a source of research for environmental topics.
Citing Sources
Citation Resources
Properly citing your sources shows that you’ve done research to become knowledgeable about your topic and helps you avoid plagiarism. Explore citation resources to learn how to correctly cite sources based on style.
Need help with your research?
Get in touch with:
Robyn Ward
Liaison Librarian for Environmental Studies
801.832.2267
rward@westminsteru.edu
Librarians are happy to answer questions via email, phone, or in-person.
Contact Robyn with a question or to schedule a research help appointment.
Faculty: Contact Robyn to suggest edits to this research guide.
Chat with a Librarian
Use the chat box below to ask the library staff a question. If chat is unavailable or we don’t respond quickly, please use the email form on our Get Research Help page and a library staff member will contact you as soon as we are available.