Agricultural Science Subject Guide

Where do I start my research?	What are some good Web sites?
How do I find books on my subject?
How do I find journal articles? (Databases)	How do I cite and manage my sources?
Where does CrossSearch fit in?	Past exams
For help: Email: Science.Reference @utas.edu.au Phone: 6226 7217	Go to: Science Library School of Agricultural Science
Contact: Heather Mitchell, Agricultural Science Liaison Librarian

Where do I start my research?

A good way to start your research is to define your topic by using subject dictionaries and to find background information in encyclopaedias such as:

Australian agriculture: the complete reference on rural industry	Sci Ref S 414 .A8 Ltn Ref 630.0994 A938 1997 Cradle Coast 630.0994 A938 1997
CRC dictionary of agricultural sciences	Sci Ref S 411 .L39 2002
Dictionary of agriculture	Sci Ref S 411 .d53 1996
Dictionary of agricultural and environmental science	Ltn Ref 630.3 T843d 2003 Cradle Coast 630.3 T843d 2003
Encyclopedia of agriculture, food and biological engineering	Online encyclopedia access for the life of the edition (2 years)
Encyclopaedia of food science, food technology, and nutrition	Sci Ref TX 439 .E47 1993
Encyclopedia of agricultural science	Sci Ref S 411 .E713 1994 Cradle Coast 630.3 E56 1994
Encyclopedia of agrochemicals	Sci Ref S 584 .4 E53 2003
Encyclopedia of food microbiology	Sci Ref QR 115 .E53 2000
Encyclopedia of forest sciences	Sci Ref QK 474.87 .E63 2004
Encyclopedia of grain science	Sci Ref SB 188.4 .E54 2004
Encyclopedia of horticulture	Sci Ref SB 317 .58 .E94
Encyclopedia of microbiology	Sci Ref QR 9 .E53 1992
Encyclopedia of plant pathology	Sci Ref SB 728 .E53 2000
Encyclopedia of soil science	Sci Ref S 592 .E517 2006
Horticulture Australia	Sci Ref SB 317 .58 .E94
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) Online	Meaning, history and pronunciation of over half a million words
Random House encyclopedia of Australian native plants	Sci Ref SB 439.26 .A8 B68 2005
Sittig's handbook of pesticides and agricultural chemicals	Sci Ref S 633 .S6265 2005
Soil and environmental science dictionary	Sci Ref S 592 .S59 2001
Credoreference	Online reference library including access to encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, books of quotation and subject-specific titles

How do I find books on my subject?

To find books on your subject you can:

Search the Library Catalogue using the 'subject keyword' or 'general keyword' option.
OR
Browse the bookshelves using these call numbers:

Science Library, Hobart:

S	Agriculture
S 560-575	Farm management
S 583-589	Agricultural chemistry & physics
S 590-599	Soils
S 605-621	Reclamation & irrigation inc. organic farming
S 622-627	Soil conservation
S 631-667	Fertilisers
S 671-972	Conservation of natural resources
SB	Plant culture
SD	Forestry
SF	Animal science & medicine
SH	Aquaculture, fisheries, angling, shellfish, sealing, whaling
SK	Hunting & wildlife management

How do I find journal articles?

The Library holds journals in print and electronic formats. The best way to access articles in these journals is by using the [print indexes and] databases listed below. When you find an article you want to read, use the Library Catalogue and the E-journals list to see if we hold a print copy or have access to the electronic copy in full-text. Some databases listed will have direct links to the full-text article.

Agricultural Science Databases | Related Databases | Multi-discipline databases | Journal title abbreviations

Agricultural Science Databases:

CAB Abstracts

The most comprehensive database for agricultural science references in journals, conference papers and technical reports. Subject coverage includes agriculture, animal production, genetics, forestry, entomology, rural social science. 1973+

ANR-Index (Agriculture and Natural Resources Index via Informit 1975-present

( Formerly ABOA; AANRO; and Streamline), ANRindex includes Australian literature on sustainable agriculture, natural resource and environmental management, food, fisheries, forestry and water resources. 1975-present, updated bi-monthly.
Many fulltext links

Agricola

References to journal articles, books, conference papers in all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines. Produced by U.S. Dept of Agriculture. 1975+

Multi-discipline Databases:

CSA Databases	Select and search two or more CSA databases simultaneously
CSIRO journals	Includes full-text articles in life science and agricultural science
Current Contents Connect	Most up-to-date references to core academic journals in all subjects. Includes Alerting service. Back file of last 4 years.
Ingenta	General database with some full-text. Includes alerting service.1988+
ProQuest	Good starting point to find some full-text journal articles. Includes references to and some full-text articles of popular and academic journal articles
Scopus	Coverage of scientific, technical, medical and social science literature (approximately 14,000 titles). Abstracts back to 1966 and references back to 1996
Web of Science	References to academic journal articles in all subject areas. Each reference has links to articles cited by and citing that reference as well as related articles. 1945+

Related Databases:

ASFA	References to journal and other literature in marine biology, ecology, fisheries, aquaculture, oceanography and limnology. 1971+
Biological Sciences	References to journal and other literature biological and agriculture related sciences. 1982+
ELIXIR	References to Australian literature in agriculture, mineral resources, conservation and land management -includes grey literature. 1990+
GeoBase	References to journal and other literature in geography, ecology, natural resource management.. 1980+
Plant Science	Focuses on all aspects of plant science. 1994+
SciFinder Scholar	Chemistry, biotechnology, agricultural chemistry, toxicology, environmental science, medicine, food science, packaging, and related subject areas. 1907+ (Includes Medline). Access Instructions

Where does CrossSearch fit in?

CrossSearch provides a single entry point for our electronic resources including library catalogues, databases, eJournal collections, selected websites and more. Most resources can be searched with the CrossSearch interface, with the capacity to search up to eight simultaneously.

Try CrossSearch today!

Useful Web Sites

Web site directories:

ABC Landline Rural links page	Extensive range of links to sites relating to rural or primary industry issues
Agriculture Network Information Center: AgNic	Guide to quality agricultural information on the Internet (U.S.)
Iowa State Entomology Index of Internet Resources	A directory and search engine of insect-related resources on the Internet
The WWW Virtual Library : Agriculture	An extensive list of agriculture related sites and other resources.

Australian government sites:

Commonwealth Government	Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
NSW	Department of Primary Industries
Northern Territory	Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines
Queensland	Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
South Australia	Department of Primary Industries and Resources
Tasmania	Department of Primary Industries and Water
Victoria	Department of Primary Industries
Western Australia	Department of Agriculture and Food

Biotechnology:

WWW Virtual Library: Biotechnology Information Directory Service	Links to companies, research institutes, universities, sources of information and other directories specific to biotechnology, pharmaceutical development and related fields
Biotechnology Australia	Biotechnology Australia is a multi-departmental Government agency responsible for coordinating non-regulatory issues for the Australian Government, and for developing the National Biotechnology Strategy.

Food:

Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases (FOS)	The WHO works to address food safety issues along the entire food production chain from production to consumption using new methods of risk analysis.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)	Includes the Food Standards Code, Food Safety Standards and Australian Food Composition data.
JEFCA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives)	Online archive of publications of the FAO and WHO.
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference	The major source of food composition data in the United States. Search with up to 5 keywords which best describe your food item.

Other sites:

ABARE	Rural policy analysis and commodity forecasts
Australian Dairy Industry	Links to research organisations, news and statistics
Breeds of Livestock	Information on breeds of livestock, including photographs
CSIRO	Australia's national science agency, includes details on CSIRO's research programs and projects
EarthTrends: The Environmental Information Portal	Comprehensive online database focusing on environmental, social and economic trends. Includes maps, data tables and country profiles.
FAOSTAT database: Food and Agriculture Organisation	A statistical database containing records from over 210 countries and territories covering agriculture, nutrition, fisheries, forestry, food aid, land use and population
Forage information system	Links to peer-reviewed worldwide forage related information
GrainCorp	News, prices and marketing information
Livestock Library	Australian site for beef and sheep industry publications. There are now over 22,000 documents accessible via the Livestock Library. Developed and funded by the CRC for Beef Genetic Technologies and the Australian Sheep Industry CRC and funded by Australian Wool Innovation Limited.
Pesticide Action Network	PANNA (which campaigns to replace pesticides with ecologically sound alternatives) provides links to organisations and resources
Plant pathology Internet guide book	Well annotated international links to resources about the major types of plant pests: bacteria, fungi, insects, nemotodes and virus
Postharvest Technology Research & Information Centre	Includes factsheets and other resources on postharvest management
Register of Australian Herbage Plant Cultivars	Site contains information is on the origin and development of a range of cultivars, a full morphological description, and referenced information on the agronomic uses and merits of the cultivar
Tamar Valley Weed Strategy	Identifies common weeds of Tamar Valley in northern Tasmania (and much else of rural Australia) and suggests ways of dealing with them

Scientific and scholarly web directories and archives:

AgEcon Search: Research in Agriculture and Applied Economics	A full text library of agricultural and applied economics scholarly literature including the sub disciplines such as agribusiness, food supply, natural resource economics, environmental economics, policy issues, agricultural trade, and economic development.
Australian Digital Theses project	Most Australian universities are depositing the full text of their current PhD and research Master theses in the ADT server. The eTheses Collections link lists where you can find similar sites for Canada and other countries. Visit the Library's page for instructions on how to upload your thesis.
Directory of Open Access Journals	The aim of the Directory of Open Access Journals is to increase the visibility and ease of use of open access, full text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals.
Google Scholar	A search engine for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research.
OAIster	This site provides access to institutional archives. A collection of freely available, previously difficult-to-access, academically-oriented digital resources.
Organic Eprints	An international open access archive for papers related to research in organic agriculture .
Scirus	A comprehensive science-specific search engine. Find scientific, scholarly, technical and medical data from the Web, reports and journal articles.
UTas ePrints	A digital archive providing full-text access to publications by current University of Tasmania staff and higher degree students including journal articles, books, conference papers and theses.
VITIS-VEA (Viticulture & Enology Abstracts)	International database covering areas such as: morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of grapevine; soil science; genetics and grapevine breeding; cellar techniques; economics of viticulture and enology; microbiology of wine.

How do I cite and manage my information resources

Below are guides to citation styles and other aspects of presentation. The citation styles that you use will depend on the policies of the schools that you are studying in and specific publications.

Personal bibliographic software (for example, EndNote) can be used to manage your sources when undertaking in-depth research. The Library provides training in EndNote for honours students, postgraduates and staff.

Harvard System	Helpsheet for referencing using the Harvard System
Library holdings of citation style guides	This list includes guides to citation and other issues of style and presentation.
EndNote	Link to the EndNote software and introductory information about its use and functions.