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Environmental Studies/Science

This guide will help students researching topics in Environmental Studies.

Types of Information Sources for Environmental Studies Projects

Because Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary field, research projects may require a variety of information resources. Some of the types of  information resources you should be thinking about using are listed below.

  • Journal articles -- These are scholarly, peer-reviewed articles. They can be from any discipline, depending on the nature of your topic. Use the tabs above "Using Journals" and "Databases" to get started.
  • Books -- Identify relevant books using the Knox Library catalog, the I-Share catalog and WorldCat. See the tab above "Finding Books."
  • News sources -- You may need newspaper articles or other news sources from localities or regions. Use these only when the information you seek is not available in scholarly sources. See the tab above "News Sources."
  • Technical reports -- While this type of material is not technically peer-reviewed, it is valuable research produced by scientists and engineers for the scientific community, and, often, business and industry. These are most often identified using library catalogs, although an increasing amount of this type of research is freely available on the Internet. See the "Technical Reports" tab above.
  • Maps -- Depending on the topic, maps may be an essential component of your project.
  • Data -- Statistics and data can be used as evidence to support your arguments. Often, you will be collecting your own data, but you may also need other sources for data, such as population and demographic data, economics data, etc. Click on the tab above "Finding Data." 
  • Popular magazines -- These sources may be necessary if your project needs "how-to" or more practical information. Use these types of sources judiciously and consult with your advisor/mentor about how much you should rely on popular magazines vs more scholarly sources.
  • Archival material -- If your project involves any kind of historical research, you may need to find archival material. Please ask for help from Laurie Sauer if this is the case.