Find Sources
There are a number of places to search for sources relevant to your course needs...
Given that your projects are locally-focused, be sure to search New Jersey-relevant resources:
- New Jersey Environmental Digital Library (NJEDL)The NJEDL is an online library of literature and multimedia relating to the New Jersey environment. The collection includes documents and reports, scientific studies, photographs, videos, maps, and more. The map collection and the GIS data can be searched or browsed independently.
Most of the items in this collection are considered "ephemeral" or "grey literature" - materials that are generally not available through common research tools like library catalogs and indexes.
In addition to the digital library materials, the NJEDL contains a comprehensive Organizational Directory of New Jersey environmental agencies, academic departments, research institutes, educational centers, and other organizations.
If the topic is new to you, though, you may want to learn more about the topic. Consider searching for articles, to get some background information. This might include finding out what others are doing in your area of research around the world, why it's important (in particular, for sustainability), where things may be headed in the future in that field, etc. Rutgers University Libraries' subscription databases can be a good source of this information. In the boxes below are a selection of those deemed most relevant to your need.
If you are interested in searching additional indexes/databases, consider these:
- Full list of "Indexes and Databases"Access to most of these is restricted to the Rutgers community.
- Environmental Sciences indexes & databasesThese are the indexes & databases that are most relevant to the environmental sciences.
Environmental Science indexes/databases
Below is a selection of relevant indexes/databases that are more focused on the environmental sciences:
- ProQuest Environmental Science CollectionThe collection contains environmental science related full-text articles, granular access to figures and tables within articles, environmental impact statements, and the entire range of bibliographic records from Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management (ESPM). ESPM provides comprehensive coverage of the environmental sciences drawn from over 10,000 serials including scientific journals, conference proceedings, reports, monographs, books and government publications.
NOTE: The collection includes the Environmental Science Database and the Environmental Science Index. The latter includes content from the Environment Abstracts as well as Sustainability Science Abstracts within it. - Sustainability Science AbstractsThis index explores all aspects of sustainable development, human population and demography topics, and conservation and management of natural resources.
NOTE: The ProQuest Environmental Science Collection already includes content from this database within it. - Environment AbstractsThis database encompasses all aspects of the impact of people and technology on the environment and the effectiveness of remedial policies and technologies, featuring more than 950 journals published in the U.S. and abroad. The database also covers conference papers and proceedings, special reports from international agencies, non-governmental organizations, universities, associations and private corporations. Other materials selectively indexed include significant monographs, government studies and newsletters.
NOTE: The ProQuest Environmental Science Collection already includes content from this database within it. - GreenFILEThis is an index of publications on the environmental impact of human activity. Subjects covered include global climate change, green building, pollution, recycling, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture. GreenFile deals with connections between the environment and a variety of disciplines, such as agriculture, education, law, policy, health, and technology. It includes scholarly journals, government sources, and general interest sources.
Multidisciplinary indexes/databases
Below are a couple of multidisciplinary indexes/databases that seem relevant to your needs in this class:
- Academic Search PremierThis is a multi-disciplinary database offering information in nearly every area of academic study, including arts, biology, chemistry, computer sciences, ethnic studies, engineering, language and linguistics, literature, medical sciences, philosophy, physics, psychology, religion, social sciences, and more. The collection contains peer-reviewed scholarly journals, magazines, several major newspapers, and a limited number of books, conference proceedings, and government publications.
- ScopusThis is a citation and abstract database of peer-reviewed literature. It contains over 50 million records in the areas of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, arts, and humanities, with coverage strongest in the physical sciences (7,200+ titles) and health sciences (6,800+ titles), followed by the life sciences (4,300+ titles), and finally the social sciences & humanities (5,300+ titles). More than 25,000 titles (including open access journals) from around the world are covered in Scopus. Patents in Scopus also come from patent offices around the globe.
How to access full-text articles at Rutgers
As a Rutgers student, you generally do not have to pay to get the full-text of an article. If Rutgers does not own or subscribe to it, request the article through interlibrary loan. Just be sure to try the following methods first...
More tips for finding full-text!
Scholarly articles may be freely available through non-traditional means:
- Some publishers (including the American Chemical Society) are making certain articles available free of charge; others are allowing authors to pay an additional fee to make their specific article in a hybrid journal Open Access.
- Many universities and some colleges now have institutional repositories where authors may deposit scholarly articles freely viewable by all. Similarly, there are subject repositories offering authors the same option. Keep in mind, however, that the versions available through these repositories may not necessarily be the final, published ones; but they may be post-prints that are very close to the published version.
Therefore, if the Rutgers University Libraries does not subscribe to a journal, before requesting it via interlibrary loan, consider Googling the article title on the off-chance that the article is immediately available through alternative means.
- Google ScholarTo access full text available through the Rutgers Libraries, perform your search in the box at the link above and then click Get it @ R.
Off-campus?
It is possible for current Rutgers students, faculty, and staff to access the Rutgers University Libraries' online resources off-campus. Be sure to go through the Libraries Website and you will be prompted to log in with your Rutgers NetID and password.