In-Depth Research Guide: Environmental Studies
Note: this page includes sections for the related subject areas of environmental studies.
Contents:
Librarians for Environmental Studies
Betty Febo & Neil Nero,
Research & Instruction
Graham Henderson & Deborah Lenares,
Collections
Course guides
POL3 325 - Environmental Law
ES 101 - Intro to Methods and Analysis
Student Library Research Award
Related academic departments
Offcampus Access Databases A-Z Research Guides by Subject | by Course Reference Books Online Library Catalog
| Find books |
Wellesley College Library catalog - Use the Library catalog to find books and other materials (journal titles, NOT journal articles) we have here at Wellesley. Remember to start with "keyword" if you are beginning to research a topic. When you find a relevant title, see what the subject headings are for that title and use those to find more similar items. Try the following subject headings:
Use WorldCat to find books and other materials (journal titles, NOT journal articles) not found at Wellesley. Again, start with a keyword search and use the suggested subject headings listed above.
National Academies Press (NAP).
Almost 4,000 full-text books are readable and searchable here (free in .html format). Browse recent online studies in categories such as Environment & Environmental Studies.Knovel - online textbooks (air, coal, ocean, plastics, waste, and water) and reference titles - browse Environment & Environmental Engineering OR search subscribed content via 'My Subscriptions'
| Find background information |
Annual Review of Environment and Resources - Scholarly reviews on the environment, energy, and natural resources.
Dictionary of Agricultural and Environmental Science
Encyclopedia of Biodiversity - 2001, revised 2007 - Classification, evolution, ecological patterns and theories, and contemporary trends in biodiversity.
Encyclopedia of Earth - Peer-reviewed, authoritative - Topical arrangement.
Encyclopedia of Ecology and Environmental Management
Encyclopedia of Energy - Overview from the physical, social, and engineering sciences.
Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences - Impact of pollution and climate changes on the scientfic processes that drive the oceans.
Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment - Soil biology, ecology, chemistry and physics.
Guide to Global Hazards - Contents - Additional references and websites near the end of the work.
A Companion to Environmental Philosophy. Clapp Library GE 40 C66 2001
Encyclopedia of Bioethics. also Clapp Reference QH332 .E52 2004.
Covering a wealth of topics on the ethics of health professions, animal research, population control and the environment, the set helps researchers to consider the impact of new scientific knowledge and its potential to harm or benefit present and future generations.Encyclopedia of Environment and Society
Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues. Clapp Ref GE 10 E52 2000
Environmental Encyclopedia. Clapp Ref GE10 .E38 2003
Global Environment Outlook (issued by the United Nations Environment Programme). also Clapp Ref GE 170 .G5625 1997, 2000, 2002
International Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics. Clapp Ref GE170 .I55 2002
Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy Online
Covers all areas of philosophy, including Anglo-American, ethical and political, cross-cultural, interdisciplinary, continental and contemporary philosophy. Online edition is regularly updated with new material, revisions, etc. Search Help.Water Encyclopedia - Role of water in engineering, science, and technology.
| Find articles & essays |
The following databases provide either full-text articles or citations
(information about when and where the article was published). Once you
have a citation for an article, use the Find
It! @ Wellesley
link
from each citation to search one or more electronic journal sources through
the Wellesley College Library Catalog. Use the name of the journal as
the title and make sure you look at the dates covered carefully! If Wellesley
does not own the article, you can request it via Interlibrary
Loan (ILL).
Academic Search Complete, Expanded Academic ASAP, and Periodicals Index Online - general all purpose databases, scholarly and non-scholarly. Index and abstracts from 1980; selected full text from about 1995-
Alt-Press Watch 100% full text database of the newspapers, magazines and journals of the alternative and independent press. Use this for alternative viewpoints. 1995 onward.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications - Index to United States government publications from 1976+.
CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online) - For best results, use the advanced search.
EconLit - articles, books, working papers on all aspects of economics from 1969+. Selected full text.
NBER Working Papers - full text of working papers in all aspects of economics from Nov. 1994.
PAIS - index articles about political, social & economic issues, and public affairs from 1937+.
Philosopher's Index 1967+. Serials Source List.
Comprehensive index to articles, books, and chapters in books in all languages and covering all aspects of philosophy. CSA Illumina - Quick Reference Card.SciFinder Web Edition [links below].
Best for finding journal articles, book chapters, patents, conference proceedings, technical reports, and doctoral dissertations, and selected book reviews in the environmental sciences. Comprehensive coverage from 1907+; selective coverage of the late 1800's. Also traces articles forward in time, from the mid-1990's onward. Email Neil Nero if you need help using SciFinder Web edition.
- Read FAQ first
- One-time, on-campus registration (Wellesley only)
- Search SciFinder Web
- Support & Training
SocINDEX with Full Text - Citations from an international selection of sociological journals, serials, conference papers, books, and dissertations from 1963-present. Abstracts available from 1974 and some articles are available in full-text.
Web of Science (also Social Science and Humanities!) - Interdisciplinary subject searching of scholarly articles in the social, physical, and life sciences. Search for articles that cite known journal articles or books. Physical/life sciences, coverage from 1900+ ; Social sciences, from 1956+ ; Arts/Humanities, from 1975+.
Applied Sciences Abstracts/Full Text -All aspects of engineering, energy and environment, atmospheric and ocean sciences. Citations from 1983+. Selected full text from 1997+.
ScienceDirect - Search more than 2,000 journals; online articles (= green icons) for hundreds of scientific journals, from 1995+. Help pages.
TOXNET - Suite of databases on hazardous chemicals, environmental health, and toxic releases - searchable as a set or individually.
Other databases may be useful for you, depending on your specific topic and approach. See our A-Z list for a complete list of databases or AskUs and get some customized suggestions.
Top peer-reviewed journals in environmental science & health
Environmental Science and Technology (American Chemical Society) - Authoritative news and analysis as well as research reports.
EHP: Environmental Health Perspectives (US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) - Impact of the environment on human health.
Environmental laws & treaties LexisNexis Congressional- United States congressional bills, laws, and some recent hearings.
ECOLEX - A gateway to national and international environmental law.
Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators (ENTRI)
POL 325: International Environmental Law
NEPAnet - Information and contacts related to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) from the Council on Environmental Quality.
Key scholarly websites Association of Environmental and Resource Economists - established in 1979 as a "means of exchanging ideas, stimulating research, and promoting graduate training in resource and environmental economics". Links to the web pages of environmental resource economists as well as programs in environmental resource economics.
Biodiversity Economics Library from the World Conservation Union. Collection is divided into business, finance, incentives, trade, assessment, and valuation.
Center for a Sustainable Economy - a non-profit, non-partisan research and policy institution. Merged with Redefining Progress in 2003; the merged organization is under the name of Redefining Progress.
Environmental Economics and Indicators - from the World Bank. Topics include environmental valuation, environmental policy, green accounting, and poverty and environment. Also includes The Little Green Data Book which contains "key indicators of the environment and its relationship to people for more than 200 countries". Tables download in excel format. Also see the World Bank's environment page for projects in specific regions.
Europa's Environmental Economics - Includes published studies (in pdf), European environmental priorities, a database on environmental taxes in the European Union, an eco-industries database, and links to ministries, agencies, etc. invloved in environmental economics.
International Institute for Sustainable Development - non-profit organization dedicated to promoting research and advancing policy recommendations in sustainable development.
Living Planet Report - from the World Wildlife Federation. The report is a "qualitative picture of the state of the world's natural environment and the human pressures upon it". Includes audio, video, and animations.
National Center for Environmental Economics - from the Environmental Protection Agency.
OECD Environment - links to full text publications in pdf format.
State of the Nation's Ecosystems from the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment. Selected measurements for coasts and oceans, farmlands, forests, fresh waters, grasslands and shrublands, and urban and suburban areas, as well as core national indicators.
Trade and the Environment - from the World Trade Organization. Links to working documents from the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE), discussions of the relationship between trade and the environment. Includes a special study on trade and environment released by the WTO Secretariat in October 1999.
United Nations Sustainable Development - economic aspects of sustainable development in various countries. How sustainable development is fostered and its progress.
World Bank Environment - Note links to Environmental Themes and Environment in the Regions.
World Bank Group Climate Change - provides resources and expertise for the World Bank's participation in
international climate change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Includes a database of descriptions of the group's projects, publications, and press releases.Earthjustice: Because the earth needs a good lawyer. This is a non-profit public interest law firm helping to enforce & strengthen environmental laws for hundreds of organizations & communities.
Environmental Defense Fund - national nonprofit organization linking science, economics and law to create innovative, equitable and cost-effective solutions to society's most urgent environmental problems.
Environmental Justice Resource Center [Clark Atlanta University]
Ethical Traveler - project of the Earth Island Institute, includes the world's best ethical travel destinations.
National Environmental Justice Advisory Council - created in 1992 to integrate environmental justice into EPA's policies. Links to publications.
Native Americans and the Environment - Online documents and web sites, organized by region and by subject. Part of the National Library for the Environment.
Right-to-Know Network - Access to numerous databases, text files, and conferences on the environment, housing, and sustainable development.
Sierra Club: Human Rights and the Environment - works to protect the environment by ensuring equal civil liberties for environmentalists worldwide.
U.S. Community Environmental Scorecard - profiles environmental issues in every community in the U.S. Identifies affected groups by race, income, and education.
Earth Charter Initiative - launched in 1994 by the Earth Council and Green Cross International, it sets forth ethical principles for a sustainable way of life.
Ethics Update: Environmental Ethics
Extensive Internet-based resources in environmental ethics; includes online classic texts in ethics, multimedia (videos, podcasts, and more), and reviews. The web site is maintained by Professor Lawrence M. Hinman at the University of San Diego. Of particular interest is a section entitled "Writing Papers about Theories: Tips and Traps."Institute for the Study of Society and Environment (ISSE)
Among its research facets is the study of climate-ecosystems with human interactions.International Association for Environmental Philosophy
"Embraces a broad understanding of environmental philosophy, including not only environmental ethics, but also environmental aesthetics, ontology, and theology, the philosophy of science, ecofeminism, and the philosophy of technology." IAEP convenes annual conferences, publishes the journal, Environmental Philosophy, and maintains a newsletter.Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics
The Center is "dedicated to interdisciplinary research and education in biomedical ethics, and provides clinical and research ethics consultation." Information provided by the site includes briefings on the center's various seminars, the annual report, and an in-house bioethics newsletter. In addition to descriptions of current research areas, there are brief profiles of the scientist and student researchers.Best Practices Briefs - free summaries of selected practices leading to solutions of "critical social, economic, and environmental problems" around the world - UN Habitat
Earth Trends [World Resources Institute] - comprehensive online database that focuses on the environmental, social, and economic trends that shape our world.
Environmental Defense Fund - "a leading national nonprofit organization representing more than 300,000 members. Since 1967, we have linked science, economics and law to create innovative, equitable and cost-effective solutions to society's most urgent environmental problems".
Global Development and Environment Institute - "a research institute at Tufts University dedicated to promoting a new understanding of how societies can pursue their economic goals in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner. Links to full text of working papers and other publications and organizations.
Green Cross International - a non-governmental, non-profit organization founded by Michail Gorbachev in 1993 to "help create a sustainable future by cultivating harmonious relationships between humans and the environment".
Institute for European Environmental Policy - an independent, not for profit organisation dedicated to the analysis and development of European environmeental policy.
International Atomic Energy Agency - "serves as the world's central inter-governmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the nuclear field".
International Energy Agency - an autonomous agency linked with the OECD. Links to statistics, country studies, and the world energy outlook. Some reports are summaries rather than full text.
International Institute for Environment and Development - an independent non-profit organization founded in 1971 to promote sustainable patterns of world development through collaborative research, policy studies, networking and knowledge dissemination.
John P. McGovern M.D. Center for Environmental and Regulatory Affairs - a conservative view of environmental policy issues.
PopPlanet sponsored by the National Council for Science and the Environment and the Population Reference Bureau. Contains in-depth country profiles. Right now the number of countries is limited, but information includes environmental laws and treaties, and issues such as Agriculture and Food, Biodiversity, Desertification, Energy, Water, Forestry and Deforestation, Health, Marine Issues/Fisheries, Parks/Protected Areas, Population, Tourism
Resources for the Future - nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that conducts independent research -- rooted primarily in economics and other social sciences -- on environmental, energy, and natural resource issues.
World Conservation Union - Founded in 1948 and brings together states, NGOs, government agencies, and scientists "to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable".
World Water Council - an international water policy think tank; sponsors the newly developed Water Poverty Index
Environmental Science and Health
- Biodiversity Heritage Library - More than 6,400 natural history and herbaria titles online- Advanced Search
- Data Collections from Science and Technology programs - Environment Canada
- Envirofacts Data Warehouse - US EPA - Topics
- Environmental Health and Toxicology Resources - US National Library of Medicine
- Live Maps and Data - European Environment Agency
- Science Topics - US Geological Survey
- Environmental Agencies of the World
- European Environment Agency - an agency of the European Union.
- U.S. Department of Energy and its Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- United States Environmental Protection Agency featuring NEPIS, its online publications database.
- U.S. Geological Survey and its environmental publications warehouse
- U.S. State Environmental Agencies
Scientific societies
- United Nations System-Wide Earthwatch - an entry point for UN work on observing and assessing the global environment.
- United Nations Division for Sustainable Development
- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
- United Nations Development Programme
- United Nations ECE Environment
- United Nations Environment Programme
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Resources of Scholarly Societies: Environmental Science [Univ. of Waterloo Library]
State of the Environment reports
- IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] Reports - 2007
- IPCC Data Distribution Centre - Models, Environmental and socio-economic data, Supporting material.
- UNEP State of the Environment Reports; also in print in Clapp Library. Search for State of the Environment as a title.
- Global Environment Outlook (issued by the United Nations Environment Programme). Clapp Ref GE 170 .G5625 1997, 2000, 2002 and online.
- World Resources Report [World Resources Institute]
- Environmental Sustainability Index
- Europe's Environment: the third assessment and other reports on Europe's environment
- U.S. Environmental Quality Report - Clapp Docs TD169 .U53a 1970-1997
- State of the Nation's Ecosystems Report
- State of the Coast Report
- Reports for various world cities
- Country Analysis Briefs from the U.S. Energy Information Agency.
Wellesley College Library · WCIS · Betty Febo · last modified: September 4, 2009