Research Guides: Science Resources: Internet Resources

Website Evaluation Tips

Check out these tips when deciding to use an online source. Always be skeptical.

Authority: Who is responsible for creating the web page? Is there a publisher or sponsor of the web page? Can you find information about the author and publisher?
Audience: Who is this web site created for? Is the content geared towards an age group or population group?
Accuracy: How does the information compare to other sources?
Content: What is the content of the web site: images, articles, a blog? Can you detect a certain perspective? Are there cited references?
Currency: How recent is the web site? Is there information on when it was last updated?

Recommended Websites for Biology

Catalog of Life
The Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life is planned to become a comprehensive catalogue of all known species of organisms on Earth.
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
The CDC is committed to programs that reduce the health and economic consequences of the leading causes of death and disability, thereby ensuring a long, productive, healthy life for all people.

Encyclopedia of Earth This link opens in a new window
A free online collection of information about the Earth, its natural environments, and human-environmental interactions. Search the site or browse topics such as biodiversity, climate change, environmental law and policy, physics and chemistry.

Encyclopedia of Life
EoL is a new project to create an online reference source and database for every one of the 1.8 million species that are named and known on this planet.
F1000 Faculty Reviews
Comprehensive, topical reviews written by members of the prestigious F1000 Faculty.
F1000Research
An open science publishing platform for life scientists that immediately publishes posters, slides and articles. Articles are peer reviewed after publication, and include all source data.

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) This link opens in a new window
Biomedical and genomic information from the NCBI, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Search gene sequences, chromosome maps, chemicals, taxonomy, and more.
NCBI Bookshelf This link opens in a new window
Full-text books, reports, databases and other documents in life science and healthcare, provided by the National Library of Medicine. A service of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and the National Library of Medicine.

Protein Data Bank (PDB)
A worldwide repository of information about the 3D structures of large biological molecules, including proteins and nucleic acids.
Science.gov
Search over 60 databases and over 2200 selected websites from 15 federal agencies, offering 200 million pages of authoritative U.S. government science information including research and development results. You can also explore selected science websites by topic.

Wellcome Images This link opens in a new window
Over 100,000 high resolution images ranging from ancient manuscripts, paintings, and etchings, to early photography and advertisements. The Biomedical Collection offers over 40,000 high-quality images related to disease, surgery, general healthcare, genetics, and neuroscience. Features the collections of the Wellcome Library in London. Search the collections or browse various galleries and themes.

Recommended Websites for Chemistry

Chemical Information Sources
A wikibook based on the CHEMINFO guide developed at Indiana University. Content includes how and where to search for general and specialized chemical information, science writing aids, and careers in chemistry.

ChemSpider This link opens in a new window
A free chemical structure database providing fast access to over 28 million structures, properties and associated information. By integrating and linking compounds from more than 400 data sources, ChemSpider enables researchers to discover the most comprehensive view of freely available chemical data from a single online search. It is owned by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Kaye & Laby Tables of Physical and Chemical Constants
Contains tables of data, formulas, graphs and charts. Topics include fundamental constants, superconductivity, spectometry, laboratory safety, and more. Content is regularly reviewed and updated by the UK National Physical Laboratory.

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) This link opens in a new window
Biomedical and genomic information from the NCBI, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Search gene sequences, chromosome maps, chemicals, taxonomy, and more.
NIST Chemistry WebBook This link opens in a new window
This free resource from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) enables you to find properties of chemicals. Search by name, formula, CAS Registry Number, or structure.
PubChem This link opens in a new window
Information on the biological activities of small molecules; includes substance Information, compound structures, and BioActivity data in three primary databases, Pcsubstance, Pccompound, and PCBioAssay, respectively. From the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Spectral Database for Organic Compounds This link opens in a new window
Find spectra by compound name, formula, and CAS Registry Number. Free resource provided by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan .

TOXNET
Search multiple databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, environmental health, and toxic releases. Content includes journal articles, monographs, technical reports, theses, letters, and meeting abstracts, papers and reports. A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Considering a career in science?

American Chemical Society - College to Career
This website from the American Chemical Society, the primary professional organization for chemists and related occupations, provides resources for students considering a career in chemistry.
ACS Directory of Graduate Research
The Directory of Graduate Research from the American Chemical Society is the most comprehensive source of information on chemical research and researchers at universities in North America, and can be very helpful in choosing a graduate school.
American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) - Careers in the Biological Sciences
Learn about career paths in biology and how to prepare with this website from the AIBS, a professional organization for biologists.
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) - Career Paths
This website from the ASBMB provides a list of sites about career options in biochemistry and molecular biology.
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) - Becoming a Graduate Student
This website from the ASBMB provides advice on preparing for graduate school.

Nobel Prizes

On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes, the Nobel Prizes.