Enviromental Sciences and Sustainability: Databases & eResources

Useful eResources

Sustainability is an interdisciplinary topic, which means you can find useful research articles, background information, and data in a variety of databases. Simply scan this list for the type of information you are seeking.

For starting points on broad topics related to sustainability, use the Library's General eResources.
- Academic Search Complete covers all disciplines and includes full-text that you can narrow by peer-reviewed articles.
- CQ Researcher provides background information on controversial social and environmental topics.

To find scientific topics related to sustainability, use the Library’s Science eResources and Social Science eResources.
- Scopus indexes articles to more than 18,000 titles in the life, health, physical, and social sciences.
- GreenFILE provides indexing and abstracts for articles related to "green" topics.
- SocINDEX covers social science research, including sociology, anthropology, and criminal justice.
For business topics related to sustainability, use the Library's Business eResources.
- Business Source Elite provides full-text access to articles on business, managment, economics, and more.
- EconLit covers more than 700 titles in economics.

To find country data on energy, food, environment, and other sustainability topics, consult these international sources.
- UNdata includes statistics, estimates, and projections on development, education, energy, environment, food and agriculture, gender, health, human development, and more.
- The WorldBank provides data, charts, and maps on a variety of topics, including development, the environment, energy, health, poverty, and more.

Open Access Journals

Open access journals are scholarly journals that are freely available to anyone online. You can find a listing of these journals in the Directory of Open Access at www.doaj.org. Here are a few related to sustainability topics:

Ecology and Society: A Journal of Integrative Science for Resilience and Sustainability
Multidisciplinary journal "concerned with the relationship between society and the life-supporting ecosystems on which human wellbeing ultimately depends."
Electronic Green Journal
"A professional peer-reviewed publication devoted to disseminating information concerning environmental protection, conservation, management of natural resources, and ecologically-balanced regional development."
Environmental Health Perspectives
"A forum for the discussion of the interrelationships between the environment and human health."
Sustainability
"Journal of environmental, cultural, economic and social sustainability of human beings."
Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy
"A forum for cross-disciplinary discussion of empirical science as well as practice and policy developments related to sustainability."

Free Databases

bioRxiv
"bioRxiv (pronounced "bio-archive") is a free online archive and distribution service for unpublished preprints in the life sciences. It is operated by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory..." Started in November of 2013, the archive has a limited number of articles at this time.
ChemWeb
Access to journal abstracts and selected full text articles from Chemistry publishers such as Wiley, Elsevier and Springer. Free registration required for database use.
Entrez - the Life Sciences Search Engine
Provides access to genomic and biomedical information.
Espacenet
Database of "more than 50 million patent documents from all over the world" provided by the European Patent Office.
Google Books
Search an index of the world's books, with many of them previewed or provided in full for free.
Google Patents
Search US patents and applications.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature.
medrxiv
"medRxiv (pronounced "med-archive") is a free online archive and distribution server for complete but unpublished manuscripts (preprints) in the medical, clinical, and related health sciences."
NTIS Goverment Technical Reports
"Serves as the largest central resource for government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information. For more than 60 years, NTIS has assured access to approximately 3 million publications covering over 350 subject areas."
Research Square
"Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. You can also learn about breakthroughs in your field and comment on new discoveries."
Science.gov
"Searches over 50 databases and over 2100 selected websites from 12 federal agencies, offering 200 million pages of authoritative U.S. government science information including research and development results."
ToxNet
"Databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, environmental health, and toxic releases."
US Copyright Office
Searches "works registered and documents recorded by the U.S. Copyright Office since January 1, 1978."
US Patent and Trademarks Office
Search for US patents and trademarks.
SSRN
SSRN is an open-access online preprint community providing valuable services to leading academic schools and government institutions. Specializing primarily in social sciences, including economics, law, corporate governance, and humanities, SSRN is branching out in to other science disciplines providing opportunities for scholars to post their early research, collaborate on theories and discoveries, and get credit for their ideas before peer reviewed publication.

Off-Campus Access

Most databases are accessible remotely from off-campus. However, only current SIUE faculty, staff, and students have privileges to access the databases. Restrictions are due to licensing and subscription agreements with vendors and publishers.

Remote access to Library databases requires logging in with your e-ID and password.

If you are experiencing trouble connecting to a database, please contact the Information Desk 618.650.INFO (4636) or Circulation 618.650.2712.

Zotero

Zotero allows users to:

1. Gather, store, manage, and share references or citations.

2. Generate bibliographies in numerous citation formats such as APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

3. Store references online and have accessibility to them wherever internet access is available.

Zotero
Zotero is a free reference management platform designed to collect, store, share, manage and cite sources.
Zotero guide
A guide that explains how to use Zotero for research.

IPBES

IPBES was established in 2012 by more than 100 governments, and its membership has continued to grow as IPBES' impact has increased.

Who can become a member?
All States Members of the United Nations are eligible for IPBES membership, with a large number of NGOs, organisations, conventions and civil society groupings participating in the formal IPBES process as observers.

Why become a member?
To strengthen knowledge foundations for better policy through science, for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being and sustainable development.

How to become a member?
Should your Government wish to join IPBES, all that is required is for this intention to be officially communicated to the IPBES secretariat, by way of a formal letter, issued by or on behalf of the authority that would normally issue credentials for your national delegation to participate in a session of the IPBES Plenary, in other words by your Head of State or Government or minister for foreign affairs, consistent with your national policies and law.

Library & Information Services