Biology 201A: Biology: Library Resources

These subscription databases contain high-quality articles and intuitive search and citation tools. 

Tips on searching Academic Search Complete
can be found on the Search Tips tab. 

Using the Cuesta Library Search system in the box below:

1. Search keyword phrase Human genome
2. By default, the system searches all formats (books, articles, videos, etc.). Narrow your results by individually checking each limiter on the left, under Format.
3. Another way to narrow results is to use phrase searching. When you put quotation marks around a phrase, you only see results for that specific phrase. Try searching "human genome."
4. Limit your search further by using Boolean operators. Try searching "human genome" AND disease. This strategy in addition to using the limiters on the left will get the number of results down even more.

Cuesta Library has numerous journals you can access online. Those journals are found under Browzine in our Library OneSearch.  Start your search by using the search box here, type in the subject Biology, and then narrow your focus from there. Note - when you type in Biology (for example), you will have a list of journals (noted in Blue) and Subjects (noted in Red). When you click on the specific subject, more journal titles will open up for you to choose from.

Search for reserves, articles, books, films and more...

Cal Poly has a large selection of subscription databases. As a Cuesta student, you can access Cal Poly's databases from within the Kennedy Library. You may also email and/or print articles there. Also, you can check out books from the Kennedy Library with your current Cuesta registration or ASCC photo ID. Checkout information and borrowing policies can be found on this page. 

Photo from Kennedy Library's Flickr Photostream

Click on the Advanced Search button below the Cuesta Library Search above. You have many of the same options that you have after entering a basic search. You will also see a list of all the database choices on the right. If you choose to only use specific databases, be sure to hit the blue Save Changes button near the top of the page.

Here are some tips for recognizing primary research documents:

• Most of them will be PDF (due to containing graphs, tables, etc.)
• Most will have more than one or two authors
• If you open the document, it will have a Summary of the research (Abstract), an introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and a good bibliography. Look for articles that are more than a few pages long.