Environmental Studies 190

Capstone: Environmental Problem Solving

Syllabus

Assignment

Back to ENVS190 course page

 Off Campus Access | Find Articles |Improve Search Results | Course Topics

If you live off campus, you'll need to login to the OCA (proxy server) to be able to use any of the library licensed databases listed below

Find Articles

These article databases provide scholarly and general articles.  You do NOT need to look at every database to find sources.  See Course Topics below to get a list of databases by topic. 

Web of Science - Start with this one to find scholarly articles

Academic Search Complete - Provides scholarly and general articles across a broad range of topics and academic disciplines

Business Source Complete - Find business related articles (including scholarly) from industry and academic sources

PAIS International - Provides political, governmental, and international articles and reports

Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management - Find articles on ecology, air quality, water pollution, toxicology, energy, etc.

Biosis Previews - Includes articles on ecology, biotechnology, agriculture, etc.

ASFA: Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts -  Includes articles about all aspects of water quality, supply, etc.

Improve Search Results:

Get an overview of your topic, and develop alternative keywords you can use in your searches. Examining encyclopedia articles, books, and evaluated web pages are a good way to refine your searches. See How to Evaluate Information on the Web for help with assessing web pages.

CQ Researcher - Provides background information and clear analysis of current, controversial topics.  Includes many environmental issues.

Gale Virtual Reference Library  - Encyclopedia articles on wide range of topics, including environmental themes.

Tip: Other helpful keywords to add to your search include "environmental aspects", "environmental impact",  "ecologic* impact", etc.

When using these sources, note the following:

• Write down new terms, alternative concepts and phrases, key dates, facts, etc. 
• Look for citations and references to other sources.  
• Use CRUZCAT (UCSC library catalog) to find the titles of any reports, journal names, or books referenced in the encyclopedia essays or journal articles and see if we own them at UCSC.

Course Topics: [START with Web of Science, then move to selected databases, below, that should provide articles]

| General CA Topics | CA Water | Alternative Energy & Waste Mgmt | Agr & Natural Resources | 

General California Topics

• Pesticide Risks in California Agriculture
• Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Policies for California
• Environmental impacts of the food system in California’s Central Valley
• Land management and environmental degradation in Elkhorn Slough
• Policy barriers to the implementation of alternative energy in California: A scaled approach from households to the State

Additional General California SOURCES:

Try these databases if you don't find enough in Web of Science

Academic Search Complete

Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management

California Water Topics

• Degradation of water quality at a California State Scale
• Balancing biological and human needs for scarce freshwater supplies in California
• Preservation of California's freshwater resources
• Water scarcity in California, with a specific focus on climate change

Additional California Water SOURCES:

Aquafornia: The Water Blog http://aquafornia.com/ - all things water, including current news, and comment on policy and water issues.

Research and Publications http://aquafornia.com/research-and-publications - links to public policy articles and reports specific to water in California including climate change, agriculture, conservation, etc.

Try these databases if you don't find enough in Web of Science or Aquafornia  

Academic Search Complete

ASFA: Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts

Alternative Energy & Waste Management

•  Lifecycle analysis of alternative energy technologies
•  LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification: Effective or ineffective?
•  Policy barriers to household waste management, specifically composting, materials recycling and electronic waste.
•  Environmental problems associated with the solar panel industry and opportunities for change
•  Making biofuels environmentally acceptable

Additional Alternative & Waste Management SOURCES.  Try these databases if you don't find enough in Web of Science

Academic Search Complete

Business Source Complete

Agriculture & Natural Resources

•  Environmental problems associated with intensive livestock production and stocking
•  Accessibility (and lack thereof) of organic and sustainable food products in the US food system
•  Advantages and disadvantages of ecotourism for local communities
•  Conservation and tourism in the Great Barrier Reef
•  Resource extraction in the Amazon
•  Resource exploitation in Latin American communities
•  Environmental Justice

Additional Agriculture and Natural Resources SOURCES.  Try these databases if you don't find enough in Web of Science

Academic Search Complete

Business Source Complete

PAIS International - for topics on Latin America, Australia, etc.

Page Created by Lucia Orlando, luciao@ucsc.edu.  Government Documents and Environmental Studies Librarian

January 2010