Miami University Department of Geology

Karl E. Limper Geology Museum

WELCOME!

This subject guide provides links to the best resources for research in Geology.    You can select from the following areas:

Journal Articles

Books

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Citing Your Sources

Useful Links to Professional Organizations and Agencies

Geology at Miami includes Geochemistry (isotope, low-temperature, and mineral surfaces), Geomicrobiology, Geomorphology, Geophysics, Hydrogeology, Igneous Petrology, Mineralogy and Crystallography, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, Structural Geology, Tectonics, and Volcanology.  A wide range of research resources is necessary to support this research.  This guide can assist you in finding these materials.

Not sure how to start?  Here are some tips to the kinds of resources the Libraries hold, and when to use them:

Getting the Basics:

If you are completely new to a topic, some Reference sources and text Books may be helpful to learn terminology, get an overview of a field, or even to get ideas for what to write about.  Likewise, you might want to search for review Articles published in scientific journals or in popular scientific magazines.

Digging Deeper:

Once you have a better handle on the topic you are writing about, you may need to turn to the primary scientific literature to find sufficient detail to fulfill your assignment.  This literature usually consist of Articles in scientific journals (and occasionally as chapters of edited Book series).  To track down particular bits of information you need, authoritative Web Sites may be the place to look.

Writing and Citing Sources:

While doing literature research and writing, it is critical that you keep track of the sources you use and Cite them properly in your final product.  Zotero is a free, openly available option for citation management.  We have access to EndNote Web through Web of Knowledge.  Use the tab Citing Your Resources for information on style guides, citation managers, and citation machines.