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Biology: Finding Resources

Off-campus Access to Library Resources

Manage Your References

Use these tools to help you organize and cite your references:

Journal Tools

Finding Books

The vast and prominent collections for biology, which include books, videos, and other formats, are housed at William T. Young Library. To search for items, use InfoKat Discovery. To search for known items, type in the known title or author information, then select the appropriate type of search from the bottom-right drop box. To browse for items by subject, choose the Subject selection and use general keywords regarding the subject you are researching.

Items in William T. Young Library are housed in Library of Congress call number order; see the Young Library map for call number locations.

Finding Journal Articles

There are two ways to access journals at the University of Kentucky; some journals are in print, while others are electronic.  To find print journals, search InfoKat Discovery by title, much like you would for a book.  For electronic journals, use the E-Journals A-Z.  Once at E-Journals A-Z, search by the journal title.

The journals below are some of the most frequently cited in biological research. They are a good place to begin research. All are available in full-text electronically.

  • Cell
  • Microbiology & Molecular Biology Reviews
  • Planta
  • Theoretical and Applied Genetics

Finding Dissertations & Theses

Theses and dissertations contain a wide array of research and can be valuable resources.  To find theses and dissertations from the University of Kentucky, you can search in InfoKat Discovery or in UKnowledge to access the Electronic Theses & Dissertations from the University of Kentucky.

For theses and dissertations from other institutions, Dissertations and Theses Global from ProQuest includes references to U.S., Canadian, British, and other European dissertations and theses, with detailed abstracts.  Many are full-text, especially the most current.

Finding Resources UK Does Not Own

Just because the University of Kentucky Libraries doesn't own a book or journal doesn't mean it can't be accessed.  Use the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service to obtain books or copies of articles needed for research.

For books, you can search in OCLC WorldCat by title, subject, or author.  Once the item is found, select Send Request to UK's ILLiad.  This will prompt you to begin the Interlibrary Loan process.

For articles, when you find the article in a database, click the View Now @ UK button (pictured below).

If we do not own the item (electronically or in print), the third option down will be Interlibrary Loan.  UK ILLiad Interlibrary Loan is for all colleges except those in the Medical Center, which are covered by UK Medical Center ILLiad Interlibrary Loan. 

For more help with ILL, visit any campus library, or view the webpage on Interlibrary Loan.