English 202C

Internet Resources Guide for Undergraduate Biology Majors

Brendan Wood Professor: Dr. Carl Anderson February 10, 2014

Table of Contents

Front Matter 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 What is in the Guide Who the Guide is for What the Guide Assumes Organization of this Guide Tips for Using this Guide 2 2 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 PubMed 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 16

General Websites 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Penn State Department of Biology Homepage Science Times The New York Times Harvard Multimedia Biology Animations

Index 3.1

Professional Journals 4.1 4.2 Nature Science

Government Publication and Statistical Abstracts 5.1 Catalog of U.S. Government Publications 5.1.1 5.2 Adult Stem Cell Research: Successes From The Field

Statistical Abstract of the United States 5.2.1 Science and Engineering (S&E) Degrees Awarded by Degree Level and Sex of Recipient: 1990 to 2009

1.1 What is in the Guide

This guide contains useful information for obtaining an undergraduate biology degree. It is tailored to the needs of students by presenting resources that will allow them to be successful in introductory and advanced biology courses. The guide begins with general websites. Included within this section are resources that will present the biology major requirements, a reputable news source in the field, and animations to expand your understanding of topics in cell biology and microbiology. An index is presented to find articles and journals pertaining to biological topics. Two of the most popular scientific journals are provided as resources for finding recent articles pertaining to biology. Additionally, government generated statistics and information are available to learn about the current graduation rate of science students and to find out which topics in science are concerns to the U.S. government.

1.2 Who the Guide is for

This guide is intended to be used by undergraduate students at Penn State University majoring in biology. It is most applicable to students taking Biol 110, Biol 220, Biol 230, Biol 240 and 400 level biology courses. Resources that pertain to certain classes will be addressed in the Description section of the abstract. This guide will not be useful for students in other life sciences fields such as biochemistry or biobehavioral health. These majors have different course requirements and emphasize different aspects of life science. Students who are very serious about obtaining high grades will benefit from the guide greatly; however, it should be noted that this guide will not aide students in finding jobs.

1.3 What the Guide Assumes

This guide assumes that you are an undergraduate biology major studying at the University Park Campus of Penn State University. You must have a basic understanding of biology. An advanced knowledge of the subject matter is not necessary to understand the contents of this guide. You should use this guide for the ultimate purpose of obtaining an undergraduate degree. It will not be helpful for students who need information pertaining to applying to graduate school, medical school, or a job. This guide assumes that the student is dedicated to their studies and wishes to become familiar with the necessary resources before being instructed to use them in the classroom. Finally, you must be a proficient English reader, and you must be able to operate the basic features of the internet.

1.4 Organization of the Guide

The organization of this guide is based on priority. The most important information appears at the beginning of the guide while the less crucial resources appear towards the end of the guide. The General Websites section appears on page 5. These resources include the Penn State Biology homepage, science news, and biology animations. They are critical for understanding graduation requirements, keeping up to date with current information and having a vivid understanding of the most basic unit of life, the cell. Section 3 presents an index to find articles and Section 4 presents scientific journals. These sections are useful for learning about new advancements and discoveries in biology. The final section, Section 5, shows U.S. Government statistics and publications that may give you a better impression of the percentages of degrees in the science workforce and the recent legislative concerns in science. Along with a brief description of each source, tips and document access instructions are noted. Each resource has an identification code before the title which corresponds to the code in the table of contents.

1.5 Tips for Using the Guide

This guide can prove to be very useful if you know how to navigate it. These tips will allow you to find the information you need in a timely manner. There is a table of contents on page 1. This table is divided into sections and subsections. A numerical code is utilized so that you can locate where in the document the information can be obtained. When using journals, follow the instructions listed to access the site. By typing in the website directly and not going through Penn State, one may have to pay an additional fee. Penn State subscribes to these journals with your tuition money, so take advantage of it! The Tips section under each abstract can be useful for navigation. If you are already familiar with a source in this guide, still read the abstract because it will show the websites applicability to certain biology courses at Penn State

2 General Websites
The general websites are very important for Penn State Biology undergraduates. The first website, the Penn State Department of Biology homepage, provides information about curriculum, faculty, research opportunities and lecture series at the university. The Science Times is a biology news source written in language that is understandable to scientists and nonscientists alike. The Harvard Multimedia biology animations let you see biology in action. It helps to put microscopic processes into perspective.

2.1
Department of Biology
Directory of Information Website
Location http://bio.psu.edu/ Description The Department of Biology home page presents a wide variety of information regarding biology at Penn State University. It is the most critical website to Penn State biology students. Undergraduate students in particular can use this website for academic advising purposes. This website shows academic advising availability as well as recommended academic plans and required courses to fulfill a B.S. degree in Biology. Students that are interested in getting involved in academic research can read about the different professors and their topics of exploration. Additionally, a News and Events tab presents newly published papers at Penn State and articles written about Penn State biology students. Also included are seminars for students to attend about a variety of topics like evolution, metabolism and the history of anatomy. The seminars are important because they give you a chance to meet leaders in biology research and establish connections that could prove to be beneficial after graduation. Tips

Undergraduate students interested in getting involved in research, should select the People tab and then select Faculty: Graduate. This page lists professors at Penn State University Park campus that conduct biology research. If you click More about you can read about their research interests and contact them through email. Many professors already have full research staffs so it is important that you send emails to many different professors. When trying to schedule an appointment with the undergraduate biology department, students should call the main office. They will schedule an appointment with you. Advising professors do not schedule their own appointments! Students should stay updated on required classes so that they can graduate on time. Selecting Undergraduate Portal and then Biology option check sheets will take students to a page where they can find all the courses they need to take over the 4 years. This should be checked at least once a semester before students schedule classes.

2.2
Science Times New York Times
News Website
Location and Availability http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/ Free for all internet users Description Science Times is a news source that addresses current topics in physical and biological sciences. This website is operated by the New York Times and the information within is printed every Tuesday. Unlike the newspaper, accessing this information online is free. The website presents articles about current discoveries, news, question and answers, opinions, podcasts, links to magazines, videos and author profiles. The New York Times has additional articles archived on their page. The information is critical to students in biology because many professors talk about the articles in class. Professors like students who read about science outside of the classroom and have a tendency learn their names even in massive lecture halls. Often professors are more willing to write these students letters of recommendations. Tips

If you are looking for a particular article, click the magnifying glass in the upper left hand corner of the page and type in the title. This will access the websites archives. If you need clarification on any articles on the website, you can contact the reporters directly. On the bottom right hand corner of the page, the emails and twitter accounts of each of the reporters are listed by picture and name. This can prove to be a valuable resource.

2.3
Harvard Multimedia Biology Animations
Specialized Video Reference
Location and Availability http://multimedia.mcb.harvard.edu/media.html Free for all internet users Description The Harvard Multimedia page was created by Harvard University and consists of a series of videos pertaining to topics in cell biology. These animations were put together by a group of Harvard biologists and computer scientists to create a living model of certain cell functions. These videos offer incredible detail and the fluid models which properly depict life. This website is useful for Penn State biology undergraduates because it summarizes almost all of the processes covered in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Biol 230. This class bases its learning from wiki articles, so it is imperative that you use these animations to figure out how all these biological processes fit together. Tips

There are multiple options for students to choose from when it comes to picking a video. They can choose videos with a professor narrating each step, or they can choose ones that only have background music to review the concepts that they have learned. Note that the videos without narration are listed first. If the videos do not play on your computer, select either Apple Quicktime Player or Flash Macromedia Plugin in the top right corner of the page. These links will allow you to download a video player that is compatible with your computer.

3 Index
The index provided is most useful for students conducting research. It allows one to look up journals and articles. Often times, people can find conflicting viewpoints from different scientists studying the same thing. It is important to note that science changes constantly, and what thought was true in the 1960s is not necessarily true today. PubMed is a common index used by all levels of students, so it would beneficial for you to learn how to use it.

3.1
PubMed
Electronic Index
Location and Availability http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed Free through the Penn State Library Go to University Libraries Home Select Site Search Search for Pubmed Select Pubmed Description PubMed is an electronic index controlled by the U.S. Government commonly used by biology researchers to find research publications. It contains over 23 million citations from the year 1950 to the present. The amount of information on this page is extensive. Not only are publications available, but important biological tools can also be found on this website. Programs such as Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and the Conserved Domain Database are available to compare homology in genes of related organisms. In addition, the website offers training for people getting involved in research as well as resources on how to better navigate the web page. This website is essential to you because Biol 230 requires that you use BLAST to compare the DNA sequences in drosophila and compare them to sequences in the human genome. Becoming familiar with this program now will save you time in the future. PubMed is also a superior source for finding information for a thesis or a research paper. The extent of the articles on this index is vast, and will surely be beneficial when defending a hypothesis. Tips

After an article has been selected, be sure to select the Get It! Penn State button so that you can view the document for free. Penn State pays for a subscription to give students this capability. If you know the author of the paper you are searching for, grant number, or date, click Advanced under the search bar to narrow your search. If you need further instructions on how to use the Advanced Search Builder, click the YouTube tutorial icon in the upper right corner of the page.

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4 Professional Journals
The professional journals listed here are the most highly respected journals in the biological sciences. Since they are the most prestigious, researchers spend their careers trying to get published into these journals. Also, the papers are scrutinized by peers before publishing and tend reveal monumental findings. Nature and Science are the journals presented here. Nature is based primarily on the life sciences and Science presents topics from many different subjects.

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4.1
Nature
Professional Journal
Location and Availability http://www.nature.com/ Free through the Penn State Library Go to University Libraries Home Select E-Journals Search for Nature The fourth reference is Nature (London) o Select Nature Journal Archive Description Nature is one of the most prominent and reputable scientific journals in the biological sciences. It contains a variety of research and review articles that cover subjects varying from plant sciences to stem cell research. The resources available on the website vary significantly. One can find science news, research, careers, the current issue, audio and video. The primary audience is scientists and professors, but students and the general public can benefit greatly from the topics. Undergraduate biology majors at Penn State should use this website to read reviews. These articles compile many research articles into a compact paper which covers our current understanding of the topic. This will prove to be effective in supplementing material covered in class to prepare for exams. Tips

Do not access this page without going through the Penn State Library Home Page or you will be required to pay a monthly subscription fee of $199.00 per month to access the journal articles. If you get tired of reading scientific papers, the website provides videos. Click the link below the current Nature cover page. If the categories provided are not specific enough for your purposes, an advanced search bar is located in the top right corner of the page. Review articles are located at the bottom of the page under Publications A-Z.

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4.2
Science
Professional Journal
Location and Availability http://www.sciencemag.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/ Free through the Penn State Library Go to University Libraries Home Select E-Journals o Select Title equals to the right of the search bar Search for Science The fourth reference is Science (New York, N.Y.) o Select from 01/01/1997 to present in Science Magazine Description Science is a worldwide scientific journal published by the nonprofit company, AAAS. The goal of this organization is to advance science and serve the worldwide community. Undergraduates can derive the most use from this website by reading their weekly science journals. The archive of Science articles extends over 323 volumes. Also provided on this website are science news, careers, multimedia, and collections based on subject, continents, and commentary. This website can be particularly useful for students who are looking for postings within the last week that have not been released by print. This is included under Science Express. The scope of this website is life sciences and physical sciences; however, economics, education, history, business, policy, and sociology are also present. This website is useful for undergraduates because it presents articles which can aid in independent research as well as laboratory papers which call for peerreviewed outside sources. This source is useful to you because the lab portions of Biol 220, Biol 230, and Biol 240 will require you to read, analyze and present research journal articles to the class. Tips

Do not access this page without going through the Penn State Library Home Page or you will be required to pay a student yearly subscription of 50 dollars. By selecting Subject Collections, you can select a particular area of biological sciences and it will provide you with the most recent and popular articles. An advanced search bar is located in the upper right hand corner of the webpage if you have a very specific topic to research.
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5 Government Publications and Statistical Abstracts

This section of the guide is particularly informative for students wishing to learn about the most recent advances in research, about what the government has published, and about new information from the U.S. Census Bureau. In the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, students can find information in the life sciences ranging from wildlife preservation to stem cell research. The information found here is very important to government decisions. In the Statistical Abstract of the United States, students can access statistics regarding the workforce and the levels of science and engineering degrees across the country.

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5.1
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
Location http://catalog.gpo.gov/F Description The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (GCP) is a resource that allows people to find electronic publications from the different branches of the government. The website provides links to different sources from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the government. The resources present on this website have been accumulated since July 1976 and since that time over 500,000 records have been generated. The website has an extensive search engine which can be narrowed to maps, congressional publications or internet publications. This website is useful to undergraduates because it provides data, cutting edge research, and bigpicture presentations. All of this data can aid students in presentations in their 400 level biology courses. Tips The website breaks down searching into Basic, Advanced, and Expert. Basic is a good place to start your search, and as you collect more information, an advanced search might be useful. After searching for a topic, the Sort option selection can be useful for finding current discussions on the topic of interest.

5.1.1
Adult Stem Cell Research: Successes From The Field
Location and Access http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-108shrg81637/pdf/CHRG-108shrg81637.pdf Use the search bar in the middle of the page. Type in Stem Cells and then select the first hit. Description Adult Stem Cell Research: Successes From the Field is a publication from the GCP and an example of a publication in the GCP. It is a presentation made to the 108th Congress on adult stem cells. Within it is the speech itself, conversations, notes, PowerPoints, and images. The purpose of this congressional speech was to encourage the government to fund stem cell research in adults. A number of scientists pitched their research on adult stem cells, and how advances in the field could save thousands of lives.
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5.2
Statistical Abstract of the United States
Location http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ Description The Statistical Abstract of the United States is a government-run website that presents a wide arrangement of social, political, and economic statistics published since 1878. These statistics have been collected from government agencies such as the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The scope of this website is immense. In the left hand column of the page are all the different section and subsections to choose from. The arrangement of the website makes it easy to use. The Science and Technology tab is most useful for undergraduate biology students. Here one can find statistics about the number of science and engineering students receiving degrees. This website allows undergraduates to see how many other people are graduating with the same degree and what they will be competing against when looking for a job. Tips

If you are not entirely sure how to classify what you are searching for, there is an advanced search bar at the top right corner of the page. Use this website for subjects other than science. These statistics can be useful for humanities and the social sciences. To find these statistics use the tabs on the left side of the page.

5.2.1
Science and Engineering (S&E) Degrees Awarded by Degree Level and Sex of Recipient: 1990 to 2009
Location http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0812.pdf Description The Science and Engineering Degrees Awarded statistics addresses the number of men and women who received science and engineering bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. This abstract can be accessed through the Statistical Abstract. Within the statistics are the percent of women in the field. The statistics are further divided in race and ethnicity as well as by state. Use the headings to find out what the table or figure depicts. This is useful for undergraduates because it gives them exposure to the demographics and level of education of those in science.
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