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Biology

Why use articles?

Articles provide some of the most up-to-date and advanced information on a topic. They are excellent for determining what researchers are studying and what they have found on specific topics.

Tip: If you are needing basic and introductory information on a topic, use books or encyclopedias instead of articles.

Can't access the article you need?

If you have trouble accessing a specific article, ask the library for help or try the following:

Articles / Databases

Finding Articles

The following databases contain information on topics including Biology. Hover over a database name to view a description. 

1. Choose a database to search.

2. If available, go to the Advanced Search function in the database you are using. This allows for more relevant and precise searching.

3. If available, use a Subject search term instead of a keyword. This will give you results about your topic instead of results that merely mention your search term.

  • Start with a broad/general subject search term.
  • If you have too many results, add another search term and/or use limiters (Date, Publication Type, etc.).
  • If you have too few or no results, try other search terms or use a keyword search and look for subject terms within those results that can be used in a new subject search.

4. Read abstracts and subject terms associated with the article to determine whether it will be relevant to your research.

5. If you have any trouble accessing the full-text version of an article, contact the library for assistance.

Phone: (940) 898-3701.  Email: reference@mail.twu.edu

Citation Styles

Below is a citation style commonly used in the Biology field. Ask your instructor what citation style you should use for your course.


RefWorks Citation Manager

A great tool for gathering your citations and getting them started.

**Always be sure to double-check that your citations are correct when using an automatic citation program such as RefWorks.**

Frequently Asked Questions

Databases house articles from journals and magazines and make them searchable. No single database contains all journals or articles, so it is best to search multiple databases.
The term journal is often used for publications that contain academic articles. Journals can be issued once per year, twice per year, or even weekly. Each issue of the journal contains new articles. These issues are later combined to create volumes.
Some journals require article submissions to go through a peer review process before being accepted for publication. During this process, experts from the same field as the author review the article to ensure that research methods are sound and that the article advances the field of study. This process prevents the publication of articles that make false claims and misinform readers.