Environmental Science/Studies Research Guide

This page lists only subject-specific resources for Environmental Science / Studies. General information about academic research, searching for books and journals, finding specialized sources, and help with evaluating and citing sources, is available on the Guides page and in the menu options at the right (or at the bottom) of this page.

Getting Started

Many of the library’s resources require you to use the library’s links to get full access. It is important to start your academic research from the library’s website: going directly into a database (www.jstor.org) won't give you the same level of access that the library pays for. To use the library’s links to these resources, you must be registered with the library - this is different than being registered for class(es).

Please try to get into the library’s databases early in the semester - if you can’t, it will take a few days to process your account, so don’t wait until you need to begin finding sources.

Getting More Help - Don’t be afraid to Ask-the-Librarian! I won’t do your research for you, but I will help you figure out how to find what you need. My contact information is available at the top of the menu at the right (or at the bottom) of this page.

Related Guide

Books

See the Find Books page for general information about finding books, including how to:

  • search LibCat
  • understand call numbers
  • locate books on the shelves
  • request books that are not immediately accessible

Ebooks

You must select the link(s) for your campus! Why this is important...

Academic and public library ebook collections, including some textbooks: UH Hilo | HawaiʻiCC

Open Access Ebooks

Open Access UCL Press Sustainability and Development Ebooks

Research Methods and Writing for the Profession

  • A Field Guide For Science Writers: The Official Guide of the National Association of Science Writers
    General Collection: T 11 .F52 2006
    Also available as an Online Book

  • Learning to Communicate in Science and Engineering
    General Collection: Q 223 .P64 2010

  • Making Sense: A Student's Guide to Research and Writing: Engineering and the Technical Sciences
    General Collection: T 11 . N675 2009

  • Making Sense: A Student's Guide to Research and Writing: Geography and Environmental Sciences
    General Collection: G 70 .N67 2005

  • Making Sense: A Student's Guide to Research and Writing: Life Sciences
    General Collection: QH 304 .N67 2011

  • Science and Technology Research: Writing Strategies for Students
    General Collection: Z 710 .N47 2002

  • Science Research Writing for Non-native Speakers of English
    Online Book

  • Scientific Writing and Communication: Papers, Proposals, and Presentations
    General Collection: Q223 .H63 2014

  • Scientific Writing for Young Astronomers: A Collection of Papers on Scientific Writing
    General Collection: QB14.2 .S25 2011

  • Scientific Writing: Thinking in Words
    General Collection: T11 .L5286 2011

  • Writing and Presenting Scientific Papers
    General Collection: T 11 .M3344 2004
    Also available as an Online Book

  • Writing Readable Research: A Guide for Students of Social Science
    Online Book

  • Writing Scientific Articles: Strategy and Steps
    Online Book

Books in the Hawaiian Collection

Selected Titles

Clark, Athline M. And David Gulko. Hawaiʻi's State of the Reefs.
Hawaiian Collection: QH76.5 .H3 C6 1999

Dudley, Walter C. and Min Lee. Tsunami.
Hawaiian Collection: GC222 .H3 D84 1998

Frankel, David Kimo. Protecting Paradise: A Citizen's Guide to Land & Water Use Controls in Hawai‘i.
Hawaiian Collection: KFH458 .F73 1997

Gulko, David. Hawaiian Coral Reef Ecology.
Hawaiian Collection: QH541.5 .C7 G85 1998

Kepler, Angela Kay. Hawaiian Heritage Plants.
Hawaiian Collection: QK473 .H4 K46 1998

Liittschwager, David and Susan Middleton. Remains of a Rainbow: Rare Plants and Animals of Hawaiʻi.
Hawaiian Collection: Grand Folio QH76.5 .H3 L55 2001

University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Dept. of Geography. Atlas of Hawai‘i.
Hawaiian Collection: G1534.20 .U5 1998

Journal Articles

See the Find Articles page for general information about finding magazine, journal, and newspaper articles, including how to:

  • search specialized databases
  • understand the difference between a scholarly journal and a magazine
  • request articles that are not immediately accessible

Journal Article Databases

You must select the link(s) for your campus! Why this is important...

UH Hilo

Also be sure to search some of the General Databases and related Subject Area Databases:
UH Hilo General | UH Hilo Subject Area

  • AGRICOLA (EBSCO) (UH Hilo access)
    Descriptions (with some linked to full text) of "publications and resources encompassing all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines, including animal and veterinary sciences, entomology, plant sciences, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, farming and farming systems, agricultural economics, extension and education, food and human nutrition, and earth and environmental sciences."
  • Bioline International (Free access for all users)
    Database of open access journals from developing countries in the fields of medicine, health, agriculture, the environment, and demography.
  • BioOne Complete (Free access for all users)
    Database of open access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences.
  • Environment Complete (EBSCO) (UH Hilo access)
    Comprehensive index of periodicals in all environmental studies subjects.  Many journals and some reference books are full text.
  • GreenFILE (EBSCO) (UH Hilo access)
    Indexing and abstracts for more than 384,000 records, with open access full text for more than 4,700 records. Content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more.
  • ScienceDirect (UH Hilo access)
    Comprehensive collection of journal content in the sciences.
  • Science Reference Center (EBSCO) (UH Hilo access)
    Browseable by topic, includes: full-text science periodicals; reference books; encyclopedias; science essays; full-length biographies of scientists; science animations; 10,000+ science images; over 500 videos.
  • Sustainability Reference Center (EBSCO) (UH Hilo access)
    Full-text content from journals and some reference books covering all aspects of sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

HawaiʻiCC

Also be sure to search some of the General Databases and related Subject Area Databases:
HawaiʻiCC General | HawaiʻiCC Subject Area

  • AGRICOLA (EBSCO) (Hawaiʻi CC access)
    Descriptions (with some linked to full text) of "publications and resources encompassing all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines, including animal and veterinary sciences, entomology, plant sciences, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, farming and farming systems, agricultural economics, extension and education, food and human nutrition, and earth and environmental sciences."
  • Bioline International (Free access for all users)
    Database of open access journals from developing countries in the fields of medicine, health, agriculture, the environment, and demography.
  • BioOne Complete (Free access for all users)
    Database of open access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences.
  • Environment Complete (EBSCO) (Hawaiʻi CC access)
    Comprehensive index of periodicals in all environmental studies subjects.  Many journals and some reference books are full text.
  • GreenFILE (EBSCO) (Hawaiʻi CC access)
    Indexing and abstracts for more than 384,000 records, with Open Access full text for more than 4,700 records. Content includes global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more.
  • ScienceDirect (Hawaiʻi CC access)
    Comprehensive collection of journal content in the sciences.
  • Science Reference Center (EBSCO) (Hawaiʻi CC access)
    Browseable by topic, includes: full-text science periodicals; reference books; encyclopedias; science essays; full-length biographies of scientists; science animations; 10,000+ science images; over 500 videos.
  • Sustainability Reference Center (EBSCO) (Hawaiʻi CC access)
    Full-text content from journals and some reference books covering all aspects of sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Dissertations and Theses

The library has access to the full-text of many theses and dissertations, most of which have extensive lists of references. Some examples of material available in full-text:

Gallardo Cruz, Karen. Helicopter Noise in Hawaiʻi’s Protected Natural Areas Changes Temporal Characteristics of Songbird Vocalizations. University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. 2019.

Haggerty, Jacqueline. Thermal tolerance of the common coqui frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui) in East Hawaiʻi along an elevation gradient. University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. 2016.

Nakoa III, Joseph William Paʻakaula. Dilution of Sewage Pollution in the Coastal Waters of Hilo, Hawaiʻi, USA: An Area with High River and Groundwater Inputs.    University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. 2022

Strong, Kathryn L.Developing a Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy Classification Tool to Identify Common Beach Plastics on Hawaiʻi Island.  University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. 2021.

Ward, Rebecca Jane. Spatial Variation and Antecedent Sea Surface Temperature Conditions Influence Hawaiian Intertidal Community Structure. University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. 2022.

Dissertations and Theses from ProQuest (Licensed for UH Hilo users only)
Online access to full text of doctoral dissertations and graduate theses from universities around the world, including all campuses of the University of Hawaiʻi.

Websites

University of Hawai‘i at Hilo's Environmental Career Resources Website

United Nations Environment Programme's Environment Network

Biodiversity Heritage Library - The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is a consortium of 12 natural history and botanical libraries that cooperate to digitize and make accessible the legacy literature of biodiversity held in their collections and to make that literature available for open access and responsible use as a part of a global “biodiversity commons.”

Encyclopedia of Life - A database aiming to catalog every known species. Includes images, articles, and references.

Tree of Life Project - A database focusing on the phylogeny of all species, including images, descriptions, and references.