Geography (physical)

1. Sources for background information

If you are not sure what your topic is all about, look it up in a dictionary or encyclopedia. Start with:

Dictionaries and encyclopedias

• Concise dictionary of world place-names
• Dictionary of geography
• Dictionary of physical geography
• Encyclopedia of earth
• Encyclopedia of global warming and climate change
• Encyclopedia of hydrological sciences
• Encyclopedia of soils in the environment
• Philip's world factbook
• Van Nostrand's scientific encyclopedia
• Water encyclopedia
• International Encyclopedia of Human Geography

Explore other reference sources from Oxford Reference Online.

2. Searching the library catalogue

Use the basic word(s) anywhere or advanced keyword search in the library catalogue. You can search using words like - geography, geograph?, hydrology, deforestation, etc.

Search tips for the library catalogue

Searching using keywords and LC subject headings

• When conducting a search by topic in the catalogue, start with a keyword search using a simple, one-word term or phrase.
• To build a more manageable set, click on the Limit Results button and apply one of the available limits.
• Once you have found some relevant items by searching using keywords, click on the title and examine the full view of each. By clicking on LC Subject, you will find other items on the same subject.
• Get more catalogue search tips.

You can also browse the catalogue, or the shelves at the following call numbers

G1-922

Geography (General)

GA1-1776

Mathematical geography. Cartography

GB3-5030

Physical Geography

GB400-649

Geomorphology. Landforms. Terrain

GB651-2998

Hydrology. Water

GB5000-5030

Natural disasters

GE1-350

Environmental sciences

3.1 Core databases for Geography

• GEOBASE
  human and physical geography, ecology, geology, oceanography, geomechanics and development studies
• GeoRef
  geoscience literature, soils, hydrology, geomorphology, maps
• Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management
  ecology, water pollution, water resource issues

3.2 Additional databases for Geography

• Web of Science
  multidisciplinary
• Scopus
  multidisciplinary
• AGRICOLA
  all aspects of agriculture and related disciplines
• BIOSIS Previews
  biology, environmental biology, biotechnology, agriculture
• PAIS International
  political, social and public policy issues
• CAB Abstracts
  agriculture, forestry, rural development
• Compendex
  all aspects of engineering, including transportation, pollution, soils, hydrology
• INSPEC
  physics, electrical engineering, computers and computing, control theory, including remote sensing, GPS and GIS
• Meteorological and Geoastrophysical Abstracts
  meteorology, astrophysics, physical oceanography, hydrology, environmental sciences and glaciology
• GreenFILE
  topics include global climate change, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling and more
• PapersFirst (OCLC)
  Papers presented at conferences worldwide from 1993 to current
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses
  abstracts of doctoral dissertations and master's theses, as well as over 600,000 full text dissertations and theses

All McGill students and staff may order materials not available at McGill using COLOMBO (interlibrary loan)

4. Selected Internet sites for Geography

• The Atlas of Canada - Toporama
• Canada Centre for Remote Sensing - research and development reports from Natural Resouces Canada
• Center for Global Geography Education (CGGE) - a collaborative teaching and learning resource for geography topics at undergraduate level
• DOAJ
  geography e-journals from the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
• Envirofacts Warehouse
• Canadian Geographical Names Data Base
• Global Change Master Directory - earth science data and services compiled by NASA
• Green Lane - environmental information from Environment Canada
• Infomine: Maps & GIS
• National Resources Conservation Service - quality information from United States Department of Agriculture with topics on water, soils, air, climate change, etc.
• National Service Center for Environmental Publications - database of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publications
• Publications and Reports (National Resources Canada) - scientific and technical publications of Natural Resources Canada
• U.S. Geological Survey - federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment

5. Other resources

• McGill Department of Geography
• Earth System Science
• Subject Guide for Human Geography
• Geographic Information Centre
• Locating theses