Legend
- McGill users only
- In-library-use only
- Catalogue record
Course guides
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
- A Dictionary of earth sciences
- A Dictionary of ecology
- Encyclopedia of earth
- Encyclopedia of hydrological sciences
- Encyclopedia of physical science and technology
- Encyclopedia of planetary science
- Environmental geology
- The Oxford companion to the earth
- Water encyclopedia
Explore other reference sources from Oxford Reference Online →
Explore other reference sources from Wiley InterScience →
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 - igneous, sediment?, petrology, etc.
Search tips for the library catalogue
| Truncation symbol: | ? | e.g. sediment? will retrieve catalogue records containing the words sedimentology, sedimentary, sediments, etc. |
| Phrase searching: | "___" | e.g. "gas hydrates" will retrieve catalogue records containing the phrase gas hydrates |
| Boolean operators: | (), AND, OR, NOT default: AND |
e.g. petrology AND (igneous OR metamorphic) will retrieve catalogue records containing the word petrology AND either igneous OR metamorphic |
You can also browse the catalogue, or the shelves at the following call numbers
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QE1-996.5
Geology
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QE1-350.62
General. Including geographical divisions.
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QE351-399.2
Mineralogy
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QE420-499
Petrology
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QE500-639.5
Dynamic and structural geology
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QE521-545
Volcanoes and earthquakes
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QE601-613.5
Structural geology
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QE640-699
Stratigraphy
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QE701-760
Paleontology
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QE760.8-899.2
Paleozoology
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QE901-996.5
Paleobotany
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3.1 Core databases for Earth and planetary sciences
- GeoRef
Provides access to the geoscience literature of the world; geology of North America from 1785, and the rest of the world from 1933
3.2 Additional databases for Earth and planetary sciences
Databases for related subjects
- Compendex
Engineering aspects of geology - Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management
- General Science Full Text
Intended for undergraduates - GEOBASE
A multidisciplinary database covering development studies, earth sciences, ecology, geomechanics, human geography and oceanography - Oceanic Abstracts
- Meteorological and Geoastrophysical Abstracts
- ProQuest Dissertations and Theses
A database of doctoral dissertations and master's theses from the United States, Canada and selected international institutions - SciFinder
Intended for graduate students, faculty and researchers - Scopus
Multidisciplinary. Allows citation searching - Web of Science
Access to Science Citation Index. Offers searching for articles, including cited author and cited work
You can also search the full text of core journals
- Annual Reviews in Earth & Planetary Sciences
- GeoScienceWorld
Full text database of the journals published by leading geoscience societies - ScienceDirect
Full text database of the journals published by Elsevier, also allows citation searching
Most of the Library's licensed electronic resources, such as databases, full-text online journals and e-books, are restricted to McGill students, faculty, staff and other authorized users of the McGill Library. Find out about accessing the Library's online resources from on and off campus.
4. Selected Internet sites for Earth and planetary sciences
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (McGill University)
- Encyclopedia of Earth
- Digital Library for Earth System Education
- Earthquake Hazards Program (U.S. Geological Survey)
- Envirofacts Warehouse
- How Volcanoes Work (San Diego State University)
- Minerals Yearbook
- NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
- NASA Global Change Master Directory
- PlanetEarth: Earth Sciences for Society
Sources of Photographs & Images for EPSC topics
Use the EPSC Images Search Engine to identify which of the resources below contains the best images on your topic. Then, visit the appropriate resource to conduct a comprehensive search of its website.
- Clipart ETC Earth Science
- Earth Science World Image Bank
- Slide Sets from UBC‘s Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences
- U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library