Research Guides: Biochemistry and Biophysics: Getting Started

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This guide is designed for new researchers who need to find articles, sources and get started with research in topics related to Biochemistry and Biophysics

Start with:

American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications
Journals and select eBooks published by the American Chemical Society (ACS)
SciFinder
SciFinder is one of the best databases for topics related to chemistry and adjacent fields. It includes journal articles, book chapters, dissertations, and patents. Find substance and reaction information as well as suppliers and chemical regulatory data.

Registration is required, and you must download the Virtual Private Network (VPN) from UMN Office of Information Technology, set up new account if you don't have one and then log in to it for off-campus access.
Scopus
Search for information from scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. Covers the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities.
Web of Science
A comprehensive interdisciplinary collection of journal article citations. Subjects generally covered are within science and technology, arts and humanities, and social sciences. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.

Then try any of the following:

CAB Abstracts Plus Full Text Select
CAB Abstracts covers agriculture in its broadest sense, including crop production, forestry, environment, animal health and nutrition, veterinary science, agricultural engineering, biotechnology, soil and water, agricultural economics, recreation and tourism, rural sociology, and human nutrition and health.
Encyclopedia of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry
Find information on basic inorganic chemistry principles as well as the latest developments and applications in materials, energy, bioscience, nanoscience and catalysis.
MEDLINE (Ovid)
Searches MEDLINE, which is the primary source of journal articles for the health sciences (fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health, health care systems, and basic sciences). Ovid MEDLINE is optimized for advanced literature searches. Coverage is from the 1940s to the present.
PubMed
Searches MEDLINE, which is the primary source of journal articles for the health sciences (fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health, health care systems, and basic sciences). Coverage is from the 1940s to the present. View this tutorial to learn how to go from a general idea to a very precise set of results of journal articles and scholarly materials.
Knovel
Online access to books, databases, and conference proceedings from a number of publishers that cover all areas of engineering and includes content relevant to related sciences (e.g., chemistry and earth sciences). It includes interactive graphs and tables.

For a tutorial on using Knovel, go to Start a research project with Knovel.

Data Management Resources

Creating a Data Management Plan (DMP)
Before starting a new research project, it is critical to develop a data management plan (DMP) that outlines your practices for collecting, organizing, backing up, and storing the data you will be generating.
Data Repository for the U of M (DRUM)
DRUM is a publicly available collection of digital research data generated by U of M researchers, students, and staff. Anyone can search and download the data housed in the repository, instantly or by request.
Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs)
Laboratory notebooks are the primary records many researchers use to document the hypotheses, methodology, results, and analysis of their research. Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs) move these records into digital formats and add functionality such as collaboration, templates, searching, and specialized functions that support data collection and analysis.

Related Guides

National Science Foundation Broader Impacts
An explanation of the National Science Foundation's Broader Impacts requirements for project proposals.

Last Updated: Jul 16, 2025 4:31 PM