Research Guides: Biotechnology: Getting Started

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This guide covers search tools for research in topics related to Biotechnology.

Scopus
Search for information from scientific journals, books and conference proceedings. Covers the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities.

NOTE: A personal free Elsevier account may be required to perform select actions in the database such as exporting results.
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.

AGRICOLA Agriculture (Ovid)
Search agriculture, animal husbandry, animal and human nutrition, forestry, plant pathology, plant science, human ecology, agricultural economics, and rural sociology. Limited to 8 simultaneous users.
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.
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.

Patents
Standards
Find standards from a variety of organizations available via the University of Minnesota Libraries in print and online. If you are unable to find a standard you need, contact us! We may be able to get it for you.

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.

Last Updated: Nov 12, 2025 3:54 PM