ENVS 150 - Coastal and Marine Policy
Library Research Guide - Spring 2008
Getting Started | Background Info | Recommended Databases | Policy Actors |Issue Specific Sources |
Off Campus Access - To access the library research databases referenced on this guide from off campus, you will need to login to OCA. Click here for information regarding the service.
Make use of the library's How To Guides and Subject Guides - particularly useful for this assignment are:
- Environmental Studies: Laws, Regulations and Policies
- How to Distinguish Between Popular & Scholarly Sources
- How to Evaluate Information on the Web
- Citation Styles
Organize your research results
Keep track of your successful keyword searches and subject headings and make note of the names of authors/scholars that come up related to your topic. This strategy will help decrease the number of duplicative searches you run.
Use the resources listed below to get an overview of your topic. Encyclopedias, bibliographies, and evaluated web pages are a good starting point for any research project. See How to Evaluate Information on the Web for help with assessing web pages.
- Write down key dates, facts, statistics provided, look for a bibliography and make use of it.
- Look up (in Cruzcat) the titles of journals and books referenced in the encyclopedias, bibliographies or web pages and see if we own them at UCSC.
Science & Engineering and McHenry Library Reference Print Sources
The list below represents a sample of options, use Cruzcat to find more.
| International Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics | S&E Ref GE170 .I55 2002 |
| Environmental Law and Policy: Nature, Law, and Society | McH Ref Law KF3775.A7 P55 2004 |
| Encyclopedia of Environmental Studies | S&E Ref QH540.4.A84 2001 |
| Wiley Encyclopedia of Environmental Pollution and Cleanup (2 vols.) | S&E Ref TD173.W55 1999 |
| Conservation and Environmentalism Encyclopedia | S&E Ref GE 10 C68 1995 |
| Encyclopedia of Environmental Science | S&E Ref GE 10 E498 1999 |
| Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues | S&E Ref GE10 .E52 2000 |
| Encyclopedia of World Environmental History | McHenry Ref GF10 .E63 2004 |
| Gale Virtual Reference Library | Online only |
Find information about policy issues from peer reviewed journals, organizations, and media.
Note: This list is not exhaustive. It represents a series of options. A full list of library-licensed databases is available from the library research page
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Select the Newspaper link from the library research page for a list of on-line newspaper options, historical and current.
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Environmentally Focused Organizations
- Natural Resources Defense Council - an environmental action organization. Select Policy Solutions tab to find fact sheets and policy briefs.
- Worldwatch Institute - environmental research group. Click on publications link for a list of books and papers produced by the institute. Click on the publication images and look for relevant titles with free pdfs - many of the reports are available for download in pdf format for free.
- Sierra Club - click on the Inside Sierra Club link for access to full text, on-line Sierra Magazine, newsletters and information about the various initiatives the Sierra Club is involved with - search for your topic in the search box provided on the page. Use the search box on the top of the web page and select "more issues" from the drop-down box for information about Sierra Club activity involving water quality, urban sprawl, and more.
Government Websites and Databases
- USA.gov - Portal to U.S. Government information. Search Engine feature is helpful for identifying relevant agencies in addition to finding policy sources.
- GAO.gov - Government Accountability Office. Non-partisan, independent auditing arm of Congress, responsible for ensuring federal funds are being spent appropriately. Has authority to issue findings and recommendations for improving accountability of federal agencies and programs.
- OpenCRS.com - Not a government website, but makes CRS (Congressional Research Service) reports available to the public. CRS Reports are prepared at the request of Congress (either a committee or a legislator) and contain background and descriptions of legislation and regulations for specific issues.
Environmental Issues Index Page
- Dot Environment - index page for environmental resources
- Envirolink - Non-profit organization provides links to government agencies, publications, activist organizations and internet resources.
Open Ocean Aquaculture
Rigs-to-Reefs Programs
- Rigs-to-Reefs Information from Minerals Management Service (MMS) Dept of Interior
Offshore Wind Energy
- OffshoreWind.net
- Wind & Hydropower Technologies Program (Dept. of Energy)
- Endangered Species List - U.S. Fish and Wildlife sponsored site. Page provides lists of endangered species (vertebrate, invertebrate, plant). Page also provides maps of endangered species habitats/territories. Finally, the page provides regulatory profiles of endangered species. For example, a search for "sea otter" within the regulatory profile database, brings up the laws and regulations regarding sea otters as well as a detailed plan for sustaining the sea otter population. Note, lists and reports are in pdf format and can take some time to download. Click on the publications link for a list of all free publications - regarding endangered species - available from the agency.
Marine Debris
Cruise Ship Pollution
Port Dredging
Whaling
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Additional Help
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The pages listed below were compiled by UCSC librarians. These are excellent and extensive sites.
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