e-Reference Reviews: October, 2004

Terrence E. Young, Jr. -- School Library Journal, 10/1/2004

Science Databases
Resources to Stimulate Curiosity

Science teachers nationwide share many of the same aspirations and challenges, such as the increasing pressure to improve students' test scores. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires each state to create academic standards and proficiency levels in math, reading, and science that all students must meet by 2014. A testing program to assess achievement is also required, and science programs must incorporate science testing by the 2007-2008 academic year. Therefore, resources used to teach science will become increasingly important. It is imperative that school library media centers have current science resources in a variety of formats to meet the varied learning styles of their students.

When selecting a science database it is important to consider the following features:

• Full-text articles with references or bibliographies related to primary sources.
• The capacity to update content to reflect the latest scientific research.
• A glossary of terms with pronunciation guide.
• Illustrations, including photographs, and diagrams.
• Biographies of scientists and their contributions.
• Experiments or activities for science fair projects.
• Curriculum resource or database of information and articles.
• Correlation to National Science Education Standards.

In addition to the capacity to download, print, and e-mail documents, each of the following databases offers relevant and substantial content that answers students' questions, while engaging them in research. Collaborate with your science teachers to determine which databases support your science curriculum and standards, and student interest.

If we can stimulate students' natural curiosity by offering them quality science resources, then, perhaps, we can help instill a love of science that goes beyond the ability to pass the NCLB-mandated science tests. Now is the time to begin building science literacy and to encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers.

AccessScience: The Online Encyclopedia of Science & Technology. McGraw-Hill. 2004. http://accessscience.com. Pricing based on Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) students: secondary schools, Gr 9–12, 100% of full-time enrollment in previous fall semester (under 500 FTE’s: $795; 501-2000 FTE’s: $995); Gr 6–8, 50% of full-time enrollment in previous fall semester. Concurrent user pricing avail. Free trial available. Updated daily. (Accessed 8/2/04).

Gr 7 Up–AccessScience is the updated, online version of the 9th edition (2002) of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology. In addition to the 8,000+ articles, 115,000 dictionary terms, 2,000 biographies, and Research Updates from the McGraw-Hill Yearbooks of Science and Technology, AccessScience also offers weekly news about breakthroughs and discoveries in the world of science and technology, study guides, and hyperlinks to reviewed Web sites. Animated learning modules (DNA is the first) are being added.

The major sections of the home page are: “Encyclopedia,” “Topics,” “Resources,” “Headline News,” and “Dictionary.” The encyclopedia can also be browsed by topic and alphabetically. By default, AccessScience searches for terms in all titles and text. Wildcard and Boolean searching are supported. Navigating the site is simple and direct. Each encyclopedia entry has a pull-down menu of the entry’s table of contents. Newly added articles are available on the right hand side of the home page. All have cross-links to related articles for background reading, detailed and informative illustrations, relevant definitions and biographies, and new articles available for further study. The “Topics” section is arranged into 19 broad categories, including biological and biomedical science, chemistry, earth science, military science, and veterinary medicine. Clicking on a topic results in the breakdown of the topic into narrower subheadings. “Headline News” is updated weekly, and older news articles are archived. The “Biography” section allows searching by Nobel Prize Winners, Fields Medal Winners, and other topics in addition to personal names. The “Student Center” offers essay topics (beginner, intermediate, advanced), study guides, and bibliographies along with AccessScience Q&As for use in the classroom or as student activities.

The strengths of this database are its search engine, daily updating, the endlessly cross-referenced links from articles to news to bibliographies to Research Updates, and the authoritative content. AccessScience is highly recommended for junior and senior high schools with a strong science curriculum and all grades 7 –up science magnet schools.

The New Book of Popular Science. Grolier. 2004. www.go.grolier.com. Sold in bundled packages with other Grolier Online databases, not as a stand-alone title. Prices for Grolier Online are based on the size of the user population and start at $518. Free trial available. Updated August and January. (Accessed 6/7/04).

Gr 6 Up–The New Book of Popular Science (NBPS) is an online science encyclopedia organized around eight main sections: “SciClopedia,” which contains all the resources of the print version; “NewsBytes,” the current events module; “Projects”; “Biographies”; “SciZone” for challenges, puzzles, brainteasers, and games; “SciFiles” for facts and figures; “Sky Watch” for stargazers; and “Ask Pop Sci,” a question-and-answer column. The main database is updated twice-yearly and the news stories and their lesson plans are archived.

The “SciClopedia” is organized around 13 science disciplines: Animal World, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Energy, Environment, Human Life, Mathematics, Past & Future, Physics, Plant World and Technology. The articles are edited to a consistent, non-technical style appropriate for students and feature hundreds of bibliographical references, scores of tables and special feature boxes, and vivid and colorful photographs, maps, and artwork Each article begins with a “Table of Contents” link which generates a detailed outline of the article. Clicking on any part of the contents sends users to that point in the article.

Navigation is simple and direct; students may switch from the graphical to the text-only version with a single click. Each week during the school year, “News Bytes” presents three science news stories, which are linked to appropriate “SciClopedia” articles. “NewsBytes” includes resources for teachers, such as a study guide, learning questions, and an activity. More than 2200 biographies are searchable by name or subject and are linked to the “SciClopedia” articles. Each biographical entry also includes a bibliography and web links. The approximately 70 “Projects” are basic, however, and don’t include safety information.

This online science encyclopedia is a great asset for schools because it is tailored to the science curriculum and goes well beyond an online adaptation of the print set. It provides the information students need to answer questions, and they will find it interesting, challenging, and fun!

Science Full Text Select (SFTS). H. W. Wilson. 2004. www.hwwilson.com. WilsonWeb annual subscription price for schools start at $1,125 for enrollment of 1000 students. Updated daily. Free trial available. (Accessed 8/24/2004).

Gr 9 Up–This science database (Beta version reviewed) contains the full-text content from Wilson’s General Science Full Text, Applied Science & Technology Full Text, and Biological and Agricultural Index Plus, and additional related full-text science titles indexed by other Wilson databases. SFTS also presents full-text articles with indexing and abstracting from 320 journals. Although many of them are too academic for general high school use, students in Advanced Placement science classes or those planning to major in the sciences will find the exposure to professional writing both challenging and stimulating. Searching is quick: select either the Natural Language search or Boolean search radio button. The results set is ranked by relevance and then in descending chronological order with the most recent entries shown first. Search results are displayed with full bibliographic information and, in some cases, also include a brief abstract. The Customize Display feature allows the library media specialist to define how search result records will appear. Those wishing to conduct a topic search should use the Advanced Search screen. While topic searching is not available from the Basic Search screen, students can find additional articles on a subject by clicking on any of the hyperlinks in the subjects field from the full text of any selected article. If a thesaurus search returns a no hit, the software automatically reads all of the full-text articles in the database and returns a list of the topic (subject) headings that are most frequently used in articles in which the “no hit” thesaurus term appears.

The usual Wilson database features are present: print, e-mail, save, document type, document description, limiting features, and All SmartSearch Technology. The InfoCenter provides guidance on citations, a quick reference sheet, searching tips, and more. SFTS will enable school library media centers that have a limited collection of science periodicals to provide access to a broad range of science literature. This is a reference database and should not be compared with curriculum-oriented science databases.

Science Online. Facts On File. 2004. www.factsonfile.com. Pricing is determined by full-time enrollment for schools and by number of cardholders for public libraries. All prices are for unlimited usage within the institution and include remote access privileges. Free trial available. Updated several times a year. (Accessed 8/4/04).

Gr 6-12–Accessible and easy to use, Science Online is an enormously valuable reference source, containing extensive information on a broad range of scientific disciplines. The content is organized by subject area and by the National Science Education Standards. Users can search by keyword or phrase, browse by topic or subject area, or use the A-to-Z index. This curriculum-oriented reference database offers a comprehensive, authoritative overview of the sciences. An exceptional feature is the 3,000+ printable science diagrams, many in full color. Major searchable sections are “Biographies,” “Essays,” “Definitions,” “Diagrams,” “Experiments,” and “Timeline.” The 1900+ biographies are searchable by name, subject, occupation, or nationality. The 600+ science experiments, indexed by grade range and by subject category, are linked to related essays, definitions, and biographies. The 2,000 essays on current issues in science, technology, and society provide insightful commentary on cutting-edge topics. The 28,000+ definitions are a strength of this product. Timelines begin with 10,000,000 BCE through 2003. The 2004 events will be added to the Timeline category by the first quarter of 2005. All of the diagrams, experiments, essays, definitions, biographies, and timeline entries are extensively hyperlinked, creating thematic paths through the content. All entries can be printed or e-mailed and conclude with citation information.

The Science Online folder allows students to store their research for later access. The folder content can be retrieved when needed, then reviewed, printed, or emailed. Because the folders are stored online, users must first create an account to begin using their folder. Students needing assistance will find the help function user-friendly. Teachers will find the National Science Education Standards section valuable when correlating science curriculum content to the standards. Clicking on a standard begins the navigation to the benchmark where teachers will find hyperlinks to Science Online content. Students, teachers, and library media specialists will find Science Online’s high-quality, clear presentation, and extensive content suitable for teaching and learning. A top choice to support your school’s science program.

Science Resource Center. Thomson-Gale. 2004. www.gale.com. $2495 for unlimited and remote access annually for a single school. Free trial available. Updated daily. Accessed 8/11/04).

Gr 9-12–Gale’s Science Resource Center (SciRC) made its online debut in August 2004 with 1,739,857 documents from 150 full-text science magazines (general audience to academic journals), 8000+ multimedia records (pictures, illustrations, audio and video clips), 8000+ biographies, 21,000 topic overviews, and 550 curriculum-relevant Internet sites. SciRC is an in-depth, curriculum-oriented science database that provides a one-stop resource for science-related research. Major titles in the database are the Gale Encyclopedia of Science, Macmillan Science Library, and the U*X*L Encyclopedia of Science. On the home page, students can perform the usual subject, keyword, or full-text search in the “Search Term” box. Focus groups have revealed that students prefer topic lists, so SciRC also offers 81 topics for quick searching.Executing a search returns the following results: on the left side is the topic broken down into narrower subtopics and other subjects containing the search term with results in the traditional Gale tabbed format: Reference, Magazine, Academic Journals, Newspapers, Multimedia, and Web sites on the right side. Search results can be sorted by relevance, title, chronological order, document type, source, or content level. Content level icons describe the degree of detail and difficulty of each information source: basic, intermediate, or advanced.

The “Spotlight” section highlights a current science topic of interest every two weeks, and prior Spotlights are archived. The “Toolbox,” accessible from every screen, includes Science-related Tools (how to read a science article, scientific method, periodic table, measurements, human body systems, etc.), Research Guide, Research Tools, Search Tips, and a Guided Tour. The “Help” section provides detailed, easy-to-follow instructions and is subdivided into searching, navigating, tools, and search tips.

SciRC sets a new standard for a curriculum and research online database. Students will find it to be exciting, easy to navigate, and very student-friendly. Science teachers will appreciate the in-depth content and correlations to national and state standards. Don’t hesitate, sign-up for a free trial and experience the world of science research at your fingertips. SciRC is the definitive one-stop science research resource for grades 9 to 12.

Today’s Science @ FACTS.com. Facts On File News Service. 2004. www.2facts.com. Annual subscription is $329 for unlimited use within a single school, including remote access. Discount for multiple schools within a district. Free trial available. Updated weekly. (Accessed 8/1/04).

Gr 6-12–Today’s Science @ FACTS.com reports on the latest developments in science using the language and a format that students can grasp. It bridges the gap between textbooks and what’s happening in science today. From 1992 to the present, Today’s Science provides students with a collection of thousands of self-contained, illustrated original articles on breaking news in science, health, and technology. Only those topics that will interest students and are pertinent to the curriculum are selected for Today’s Science. Once a topic is selected, articles are written in a style that students will find interesting, challenging, and fun. The articles feature large explanatory pictures (2500) and diagrams, and pop-up glossary definitions (4,000) of scientific terms. The pop-up glossary allows students to read the definition without leaving the article. The text includes hyperlinks to relevant news accounts, including archival coverage dating back to 1941 from the Facts On File World News Digest—along with links to overviews from the World Almanac, World Almanac Encyclopedia, and Issues and Controversies @Facts.com. Background and critical-thinking tools are provided along with the scientific event and related research. Links to related articles are both embedded in the text and classified on the left side of the page. Attached to all stories are “Further Readings,” “Internet Sources,” and “Electronic Key Jump to Page 3 words” to use on the Web. While many students will find subject searching easy to use, younger users should begin their inquiries with “Hot Topics.” The 2,000 biographies are searchable and listed, both alphabetically and classified by scientific field. Black Americans in Science, Women in Science, and Nobel laureates are also listed separately.

Today’s Science is a true curriculum-oriented science resource. The “For Educators” section provides notes, teaching activities, and critical-thinking tools to incorporate Today’s Science into daily lesson plans. The National Science Standards are explained and accompanied with related articles from Today’s Science. A subscription to Today’s Science will provide library media specialsts with a solid reference database and serve teachers with a useful classroom tool.