Research Guides: Agriculture & Arboriculture: Reference Sources

Reference Sources

It is helpful to get started with reference sources. Reference sources serve many purposes.

* They provide overviews of broad topics, which may help you figure out what area of this large topic really interests you.

* Need to check some facts? Reference sources can help you confirm dates, names, locations, etc.

* Reference sources serve an additional purpose - they help you develop a list of keywords that will be helpful in database searching.

Reference Databases

Off-campus use of these databases is available to Mt. SAC students and employees. Login is required.

Credo Reference
Includes full text entries from dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographical, statistical, and quotation sources covering all major subjects.
Gale eBooks
Cross searches the full text of more than one hundred encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources covering arts and humanities, biography and genealogy, business, careers, education, literature, history, philosophy, information industry, law, government, medicine and health, multicultural studies, countries, religion, science, social studies, sports, technology, and women’s studies.

Web Reference

eXtension: interactive research-based learning environment
Objective, research-based and credible information from American universities on a range of topics, including farm energy, farming, agricultural disaster preparedness, gardening & landscaping, pest management, and many others.
OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2023-2032
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Food and Agriculture Organization. This annual assessment of the prospects of national, regional, and global agricultural commodity markets for the coming decade combines OECD and FAO data and expertise on commodities and policies, along with input from collaborating member countries.

Reference Books

The Mt. SAC Library purchases electronic reference books on a wide variety of topics. Off-campus use of these ebooks is available to Mt.SAC students and employees. Login is required. A small sample of reference books follows:

Biotechnology by By K. Lee Lerner
ISBN: 9781414401515
Publication Date: 2007
Covers biotechnological applications ranging across medicine, agriculture, and industry. Devoted to helping younger students and general readers understand the fast-developing science and issues related to: advances in biotechnology, the science of molecular biology and genetics.
Life Science by Katherine Cullen
ISBN: 9780816070084
Publication Date: 2009
More than 200 comprehensive entries are arranged by topic or theme and cover concepts, theories, sub-disciplines, biographies, common methods, and techniques relevant to modern science. The definitive reference in the area of life science, this accessible full-color resource provides historical perspectives, portrays science as a human endeavor, and gives insight into the process of scientific inquiry by incorporating biographical profiles of people who have contributed significantly to the development of the life sciences.
Magill's Encyclopedia of Science: Plant Life by Bryan D. Ness (Editor); Christina J. Moose (Editorial Coordinator); Dawn P. Dawson (Editor-In-Chief); Salem Press Editors
ISBN: 9781587650840
Publication Date: 2002
A scientific yet easy-to-understand survey of topics pertaining to the plant kingdom and botany classes, Plant Life surveys 379 topics, from cell structure to classification, to economic, medicinal, cultural, and environmental issues.
Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy by By J. Baird Callicott
ISBN: 9780028661377
Publication Date: 2008
Examines the philosophical and ethical issues underlying contemporary and historical environmental issues, policies, and debates. Covers concepts, institutions, topics, events and people, including global warming, animal rights, environmental movements, alternative energy, green chemistry, industrial ecology, and eco-sabotage.