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Environmental Impact Assessment Resources

This is a guide to Environmental Science resources with particular emphasis on Environmental Impact Assessment. Both electronic resources and print resources are included.

  • Introduction
  • Library Catalogues
  • Reference Sources
  • Journals
    		•

    Introduction

    The materials listed here are available either in the Murdoch University Library or via the Web. If you are remote from the campus you may not be able to access some of the Library resources personally, but you can use this guide as a checklist against resources in other libraries accessible to you. Because of the wide-ranging nature of environmental science, you will find that material is not located neatly in one specific part of the Library's collection. For this reason the location of material is indicated wherever possible. The items listed focus on resources specific to environmental science. For legal aspects of EIA you should refer to Environmental Law resources.

    If you have access to the Library and have general queries about using the Library, you can in the first instance ask at the Inquiry Desk, near the entry to the Library on North Wing Level 3. If your queries are subject-related, please go to the Reference Desk in North Wing Level 3. If you are unable to access the Library contact the Environmental Science Subject Librarian by email with any specific environmental science-related queries.

    Library Catalogues

    Use the catalogues to check the availability of books or journals that you need. The Murdoch Library Web Catalogue is available from the Library Home Page. Help with searching the catalogue is available from a link on the left hand side of the catalogue search pages.
    Access to other library catalogues is also available from the Home Page.

    Reference Sources

    The following reference materials include both printed and electronic encyclopaedias, dictionaries and other materials useful for background information in environmental impact assessment.

    To find additional reference material choose Words search in the Library Catalogue, then type the particular aspect of EIA you are interested in, together with the term dictionaries or, alternatively, encyclopedias. Remember though, that you can also find similar resources for specific topics, so for example if you are looking at EIA in relation to the mining industry then you will also need to refer to appropriate reference works related to the mining industry.

    The Reference Sources have been divided into the following four categories.

    Dictionaries

    Encyclopaedias

    Handbooks

    General Reference Sources

    Dictionaries

    An Australian dictionary of environment and planning, 1990, OUP, Melbourne
    South Wing Level 4 333.70994 GIL 1990

    Butterworths environmental management and law dictionary,1997, Butterworths, Sydney
    South Wing Level 3 344.4603 BUT 1997

    Dictionary of environment and sustainable development,1996, John Wiley, New York
    Link Level 3 R 363.703 GIL

    Dictionary of environmental science and engineering, 1996, Gordon & Breach, Amsterdam
    Link Level 3 R 628 PFA 1996

    Dictionary of global climate change, 1994, 2nd edn, UCL Press, London
    Link Level 3 R 551.6 MAU

    The dictionary of substances and their effects (DOSE), 1999, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge
    Link Level 3 R 615.9003 DIC 1999

    Environmental forensics : a glossary of terms, 2000, CRC Press, Boca Raton,
    South Wing Level 3 344.4603973 MOR 2000

    The environment dictionary, 1998, Routledge, London
    Link Level 3 R 363.7003 KEM

    The Macmillan dictionary of the Australian environment, 1991, Macmillan, South Melbourne
    Link Level 3 R 574.503 MEA

    Encyclopaedias

    Blackwell's concise encyclopedia of environmental management, 1999, Blackwell Science, Malden, MA
    Link Level 3 R 363.7003 BLA 1999

    The encyclopedia of ecology & environmental management, 1998, Blackwell Science, Malden, MA
    Link Level 3 R 363.7003 ENC 1998

    Encyclopedia of environmental biology, 1995, Academic Press, San Diego
    Link Level 3 R 574.503 ENC

    Encyclopedia of environmental science, 1999, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands
    Link Level 3 R 333.7 ENC 1999

    Encyclopedia of environmental science and engineering, 1998, Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, Philadelphia
    Link Level 3 R 628.03 ENC 1998

    Encyclopedia of Life Sciences

    Human environments : a cross-cultural encyclopedia, 1995, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara
    Link Level 3 R 304.203 LEV

    Handbooks

    Australians and the environment, 1996, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra
    South Wing Level 4 333.730994 AUS 1996

    Debating the earth : the environmental politics reader, 2005, Oxford University Press, New York
    Reserve 363.705 DEB 2005

    Effective environmental management : principles and case studies, 2001, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, N.S.W.
    South Wing Level 4 658.4080994 SUL 2000

    Environmental audit guide book, 1993-, Centre for Professional Development, Aust., South Melb.
    Law Looseleaf Collection - Reserve North Wing Level 3 R 344.46 ENV

    Guidance for the assessment of environmental factors : (in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1986), 1997-, EPA, Perth, W.A Online

    Guidelines and criteria for determining the need for and level of environmental impact assessment in Australia, 1996, ANZECC, Canberra
    South Wing Level 4 GP 333.710994 AUS 1996

    Guide to environmental analytical methods, Genium Pub. Corp, Schenectady, NY
    Link Level 3 R 628.16 GUI 1998

    Handbook of environmental degradation rates, 1991, Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, Mich
    Link Level 3 R 628.52 HAN

    Handbook of environmental impact assessment, 1999, Blackwell Science, Oxford
    Reserve 333.714 HAN 1999

    Handbook of ecotoxicology, 1993, Blackwell Scientific, London
    South Wing Level 2 574.5222 HAN

    International environmental standards handbook, 1999, Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton
    South Wing Level 4 363.705 OLS 1999

    The international yearbook of environmental and resource economics : a survey of current issues, 1997, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, U.K.
    South Wing 4 338.47337 INT 1 1997/98

    ISO 14001 auditing manual, 2000, McGraw-Hill, New York
    South Wing Level 2 658.408 WOO 2000

    Year book Australia, 1978-, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra
    South Wing Level 3 GR 319.4 A1301 0

    General Reference Sources

    Electronic Reference
    This list of sites prepared by Murdoch Librarians includes general dictionaries, biographies, directories and guides.

    The Sociology of the environment, 1995, Aldershot, Hants, UK ; Brookfield, Vt., US: E. Elgar Pub
    South Wing Level 1 304.2 SOC

    Subject Guides to Library Resources
    These guides can be used to help with research in specific subjects.

    Journals

    Journals contain large numbers of articles on the latest research in specific disciplines. Many journals are now available electronically in full text and it is becoming increasingly common for the paper copies to be replaced by their electronic equivalent, though in some cases both paper and electronic versions are held.

    Accessing electronic journals

    The number of journals we have electronically is constantly increasing, so the entries in the catalogue are also changing to reflect this. Usually only more recent volumes of a journal are available electronically, and software such as Adobe Acrobat is needed to view the graphics associated with them. The workstations in the Library have this software, but you will need to load it on to your own PC to view electronic journals. Off campus access to electronic journals and databases is available to Murdoch staff and students. Your Murdoch Username and Password are used for authentification. In some instances a login and password will also be required for access. Please enquire at the Reference Desk on North Wing Level 3 of the Library for this information.

    Latest print journals

    Print copies of the latest issues of journals received in the Library are kept in the Journal Display areas. Science and Social Sciences journals are displayed in Link Level 3. Law journals are displayed in South Wing Level 3 Because of the interdisciplinary nature of EIA, you will find relevant material at each of these locations.

    Finding relevant journals

    If you know the title of a journal, search the Web Title Catalogue and if the journal is available electronically, you'll be able to connect automatically to the full text of articles. If you don't have a specific journal to search you can find relevant journals by:
    1. Choosing Words in the Library Catalogue, then typing a term for the particular aspect of EIA that you are interested in, together with the term periodicals, or
    2. using the Journals Database link from the Library Home Page and then choosing one of the full text databases such as Wiley Interscience, IDEAL, Swetsnet, Proquest or Expanded Academic ASAP, or
    3. checking the following list of relevant EIA journals. Click on the journal title for details of the library's holdings. If the journal is available electronically there will be a link in the catalogue record, so that you can connect automatically.

    Some relevant journals

    Advances in ecological research

    Advances in environmental science and technology

    Ambio

    Annual review of ecology and systematics

    Australian journal of environmental management

    Bulletin (Western Australia. Environmental Protection Authority)
    (formerly Bulletin / Department of Conservation and Environment, W. A.)

    Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology

    Business strategy and the environment : BSE

    Critical reviews in environmental science and technology

    Eco-management and auditing

    Ecos

    Ecotoxicology and environmental safety

    Environment

    Environment and planning. D, Society & space

    Environmental and planning law journal

    Environmental forensics

    Environmental impact assessment review

    Environmental management

    Environmental monitoring and assessment

    Industry and environment

    Journal of environmental management

    Journal of environmental planning and management

    Journal of environmental policy and planning

    The journal of environment & development

    Land degradation & development

    Local environment

    Population and Environment

    Resource reporter

    Reviews of environmental contamination and toxicology

    Journal Databases

    Databases are used to find journal articles on particular topics. To search them successfully you need to have an understanding of how the search process works using a search strategy. You can access the databases from the Databases page, where you can choose a specific database from the Browse by Database Title alphabetic list at the top of the screen, Browse by Subject Area to find journals in a specific discipline, or use the Quick Links to Major Databases list for the more popular databases.

    All of the databases are accessible from the eLibraries on North Wing Level 3, South Wing Level 3 and the workstations around the Library, except for those marked catalogue only. You are also able to get remote access by using your Murdoch Username and Password for authentication. For further information on how to do this see the Off Campus Access Web Page. Some databases require a password for access, which you can get from the Reference Desk on North Wing Level 3.

    Fulltext databases

    Some databases provide the full text of many articles that they index. Those that are particularly relevant for research into environmental impact assessment include:

    Academic Research Library
    Proquest's Academic Research Library has a wide range of journals in full text, which cover various aspects of Environmental Science.

    Applied Science and Technology Index Plus (Proquest)
    Index to science and technology journals, some with full text, particularly covering the subjects computers, engineering, physics, telecommunications and transportation.

    Expanded Academic Index (EAI)
    About 400 of the journals in the multidisciplinary database, EAI, are available in full text. They include a number of journals relevant to Environmental Science.

    Proquest Science Journals
    Multidiscipinary journals in science discipines

    Proquest Medical Library
    Combines MEDLINE indexing with full images for more than 200 key medical titles.Has coverage of all the major healthcare specialties, including nursing, pediatrics, neurology, pharmacology, cardiology, physical therapy, and others.

    Science Direct
    Electronic access to journals published by Elsevier Science and Academic Press and subscribed to by Murdoch. Coverage includes the sciences, business, education, psychology and tourism. Full text of selected Elsevier titles from 1997, and of Academic Press titles from 1996. Citations and abstracts are available for earlier issues of these titles and for all other 1200 titles not subscribed to by the library.

    Wiley Interscience
    Online journals published by John Wiley & Sons, cover the sciences, business, education, and psychology.

    Other databases

    There are a number of other databases which provide bibliographic information about journal articles, such as the article title, author, and journal details, but not the full text of the article. You will need to check the Library catalogue to see if the Library has a particular journal that has been indexed in these databases. Databases especially useful for information on environmental impact assessment and related topics include:

    Agricola, 1970-
    Produced by the US Department of Agriculture, this database covers all aspects of agriculture, including environmental impacts.

    AHB - Australian Heritage Bibliography, 1987-
    This database covers Australia's natural and cultural environment including national parks, endangered species, wilderness areas, Aboriginal rock art and sacred sites, archaeological sites and historic buildings and towns. Select AHB from the list found under the heading History and Heritage.

    APAFT / APAIS - Australian Public Affairs - Full Text / Australian Public Affairs Information Service
    This is an indexing and full text database that provides Internet access to the scanned images of journal articles from published material on the social sciences and humanities. APAIS includes wide coverage of Australian literature. Coverage of environmental issues is significant. Availability is as follows:

    1. Print from 1955-1994 Link Level 3 R 015.94 A938 3
    2. Electronic from 1978-

    ASFA - Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts,1978-
    This database covers all aspects of marine, freshwater and brackish environments. It has extensive coverage of the environmental impacts of a wide range of industries on the aquatic environment. Select Aquatic Sciences and either Quick or Advanced Search. At the next screen select the ASFA database.

    Biological Abstracts
    This is the leading publication of citations and abstracts to the international research journal literature in the life sciences. Availability is as follows:

    1. Print from 1926-1999 Link Level 3 R 570 B615 1
    2. Electronic from 2000- Select Biological Abstracts from the database list.

    Biological Absracts/RRM
    BA/RRM (reports, reviews, meetings) includes references to the life sciences research journal reviews, meeting proceedings, patents, monographs and books published worldwide. Availability is as follows:

    1. Print from 1980-1999 Link Level 3 R 570 B616 1
    2. Electronic from 2000- Select BA/RRM on CD from the database list.

    CAB Abstracts, 1990-
    Produced by the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International, this database covers environmental aspects of a wide range of disciplines including agriculture, biotechnology, forestry and tourism. It includes research from a number of Third World countries as well as Australasia, UK, Europe and the Americas. Select CAB from the database list.

    Chemical Abstracts
    Includes a broad spectrum of technical and scientific information. Indexes journals, books, conferences, patents, dissertations in chemistry, biosciences and chemical engineering. Availability is as follows:

    1. Print from 1907-1966 Link Level 3 R 540 C517 1

      2. Print from 1967-1998 In Store
    2. Electronically through SciFinder Scholar 1967-
      The software must be loaded on to individual PCs and is available to Murdoch staff and students only. See the Science Librarians on South Wing Level 3 for more information.

    Current advances in ecological and environmental sciences, 1989-2000
    Link Level 3 R 577 CUR 1
    This publication provides a printed index to journals published in the field of ecological and environmental science, categorising approximately 21,200 articles per year.

    Current Contents Connect 1999-
    Provides access to the tables of contents and article descriptions from current issues of the world's leading scholarly research publications in the sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities

    Ecology abstracts, 1980-1999
    Link Level 3 R 577 APP 1
    Print abstracts to articles relating to interactions between microorganisms, plants and animals and their environments.

    EIS - Digests of Environmental Impact Statements, 1988-
    This database provides detailed abstracts of US Federal Government environmental impact statements. Availability as follows:

    1. Print 1988- Link Level 3 R 333.7140973 ENV 2
    2. Electronic - Current year only is available from the Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Home Page. Select Alphabetical List and either Quick or Advanced Search. At the next screen select the EIS database.

    ELIXIR1990-
    Database covering agriculture, mineral resources, conservation, energy and land management in an Australian context. Select this database from the list found under the heading Environment and Natural Resources.

    ENDANGER - Threatened species in Australia, 1960-
    This database is produced by the Deakin University School of Aquatic Sciences and Natural Resources Management. It includes coverage of Australia's threatened flora and fauna. Select HERIT:ENDANGER from the database list.

    Environmental health and pollution control, 1971-2000
    Link Level 3 R614.7 E61 1
    This indexing journal provides access to articles on environmental health and pollution control issues.

    Environment Abstracts, 1975-
    Includes references to articles with Australian content on air pollution and air quality, environmental protection and management, hazardous wastes, recycling, waste management and disposal, water pollution, environmental assessment and pollution control. Select this database from the list found under the heading Environment and Natural Resources.

    EVA, 1987-
    Includes references to articles with Australian content on air pollution and air quality, environmental protection and management, hazardous wastes, recycling, waste management and disposal, water pollution, environmental assessment and pollution control. Select this database from the list found under the heading Environment and Natural Resources.

    Pollution Abstracts
    Print 1975- Link Level 3 R 628.5 POL 1
    Pollution Abstracts combines information on scientific research and government policies into a single resource. Coverage includes all forms of pollution, sewage and wastewater treatment, toxicology, mathematical models, effects on people and animals, and environmental action in response to global pollution issues.

    REEF - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Province Database, 1982-
    Includes references to articles with Australian content on air pollution and air quality, environmental protection and management, hazardous wastes, recycling, waste management and disposal, water pollution, environmental assessment and pollution control. Select this database from the list found under the heading Environment and Natural Resources.

    Science Citation Index, 1982-
    SCI is an indexing journal to the literature of science, medicine, technology and behavioural sciences. It is unique because it is based on the assumption that articles which cite one another will have a subject link. In other words, you can use the work of one researcher to find papers that have been published by other researchers working in the same field. Available in:

    1. Print 1974- Link Level 3 R 500 S416 3
    2. Electronic - access to citation indexes from 1997 onwards is available from the Web of Science database. From this site you are also able to search the Social Sciences Citation Index, and the Arts and Humanities Citation Indexes, or any combination of these three indexes.

    Scifinder Scholar - see Chemical Abstracts

    Streamline - Australia's Natural Resources Database, 1982-
    Information on all aspects of natural resource management are covered in this database. Some topics are sustainable management of land, vegetation and water resources, including urban water and wastewater systems. All records included are either work by Australians or about Australia. Select this database from the list found under the heading Environment and Natural Resources.

    Web of Science - see Science Citation Index

    Environmental Impact Statements

    The Library has sought to maintain as complete a collection as possible of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) produced within Western Australia. In addition, all significant EISs from other Australian states have been collected wherever possible, together with some EISs from South East Asia.

    The collection also includes other equivalent documents such as Environmental Review and Management Programme (ERMP), Consultative Environmental Review (CER), Public Environmental Review (PER) documents and so on.

    To access any of these, search the Title Catalogue for environmental impact statements. Alternatively you can choose Words in the catalogue and combine specific terms from the EIS you are looking for with the term environmental impact statements.

    For Western Australian EISs, the corresponding report and recommendation of the Environmental Protection Authority for each EIS is published in the series Bulletin (Western Australia. Environmental Protection Authority) and is available at South Wing Level 4 G 333.709941 W527 1. You will need to check the catalogue to find the volume number of the specific bulletin that you need.

    Internet Sites

    Below are a few Internet sites relevant to Environmental Impact Assessment. This is not an exhaustive list and you will find many more elsewhere on the Murdoch Online pages for Environmental Impact Assessment.

    ANL Environmental Assessment Division
    The Argonne National Laboratory assesses the impacts of proposed actions on the environment and on human health and safety. This site includes access to a variety of relevant publications and articles.

    Australian EIA Network
    Overview of environmental impact assessment in Australia including legislation and agreements, notifications, practitioners and training courses.

    Australia's EnviroNET
    National and international gateway to Australia's environment business sector.

    Electronic Green Journal
    A free peer-reviewed full-text electronic journal covering international environmental topics.

    Environmental Auditing
    The INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing is a forum in the field of auditing the environmental policies of governments. Its site provides an overview of the group's activities, links to relevant websites, and databases of international environmental accords.

    Environmental Conflict Resolution
    U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution provides expertise, guidance and training in environmental conflict assessment, facilitation and mediation, as well as a glossary of terms relating to environmental conflict resolution and alternative dispute resolution.

    Environmental Decision-making
    The Global Development Research Center provides information on environmental decision-making and links to other relevant sites that discuss this issue.

    Environmental Impact Assessment
    Documents and information repositories on impact assessment including methodologies, risk assessment and management, and programs and initiatives.

    Environmental science
    These sites have been selected by the Science Librarians.

    The European Commission Environment site
    The environment pages for the European Union providing details of legislation and policy areas, including environmental assessment, economics and law.

    International Association for Impact Assessment
    A forum for advancing innovation, development and communication of best practice in impact assessment. Includes links to professional sites, a web index and discussion groups.

    National Library for the Environment
    This excellent site has been developed by the Committee for the National Institute for the Environment (US). It includes directories of academic environmental programs, journals, funding sources, meetings, news sources, laws and treaties, reports, reference materials, and more.

    The remote sensing tutorial
    This online tutorial describes how you can apply remote sensing to studying the land, sea, air and biotic communities that comprise our planet's environments. It provides insight into past uses of aerial photography and space imagery, and develops skills in interpreting these visual displays and data sets by direct inspection and by computer processing.

    Resources for the future
    RFF is a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank located in Washington, DC that conducts independent research into environmental and natural resource issues and policy questions. Rooted primarily in economics and other social sciences, this site includes a library holding documents on a wide range of environmental issues and research.

    SCOPE
    Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment, an interdisciplinary body of natural and social science expertise, focused on global environmental issues. It includes access to SCOPE publications and provides details of scientific programs and projects.

    US Department of Energy's NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) Website
    Includes access to the DOE's environmental impact statements and environmental assessments .

    US Geological Survey Environment Section
    Information on natural physical, chemical, and biological processes, and of the results of human actions is included, as well as long-term assessments, ecosystem analysis, predictive modelling, and process research on the occurrence, distribution, transport, and fate of contaminants as well as the impacts of contaminants on biota.

    Citing References

    It is essential that any references used in your research projects are cited correctly. A comprehensive bibliography is an indication of how widely you have read for the topic and also allows any relevant papers to be found at a later date. The most important aspect of citing is to be consistent, and generally in the sciences the Chicago system is preferred.

    Copies of the Library's publication, How to cite references, which discusses various citation systems, are available online. Also available is the Murdoch University Library Legal Citation Guide, which may be useful.

    Please remember that there are specific citation rules for electronic resources and the guides give examples of these materials. However, you only need to follow the special rules for citing electronic publications if the full text document is sourced in electronic format. If an electronic database is used to find a citation (such as one of the databases which do not provide full text) and you subsequently locate the article in a paper journal, the citation is for paper format, not electronic. It is the end product you are citing, not your means of finding it.

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