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Accessing assistance
If you need help, please contact Sarah (Tong) Zhang, Librarian for Geography, GIS, & Maps at 778-782-9704 or tza68@sfu.ca or Ask a librarian.
Check the main Geography page for links to library research guides prepared for specific courses.
SFU Library Research Skills Tutorial: up your academic game by completing this 50 minute tutorial.
Dictionaries
- The Dictionary of Physical Geography [online] or [print]
- The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Physical Geography [print]
- Glossary of Hydrology [print]
- Illustrated Glossary of Alpine Glacial Landforms
- A Dictionary of Geography (Oxford) [online] | [print]
- The Hutchinson Dictionary of Geography
- The Houghton Mifflin Dictionary of Geography [print]
- Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary [print]
- Vocabulaire canadien du quaternaire = Canadian Quaternary Vocabulary [print]
Specialized encyclopedias
- The International Encyclopedia of Geography: People, the Earth, Environment, and Technology
- Companion Encyclopedia of Geography, the Environment and Humankind [online] or [print]
- Encyclopedia of Deserts [online and print]
- Encyclopedia of Geographical Features in World History: Europe and the Americas [print]
- Encyclopedia of Geomorphology [online] or [print]
- Encyclopedia of Hydrological Sciences [print]
- Encyclopedia of Life Sciences [print]
- Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science [online] or [print]
- Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment [online] or [print]
- The Encyclopedia of Trees: Canada and the United States [print]
- Geo-Data: the World Geographical Encyclopedia [online and print]
- Handbook of Soil Sciences [print]
- McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences [print]
- The SAGE Handbook of Biogeography [print]
- Tree Book: Learning to Recognize Trees of British Columbia (Forest Service BC)
- Water Encyclopedia [online] or [print]
Searching for books
Use the SFU Library Catalogue to find books on your topic. For tips on effective searching, use the Library Catalogue Search Guide.
Journal articles
The following are core databases for journal articles in Physical Geography. Other databases may be useful for your topic - access all of the databases that SFU Library subscribes to here.
Web of Science
Search for journal articles, citation counts, journal impact factors, and more. Major multidisciplinary academic database with excellent coverage of the sciences. Includes backward and forward citation linking as well as citation counts.
GEOBASE
Search for journal articles in human and physical geography, earth sciences, ecology, geology, and environmental sciences.
Scopus
Search for journal articles, conference proceedings, and other resources in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Can also be used for cited reference searches, citation analysis of research, and searching by affiliation.
Environment Complete
Search for journal articles in the area of environmental studies in this database
GeoRef
Covers geology literature.
Google Scholar
Searches academic literature across disciplines. Includes backward and forward citation linking as well as citation counts.
Statistics and data
For more information on statistical sources, see Finding Statistics Canada Publications and Finding Statistics on British Columbia.
- Geoscience Data Repository for Geophysical Data (free databases from NRCAN)
- Digital Terrain Data (NOAA)
- Water Survey of Canada (Hydat CD-ROM available at SFU Library)
- GeoConnections - Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI)
- NSIDC Data Catalog - National Snow and Ice Data Center, US
- Web Soil Survey (WSS) (Sources of soil data, USDA)
- Water Data (USGS)
- National Climatic Data Center (US Department of Commerce): World's largest archive of climate data.
Maps, geospatial data, GIS
Detailed instructions for finding maps at SFU Library are in the Geography - Finding Maps and Atlases and Map Collection guides. The SFU Library collection also includes atlases, sheet maps, digital maps, air photos and gazeteers.
Access geospatial data and GIS resources on the Library's GIS & Maps pages.
Government information
British Columbia
- Ministry of Agriculture
- Ministry of Energy and Mines
- Ministry of Environment
- Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
Canada
United States
- U.S. Geological Survey (includes USGS Earthquake Hazards Program where you will find information on earthquakes around the world).
For information on additional government sources, see Government Resources web page.
Putting it all together: Study, writing, and citing
- Making Sense: A Student's Guide to Research and Writing: Geography & Environmental Sciences [print]
- How to do Your Dissertation in Geography and Related Disciplines [online] or [print]
- Communicating in Geography and the Environmental Sciences [print]
- Study Skills for Geography, Earth and Environmental Science Students [print]
- Geography@university: making the most of your geography degree and courses
- SFU Library's guides to APA, MLA and Chicago/Turabian styles
- Citing maps and geospatial data
- Citation Management Software
The Student Learning Commons (SLC) provides writing and learning support to SFU undergraduate students of ALL levels, whether you are an A student or a student who is struggling. You can book a consultation and/or attend a workshop.
The Research Commons provides extensive writing services for SFU graduate students of all levels, as well as workshops and consultations for all stages of the research lifecycle.
Writing handouts from the SLC: These handouts are excellent! They will guide you through the mechanics of academic writing and help with things like grammar, citing, transition words, and style. See especially the three handouts on integrating sources. Immensely helpful.
Avoiding plagiarism: Questions about what constitutes plagiarism? Please read the SFU Library's What is Plagiarism? page and then take our Plagiarism Tutorial.