The Oxford Guide to Library Research by 
Environmental Resource Handbook, 2021/22 by Google Scholar is a free search engine that can be used to find all kinds of scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, dissertations, preprints, court opinions and patents. Uses the relevance-ranking algorithms developed by Google.
Some limitations of Google Scholar:
Search content across multiple databases and formats using EBSCO Discovery Service, including electronic resources and the library catalog. Can be used to find articles.
Use the Advanced Search option to select different fields, combine search terms and apply filters such as format, published date range, and collection.
Search databases to discover scholarly content and gain access to full-text articles and research from peer-reviewed journals, government reports, trade publications, popular magazines and more.
Online databases offered by the library can be accessed from anywhere by NJ State Employees, Thomas Edison State University students and faculty and authorized users. A library card is needed to access subscription databases off-site.
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"Climate change" or "global warming"?
"Sewage" or "Wastewater?"
Language is messy and constantly evolving! Using outdated or inaccurate terminology, or simply failing to search with the most commonly-used keywords can cause you to miss publications.
Specialized glossaries and thesauruses can help you translate concepts into searchable keywords. Many databases have their own searchable thesauruses or "controlled vocabularies" that can help you discover keywords you didn't think of in advance.
Additionally, the website Credo Reference allows you to type in search terms and see a "Mind Map" of concepts related to your keyword.
Other online glossaries and resources:
Encyclopedias and dictionaries provide definitions and general overviews of topics and often make good starting points for your research:
Historical Dictionary of the Petroleum Industry by 
Environmental Engineering Dictionary by
This newly updated dictionary provides a comprehensive reference for hundreds of environmental engineering terms used throughout the field. Author Frank Spellman draws on his years of experience and many government documents and legal and regulatory sources to update this edition with many new terms and definitions. This fifth edition includes terms relating to pollution control technologies, monitoring, risk assessment, sampling and analysis, quality control, and permitting. Users of this dictionary will find exact and official Environmental Protection Agency definitions for environmental terms that are statute-related, regulation-related, science-related, and engineering-related, including terms from the following legal documents: Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; CERCLA; EPCRA; Federal Facility Compliance Act; Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act; FIFRA; Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendment; OSHA; Pollution Prevention Act; RCRA; Safe Drinking Water Act; Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act; and TSCA. The terms included in this dictionary feature time-saving cites to the definitions' source, including the Code of Federal Regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Energy. A list of the reference source documents is also included.
A Guide to Federal Terms and Acronyms by
Navigating government documents is a task that requires considerable knowledge of specialized terms and acronyms. This required knowledge nearly amounts to knowing a completely different language. To those who are not fluent, the task can be overwhelming, as federal departments fill their documents with acronyms, abbreviations, and terms that mean little or nothing to the outsider. Would you be able to make sense of a document that described how the COTR reports to the CO regarding compliance with FAR, GPRA, SARA, and FASA? (This is a common procedure in government contracting.) Would you have any clue what was being referred to if you came across MIL-STD-129P? (It is the new standard for Military Shipping Label Requirements.) The sheer number of such terms makes mastering them nearly impossible. But now, these terms and their definitions are within reach. This new edition of A Guide to Federal Terms and Acronyms presents a glossary of key definitions used by the federal government. It is updated to include new acronyms and terminology from various federal government departments. It covers the most common terms, acronyms, and abbreviations used by each major agency, presenting definitions and explanations in a user-friendly and accessible way. This is an essential tool for anyone who works with federal government information.
The Gale Encyclopedia of Science by This link opens in a new windowOther potentially useful databases:
Find these and others at the State Library's full A-Z List of Databases.
