Evaluating Biology Resources: Journals, Websites & Credibility

Introduction to Biology as a Discipline

Biology as a cross-interdisciplinary study is very broad in scope. It covers the entirety of human history as well as the study of all life on Earth. As a result, it spans a wide array of academic fields, each with many of its own independent disciplines. In understanding the study of biology, one must consider the plethora of information sources that are both available and abundant in the field. Biology as a scientific discipline can be understood in both scientific and popular terms, and both types of sources are important for comprehending the field as a whole.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of articles are published about biology. These articles range from peer-reviewed scientific journals and popular science magazines to books and doctoral papers published by professors and PhD candidates. Biology, more than perhaps any other discipline, has the most published research across the widest channels of distribution. The challenge posed by all of this biological research is that nearly all of it has a particular agenda or purpose. In assessing the legitimacy of biology publications, the most important task is to determine who is funding and conducting the research. Research funded through grants, university programs, or private sources does not always proceed without an agenda or a presupposition of results. Therefore, biological research and its published conclusions will often mirror the hypothesis asserted by those who funded the work.

University Research and Funding Bias

Dr. Henry Ramsey of the Biology Quarterly explains: "The science of biology is no longer an isolated study into pure science, but rather an intertwining discipline that combines traditional scientific endeavors with political savvy. As a result, the best scientists are often not the most scholastic in their orientation, but those who have a flair for politics." In order to accurately identify and evaluate information within biology, it is necessary to understand all the different avenues by which scientists can express their ideas and publish their research. These include journals, online websites, forums, professional organizations, university publications, biomedical and pharmaceutical corporations, and other important venues.

Although biological research is being conducted around the world through many different vehicles — both private and public — the majority of research in this field occurs within the university setting. The United States is considered the most concentrated country for intellectual biological endeavors. Several universities have had a profound impact on biology over the past two decades. Most notably, the University of Chicago and the University of California, San Diego are among the foremost university research organizations in the world.

When university professors and researchers make significant discoveries or complete their studies, they record their findings in the form of research articles. However, research published through the university system is not wholly unbiased, because there are several different motivations for how and why research is conducted. University research is not blindly funded; instead, it is significantly driven by institutional or government grants. In order to secure such grants, professors and researchers must frame their work within specific themes and hypotheses. As a result, their research tends to be narrowly focused and is often designed to validate the claims or perspectives of those who provided the funding.

There are many examples of this dynamic within the biological arena. One such case involves greenhouse gases. In the early 1990s, there was growing concern that the greenhouse effect would have severe environmental consequences. Grants supporting such research were plentiful, and many university scientists applied for funding on the subject. Because these grants carried the implicit agenda of demonstrating that the greenhouse effect had a profound environmental impact, that hypothesis was borne out by research conducted by biologists around the world. However, more recent studies suggest that some of this earlier research may have been framed differently and that data may have been interpreted in a biased fashion.

Peer-Reviewed Journals in Biology

Despite these concerns, university research offers important advantages. All such research is understood and evaluated through the scientific method, meaning that the statistical and empirical data collected are generally accepted as valid. As a result, the data can sometimes be separated from interpretations to yield credible conclusions about a given topic. Another key factor contributing to the credibility of university research is that it is peer-reviewed — meaning that at least three other researchers or professionals of equal standing have read and critically assessed the work. For these reasons, peer-reviewed journals published by universities and university professionals remain the best starting point for understanding biological topics.

There are several types of journals dedicated to biology. The two most prominent are peer-reviewed journals and mainstream journals. Peer-reviewed journals are highly scientific in nature and are not typically suited for general readers. They are usually published by professional associations of scientists, such as the American Biology Society and the Public Library of Science. Such publications appear on an annual, biannual, or monthly basis and contain articles written by specialists in the field detailing their research. All articles within these journals are peer-reviewed and thus carry credibility because they are assessed for accuracy before publication.

Peer-reviewed journals take two particular forms. The first are discipline-specific journals, usually published through professional associations that specialize in a given area. For instance, the American Ecology Society publishes a monthly peer-reviewed journal on topics related to ecology. The second type consists of national-level journals that compile research across a spectrum of biological disciplines. Journals such as that published by the Public Library of Science offer a panoramic view of the biology field, featuring articles that span the full breadth of biological research. The PLOS Biology journal is published three times a year and collects the most significant research from within each trimester.

Conclusion: Navigating Biological Information

There are many different opportunities to find the right information within biology, but it is necessary to sift through a great deal of varied material. Understanding where to find accurate information is the hardest part of any research.