GC Library: General Biology (BIOL 1406): Open Access & Online Resources

What Is Open Access?

Open access (OA) means making research publications freely available, benefiting anyone from reading and using the research. Open Access initiatives seek to remove barriers such as "paywalls" and make free research articles and other works easy to find and read.

Open access is part of a wider ‘open’ movement to encourage the free exchange of knowledge and resources to widen access and encourage creativity (Fox Valley Technical Resources).

Open Access Resources

open access, open and free to use This symbol indicates an open-access resource, and a login is not required.

The Biology Project
An interactive online resource for learning biology developed at The University of Arizona. The Biology Project is fun, richly illustrated, and tested on 1000s of students. It has been designed for biology students at the college level, but is useful for high school students, medical students, physicians, science writers, and all types of interested people.
Cells Alive!
30 years of capturing film and computer-enhanced images of living cells and organisms for education and medical research. The site has been available continuously and updated annually since May of 1994.
DNA From The Beginning
Discover the concepts and experiments that define the fields of genetics and molecular biology. This animated primer features the work of over 100 different experiments that made modern genetics.
EurekAlert! : Biology
A nonprofit news-release distribution platform operated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) as a resource for journalists and the public. EurekAlert! hosts news releases produced by universities, journal publishers, medical centers, government agencies, corporations, and other organizations engaged in all disciplines of scientific research.
GetBodySmart
A free website study guide review that uses interactive animations to help you learn online about anatomy and physiology, human anatomy, and the human body.
Human Genome Project
The Human Genome Project (HGP) was an international 13-year effort, 1990 to 2003, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Some of the project goals: identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, and store this information in databases.
MIT Open Courseware : Biology
The Department of Biology offers undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral training programs ranging from general biology to more specialized fields of study and research. These courses are designed to provide a solid background in the physical sciences and to develop an integrated scientific perspective.
Serendip Biology
Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world, to cover a wide range of biological topics.
University of Michigan Visible Human
The University of Michigan Visible Human project, lead by Dr. Brian Athey, serves The National Library of Medicine's Visible Human data to health science students, clinicians, educators, and researchers. Novel 2D and 3D navigational browsers display Visible Human content in an educationally relevant manner.

Interactive Open Access Resources

open access, open and free to use This symbol indicates an open-access resource, and a login is not required.

HHMI : BioInteractive
BioInteractive is offering free workshops for high school and undergraduate life and environmental science educators. All workshops are online, facilitated by professionals.
Interactive Human Evolution Timeline
An interactive timeline showcasing the human evolution, provided by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
National Geographic Prehistoric Time Line
Prehistoric time line, geologic time scale, photos, facts, maps, and more from National Geographic.

What Are Open Educational Resources?

Open Educational Resources (OER) include promoting high-quality textbooks that are free to students and reducing the pay barrier. The ideal is to allow others to "retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute" without needing permission if the work is attributed to the copyright owner, giving credit where it is due (Fox Valley Technical Resources).

Textbooks & Study Books

open access, open and free to use This symbol indicates an open-access resource, and a login is not required.

OpenStax This link opens in a new window
OpenStax publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed, openly licensed textbooks that are absolutely free online and low cost in print.

Project Gutenberg: Concerning Animals and Other Matters
Full text of "Concerning Animals and Other Matters" by Edward Hamilton Aitken
Project Gutenberg: On the Origin of Species
Full text of "On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection" by Charles Darwin
Project Gutenberg: The Dawn of Reason
Full text of "The Dawn of Reason; or, Mental Traits in the Lower Animals" by Jr. James Weir
Project Gutenberg: The Life-Story of Insects
Full text of "The Life-Story" of Insects by George H. Carpenter

Study References

Biology Online
Biology Online is the world’s most comprehensive database of Biology terms and topics. Since 2001 it has been the resource of choice for professors, students, and professionals needing answers to Biology questions. Search over 75,000+ terms, news, insights, discoveries, and trends in Biology.

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What Is Open Access?

Open Access Resources

Interactive Open Access Resources

What Are Open Educational Resources?

Textbooks & Study Books

Study References