Books, monographs, and scientific reports will often provide the most detailed treatment of a topic. However, because of this they can take longer to publish. Therefore, the most current information on a topic will likely be found in journal articles.
Scientific Reports & Geological Survey Publications
Many scientific reports in the geological and Earth sciences are published as part of the formal series of the United State Geological Survey and state geological surveys. While newer publications in these series will likely be cataloged individually in UCSB Library Search, older reports may only be listed by report number on the record for the series title. Many of the reports are available online or in the print collections of the UCSB Library. See the Geological Surveys tab of this guide for more information and tips. Note: The best database for finding citations to these reports is GeoRef.
Research Tip: For thorough research on a topic you should use a mix of both books and articles.