Geographical Sciences
Welcome to the Geographical Sciences Research Guide
This guide provides access to essential resources for geography research at ASU, including databases, journals, maps, geospatial data, and professional organizations. Whether you're studying physical geography, human geography, GIS, or environmental sciences, you'll find the tools you need here.
New to geography research? Start here
NEW TO GEOGRAPHY RESEARCH? START HERE
Not sure where to begin? Follow these steps:
- Need journal articles? Go to the Articles and journals tab
- Looking for maps or GIS data? Visit Maps & Geospatial Data
- Searching for a specific place name? Check Place Names
- Need climate or weather data? See Climate and environmental data
- Want to browse top journals? Explore geography journals
Quick tip: Start with Academic Search Premier or Google Scholar for broad article searches, then move to specialized databases like GeoScienceWorld for in-depth research.
Research tips and support
Need help with your research?
- Ask a Librarian: Ask-a-Librarian service
- Visit the Map & Geospatial Hub: Get hands-on help with maps and GIS software
- Interlibrary Loan: Can't find an article? Request it through ILL
Citation Help:
- ASU Library Citation Guide
- Geographic citation styles and examples (from Pollak Library at California State University, Fullerton)
ASU geography resources
ASU School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning
Explore degree programs, faculty research, and departmental resources.
Arizona Geographic Alliance
K-16 geography education resources and professional development.
Decision Center for a Desert City
Research on water, climate, and urban sustainability in Phoenix and the Southwest.
Most popular resources
Quick access to the resources geography students use most frequently
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ASU Map and Geospatial HubMaps, GIS data, and geospatial technology support.
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Academic Search Ultimate
Access to popular press magazines and peer-reviewed scholarly journals across various academic disciplines, including open-access journals and historic Associated Press videos.
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Google Scholar (with Library Links)
Find scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed journal articles, books, theses and dissertations, conference papers, pre-prints, technical reports, and other publications for all research disciplines. The link enables ASU affiliates to include ASU Library’s full text and InterLibrary Loan Services in a search.
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Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)Finding official US place names and location.
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GeoScienceWorldGeoScienceWorld is a nonprofit collaborative and comprehensive resource for research and communications in the earth sciences. Searchable full text is integrated with GeoRef, a comprehensive indexing and abstracting database for information from geosciences journals, conference, dissertation and other resources. Coverage for GSW journals is mostly 2000 to present, with records from GeoRef covering geosciences literature from the late 1700's to present. Advanced search capabilities, including geographic searching by latitude and longitude, variety of options for limiting results sets, and other features are available.
Search the ASU Library catalog
Search the ASU Catalog for Books, Maps, and More
Popular searches:
- Geographic Information Systems
- Climate Change
- Urban Planning
- Remote Sensing
- Historical Geography
Essential research methods books
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The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative GeographyComprehensive guide to qualitative methods in geography.
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Methods in Human Geography: A Guide for Students Doing Research ProjectsPractical research methods handbook
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Making Sense: A Student's Guide to Research and WritingWriting and research guide for geography and environmental science
Search the catalog for more research methods books
Geography news and updates
Stay current with geography news and research: