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Researching Dinosaurs
Zach Heher
Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2014 10:58 AM
Hello Book Country!

I am currently working on a new project that involves dinosaurs. This topic will require a ton of research because I want it to be a scientifically accurate as possible but sometimes that can be hard to do. We are still unsure what environments that dinosaurs lived in, what they looked like, or even if they all had feathers or not. Trying to write something as scientifically accurate also makes it hard when the dino you want to write about turns out to be more adapted for aquatic life based on a recent finding.

Any tips on how to approach this?
D J Lutz
Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2014 5:29 PM
Ambitious project! It sounds like you will be delving into multiple disciplines of science, ranging from paleontology and biology to archeology and botany. Probably more? Anyway, you may want to access the online databases of scholarly and peer-reviewed works from these fields. There are many databases to choose from; some are free, some use a subscription model. Take a class (any class) at a local community college and as part of the tuition and fees you should get access to the majority of these databases. Otherwise, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_academic_databases_and_search_engines to see a rather large list of them.  If you want to be accurate, or at least as accurate as we can be when studying something millions of years old (without the help of a TARDIS,) the peer-reviewed journals and papers are the way to go. Good Luck!
Zach Heher
Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2014 5:40 PM
Thanks DJ! This should be helpful.

In truth, I am currently learning geology and paleontology at South Dakota School of Mines, but I still have a lot to learn about these amazing animals.
Lucy Silag - Book Country Community Manager
Posted: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 9:09 AM
Joined: 6/7/2013
Posts: 1356


Oy. I took a class on dinosaurs to fulfill a Gen Ed requirement in college and it was one of the hardest classes I ever took. Good luck, Zach!