•  The American Journal of Botany covers research in all areas of plant biology (structure, function, development, diversity, genetics, evolution, systematics), all levels of organization (molecular to ecosystem), and all plant groups and allied organisms (cyanobacteria, algae, fungi, and lichens). It requires a subscription, though authors can pay to make their articles open access.
• Annals of Botany is an international plant science journal that publishes novel and substantial research papers in all areas of plant science, along with reviews and shorter Botanical Briefings about topical issues. Each issue also features a roundup of plant-based items from the world’s media called “Plant Cuttings.” Several years worth of archived journals are available for free.
• Biology Letters provides short, highly innovative, cutting-edge research articles across the biological sciences. Content is free one year after the publication date.
• BIRDNET is an online repository of information about the science of ornithology and about issues of interest to ornithologists. The site is intended to provide information to professional ornithologists and to members of the general public interested in learning more about both the scientific study of birds and the application of information from that study to conservation and other issues affecting birds.
• Green Chemistry is the home of cutting-edge research on the development of alternative sustainable technologies. You can get free access to full articles with a free registration.
• The Journal of Comparative Physiology A presents original articles and short reviews that aid in understanding mechanisms of physiology at the organismic, cellular, or molecular levels of organization. Topics include neurobiology, neuroethology, sensory physiology, sensory ecology, physiological basis of behavior, hormonal control of behavior, communication, orientation, locomotion, functional neuroanatomy, and more. It requires a subscription, although authors can opt to make their articles open access.
• The Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology covers the comparative physiology of invertebrate and vertebrate animals. Special emphasis is placed on integrative studies that explain mechanisms at the whole-animal, organ, tissue, cellular, and/or molecular levels. Aspects of particular interest include: molecular and endocrine control of metabolism; membrane transport and nutrient absorption; respiration and gas exchange; circulation and body fluids; energy and temperature relations; muscle and exercise physiology; energetics and endocrinology of reproduction; evolutionary aspects of physiology, and more. It requires a subscription, although authors can opt to make their articles open access.
• The Journal of Experimental Biology covers comparative physiology and integrative biology. This is a good source for strategies. New articles are often free to access for a short time and then require a subscription. Archived articles are usually free.
• Letters in Applied Microbiology includes research across the breadth of microbiology, including in the following key subject areas: antimicrobials, biodegradation, biotechnology, plant pathology, virology, and more. It requires a subscription, although authors can pay to make their articles open access.
• Plant Physiology is devoted to physiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, genetics, biophysics, and environmental biology of plants.
• PLoS One features a variety of subject areas. Within the PLoS series, PLoS Biology is the best option for strategies, but it’s worth exploring the other subjects. Access to full-text articles is free.
• Trends in Ecology and Evolution covers new developments and ideas across the full range of ecology and evolutionary biology—from the pure to the applied, and from molecular to global—bringing together research from a wide range of sub-disciplines.

• The Annual Review of Microbiology covers microbiology, encompassing bacteria, archaea, viruses, and unicellular eukaryotes.
• Applied Entomology and Zoology publishes articles concerned with applied entomology, applied zoology, agricultural chemicals, and pest control. Coverage spans a wide range of fields, including molecular biology, environmental science, physiology, ecology, ethology (the science of animal behavior), taxonomy, and toxicology.
• BioScience gives overviews of current research in biology.
• Copeia covers fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
• Flora covers morphology, distribution, and the functional ecology of plants.
• The Journal of Bionic Engineering covers aspects of bionic science and engineering, including fundamental understandings of animals and plants for bionic engineering. It addresses topics such as structures, composites, morphology, locomotion and behaviors of animals, and physical properties of plants and natural materials, and the applications of such understandings in engineering, technology, and design.
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The Journal of Chemical Ecology promotes an ecological understanding of the origin, function, and significance of natural chemicals that mediate interactions within and between organisms.
• Zoologischer Anzeiger – A Journal of Comparative Zoology is devoted to comparative zoology with a special emphasis on morphology, systematics, biogeography, and evolutionary ecology targeting animal species. The broader aim of the journal is to contribute to our understanding of the organismic world from an evolutionary perspective.
• Microbial Ecology covers scientific investigations of how microorganisms interact with their environment, with each other, and with their hosts.
• Nature includes many journals covering specific subjects, so you’ll need to peruse the list of journals to find ones relevant to what you’re looking for. It also has regional websites. It requires a subscription to access full-text articles.
• Oecologia publishes innovative ecological research of general interest to a broad international audience.

• Nature News & Comment provides access to some research summaries from Nature and other journals, with links to journals; however, access to the various Nature journals requires a subscription.
• ScienceNews has a good search engine that allows you to narrow your search by specific topics. Scroll down through the topics to Life & Evolution.
• LiveScience is a science newswire. Although you can select a topic like Animals or Planet Earth, the search engine doesn’t restrict your searches to this. You’ll need more research into any strategies found here.
• BBC News Science & Environment has a simple search engine that will work with organism names.
• The Journal of Experimental Biology, also mentioned under Journals, has approximately four articles in each issue written by a science journalist who is good at explaining the science. The section to look at is called Inside JEB.
• EurekaAlert! lets you focus on a subject, such as biology, to do your search. You can filter your search to get more relevant articles.

• Prentice Hall Biology
• Textbook from Estrella Mountain Community College
• Textbook from Annenberg Learner (has a search engine)

More specific textbooks for categories within biology, such as for insects, invertebrates, ecology, botany, and so on, are harder to find for free online. Many of the free downloads are for books that are quite old, so finding print textbooks at libraries might be the best strategy. Here are a few online ones we’ve found:

• Todar’s Online Textbook of Bacteriology
• Biochemistry Free and Easy
• Biochemistry 5th Edition (searchable but can’t be browsed)