Desert Island Databases
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Some research topics involve politicized public policy debates, so remember that magazines are more likely than either scholarly journals or newspapers to have distinct political affiliations, of which you should be aware to critically evaluate your sources. Below are some broad categorizations of my own:
Liberal journals include Mother Jones, Village Voice, The Nation, The Progressive, Washington Monthly, Utne Reader, Tikkum, Dissent, American Prospect, New York Review of Books, New Leader, Rolling Stone, Z Magazine, New Statesman (British), Guardian Weekly (British).
Conservative journals include American Spectator, National Review, Weekly Standard, American Enterprise, Commentary, American Outlook, Policy Review and The Spectator (British).
And if you don’t believe me, take a look at Yahoo’s lists of “conservative” and “progressive” magazines.
Liberal journals include Mother Jones, Village Voice, The Nation, The Progressive, Washington Monthly, Utne Reader, Tikkum, Dissent, American Prospect, New York Review of Books, New Leader, Rolling Stone, Z Magazine, New Statesman (British), Guardian Weekly (British).
Conservative journals include American Spectator, National Review, Weekly Standard, American Enterprise, Commentary, American Outlook, Policy Review and The Spectator (British).
And if you don’t believe me, take a look at Yahoo’s lists of “conservative” and “progressive” magazines.
Few databases offer 100% full text. Most retrieve a mix of full text articles and article "citations"--article title, author(s), publication info, and usually an "abstract" or one-prargraph summary of the content. When a citation makes you want the full text, look below it for this icon:
Clicking "GETIT" checks (almost all) the IC Library's other databases to see if any offers the full text of the article--or if the Library has a print subscription to the journal in which the article appeared.
Clicking "GETIT" checks (almost all) the IC Library's other databases to see if any offers the full text of the article--or if the Library has a print subscription to the journal in which the article appeared.
- "GETIT" will usually find the full text in another database and open it in a new window.
- If none of our databases can access the full text but we have a print subsciption to the journal, "GETIT" will retrieve the Library catalog record for the journal so that you can see if the date of the article falls within the date range we have on hand.
- If full text is not available from any database or from a print subsciption, "GETIT" will provide a link to the IC Library's Interlibrary Loan. Log in (same as your IC e-mail)--and set up your account if you've never used it before. "GETIT" will have populated the article request form with all the necessary information and you simply submit the request elecrtonically. Most articles are supplied as digital files and will be sent to you via e-mail when they arrive.
General OneFile : is the most user-friendly of our comprehensive databases, covering almost any topic from a wide range of disciplinary angles and offering lots of full text. Use the default Subject search to find the best subject heading for your topic (and when you find a good one be sure to look at the "Related Subjects" to see if there's something even better).
When you settle on a subject heading, open the "Subdivisions" link below it. Most General OneFile subject searchs produce very large retrievals and the "subdivisions" help you narrow your search to a particular aspect: "Economic aspects," "Ethical aspects," "Forecasts and Trends," "History," "Media Coverage," "Political aspects," "Psychological aspects," "Social aspects," and "Statistics," to name only a few.
If the best available subdivision is still too broad, open it and add your own Keywords in the "Search within these results" slot at the upper left.
User Advisory: When first viewing your retrievals in General OneFile, note that you are seeing only the "Magazines" (popular articles) and must click on the tabs for "Academic Journals" (scholarly articles) or "News" (newspaper articles) to see those results.
When you settle on a subject heading, open the "Subdivisions" link below it. Most General OneFile subject searchs produce very large retrievals and the "subdivisions" help you narrow your search to a particular aspect: "Economic aspects," "Ethical aspects," "Forecasts and Trends," "History," "Media Coverage," "Political aspects," "Psychological aspects," "Social aspects," and "Statistics," to name only a few.
If the best available subdivision is still too broad, open it and add your own Keywords in the "Search within these results" slot at the upper left.
User Advisory: When first viewing your retrievals in General OneFile, note that you are seeing only the "Magazines" (popular articles) and must click on the tabs for "Academic Journals" (scholarly articles) or "News" (newspaper articles) to see those results.
ProQuest Research Library : is another comprehensive database with substantial full text. Use the "Thesaurus" (above the search slots) to preview what Subject Headings are available. Subect searching can be a more efficient way to search than with only Keywords, since it guarantees that the articles retrieved actually be about the Subject--not just use a particular word.
Note that to the right of your search results you can limit your retrieval by "Source Type" (including Magazines, Newspapers, Scholarly Journals), "Document Type," (including Cover Story, Editorial, or Interview), "Document Feature" (including Photographs, Illustrations), and "Location."
Above each set of articles you retrieve ProQuest will display related Subject searches to help either broaden or narrow your focus.
User Advisory: ProQuest is fussy about entering Subject searches in the designated search slot. If your subject is a person, enter the name--last name first--in the "Person" slot; if a named group of any kind--Microsoft, the Catholic Church, Radiohead, the New York Mets--enter it in "Co/Org"; if a place enter it in "Location."
Note that to the right of your search results you can limit your retrieval by "Source Type" (including Magazines, Newspapers, Scholarly Journals), "Document Type," (including Cover Story, Editorial, or Interview), "Document Feature" (including Photographs, Illustrations), and "Location."
Above each set of articles you retrieve ProQuest will display related Subject searches to help either broaden or narrow your focus.
User Advisory: ProQuest is fussy about entering Subject searches in the designated search slot. If your subject is a person, enter the name--last name first--in the "Person" slot; if a named group of any kind--Microsoft, the Catholic Church, Radiohead, the New York Mets--enter it in "Co/Org"; if a place enter it in "Location."
JSTOR : covers a wide range of scholarly journals in most disciiplines, always beginning with the first issue of each one. This provides 100% full text access to articles from not only the first half of the 20th century but even the second half of the 19th. Be aware, however, that at the other end of the date range articles don't appear in JSTOR until at least 2-3 years after publication. Also be aware that for 100% full text you must change the setting from "include links to external content" to "include only content I can access."
JSTOR offers only a Keyword search of its complete full text, so retrievals are large, but the relevancy ranking does a good job of putting the strongest matches on the first few pages. This relevancy ranking does not weigh date, however, and will display a mix of articles written decades apart. So if your topic is time sensitive, be alert to publication dates.
User Advisory: The academic journals covered here feature numerous book reviews, so it's a good idea to tic the "Article" limit below the search slots so you won't be overwhelmed by book reviews on your topic.
Also note the "Date Range" limit, which in a database with an archive this deep can be very useful.
JSTOR offers only a Keyword search of its complete full text, so retrievals are large, but the relevancy ranking does a good job of putting the strongest matches on the first few pages. This relevancy ranking does not weigh date, however, and will display a mix of articles written decades apart. So if your topic is time sensitive, be alert to publication dates.
User Advisory: The academic journals covered here feature numerous book reviews, so it's a good idea to tic the "Article" limit below the search slots so you won't be overwhelmed by book reviews on your topic.
Also note the "Date Range" limit, which in a database with an archive this deep can be very useful.
Project Muse , although a smaller database, it complements JSTOR. LIke JSTOR it provides 100% full text of mostly scholarly journals, but its coverage is entirely current--mainly spanning the last 10-15 years. Muse offers a basic keyword search (be sure to put the titles of literary works in quotation marks). Once you've retrieved a set of articles you can sort them into broad categories using the Research Area options on the left.
Note: Checking the "Articles" box under Content Type before you run a search will eliminate reviews of books about your topic and leave you with just the articles on your topic.
Note: Checking the "Articles" box under Content Type before you run a search will eliminate reviews of books about your topic and leave you with just the articles on your topic.
LexisNexis Academic News: Offering a keyword search of 100% full text from a vast number of national and international newspapers, this is an easy database to use poorly and a bit tricky to use well. In order not to be overwhelmed with articles in which your search terms are mentioned anywhere—first or last paragraph—or any number of times—once or ten times—use commands to target articles in which your topic words are mentioned early or mentioned often.
Use the hlead command (headline and lead paragraphs) to target articles in which your topic words occur in the prime news-story position of headline or first paragraphs. For example: hlead(fracking and pollution) will retrieve just the articles in which the words “fracking” and “pollution” are used in the headline or first paragraphs. Note: the term or terms to which you want this command to apply must be put in parentheses after hlead, with no space between.
Use the altleast command to target articles in which your topic words occur a set number of times. For example: atleast5(“gay marriage”) will retrieve only the articles where this phrase is used at least 5 times—indicating that it must be a main topic. You can plug in any number after atleast—atleast3 or atleast7. Note: the term or terms to which you want this command to apply must be put in parentheses with no space between the number you choose and the first parenthesis.
Use the date range offered under Advanced Options. Because this is a large database of 100% full text, one of the most effective ways to retrieve fewer than 1000 hits is to set up a time frame. Note: if you use the calendar icons to set beginning and end dates, you need to choose a year, a month, and a day for each. Without the day, the date won’t register.
LexisNexis Academic Law Reviews: Offering a keyword search of 100% full text law reviews (publishers of scholarly articles on legal issues), this is an easy database to use poorly and a bit tricky to use well. In order not to be overwhelmed by articles in which your search terms are mentioned in passing but are not the prime focus, use the atleast command to target articles in which your topic words are required to appear at least a certain number of times. For example, atleast5(“gun control”) or atleast7(genes and patents) will retrieve only the articles in which those terms are used repeatedly. Note: the term or terms to which you want this command to apply must be put in parentheses with no space between the number you choose and the first parenthesis.
Use the date range offered under Advanced Options. Because this is a large database of 100% full text, one of the most effective ways to retrieve fewer than 1000 hits is to set up a time frame. Note: if you use the calendar icons to set beginning and end dates, you need to choose a year, a month, and a day for each. Without the day, the date won’t register.
Use the hlead command (headline and lead paragraphs) to target articles in which your topic words occur in the prime news-story position of headline or first paragraphs. For example: hlead(fracking and pollution) will retrieve just the articles in which the words “fracking” and “pollution” are used in the headline or first paragraphs. Note: the term or terms to which you want this command to apply must be put in parentheses after hlead, with no space between.
Use the altleast command to target articles in which your topic words occur a set number of times. For example: atleast5(“gay marriage”) will retrieve only the articles where this phrase is used at least 5 times—indicating that it must be a main topic. You can plug in any number after atleast—atleast3 or atleast7. Note: the term or terms to which you want this command to apply must be put in parentheses with no space between the number you choose and the first parenthesis.
Use the date range offered under Advanced Options. Because this is a large database of 100% full text, one of the most effective ways to retrieve fewer than 1000 hits is to set up a time frame. Note: if you use the calendar icons to set beginning and end dates, you need to choose a year, a month, and a day for each. Without the day, the date won’t register.
LexisNexis Academic Law Reviews: Offering a keyword search of 100% full text law reviews (publishers of scholarly articles on legal issues), this is an easy database to use poorly and a bit tricky to use well. In order not to be overwhelmed by articles in which your search terms are mentioned in passing but are not the prime focus, use the atleast command to target articles in which your topic words are required to appear at least a certain number of times. For example, atleast5(“gun control”) or atleast7(genes and patents) will retrieve only the articles in which those terms are used repeatedly. Note: the term or terms to which you want this command to apply must be put in parentheses with no space between the number you choose and the first parenthesis.
Use the date range offered under Advanced Options. Because this is a large database of 100% full text, one of the most effective ways to retrieve fewer than 1000 hits is to set up a time frame. Note: if you use the calendar icons to set beginning and end dates, you need to choose a year, a month, and a day for each. Without the day, the date won’t register.
New York Times (1851-2009) gives access to the full text of the New York Times 1851-2006. Click the "Continue" button and at the home page reset the default search of "citation and document text" to "citation and abstract" (since this is a Keyword search of 100% full text, you are likely to generate too many passing mentions of your search terms if you search all the text; first try the more focused "citation and abstract" search and only broaden it to "document text" if you retrieve too few hits).
Use the "date range" limits to target the primary sources available here--contemporary/eyewitness reports. Without a date range limit you may retrieve hundreds of articles written decades after the events they discuss. For example, a search on "Lincoln" with a date range limit of 11/07/1860--11/10/1860 will target the Time's original coverage of the election of Abraham Lincoln.
User Advisory: when searching for materials from earlier eras, be aware that language changes over time. For example, the term "African American" was not used prior to the 1970s, so when searching for articles on race relations in America prior to 1975, the terms "Negroes or Blacks" will be needed to retrieve relevant newspaper stories.
Use the "date range" limits to target the primary sources available here--contemporary/eyewitness reports. Without a date range limit you may retrieve hundreds of articles written decades after the events they discuss. For example, a search on "Lincoln" with a date range limit of 11/07/1860--11/10/1860 will target the Time's original coverage of the election of Abraham Lincoln.
User Advisory: when searching for materials from earlier eras, be aware that language changes over time. For example, the term "African American" was not used prior to the 1970s, so when searching for articles on race relations in America prior to 1975, the terms "Negroes or Blacks" will be needed to retrieve relevant newspaper stories.
SocINDEX with Full Text : As the name implies, an excellent database for social issues. Click on the "Subject Terms" link above the search slots to find which Subject Headings will work here. Double click any Heading for a list of broader, narower, and related Subject Terms.
PsycINFO : The American Psychological Association use their own Subject vocabulary (called "Descriptors"), so a visit to the "Thesaurus" below the search slots is a good idea. If you find an article on exactly what you want, be sure to check the assigned "Descriptors" on the right of the citation for more ideas about useful search terms.
User Advisory: PsycINFO deals only with scholarly literature, much of it assuming a graduate-level understanding of the discipline. But among these you may find interesting, accessible articles on your topic.
User Advisory: PsycINFO deals only with scholarly literature, much of it assuming a graduate-level understanding of the discipline. But among these you may find interesting, accessible articles on your topic.
ScienceDirect : Because it’s a large database with a great deal of full text, the absence of Subject searching means that your Keyword searches will often retrieve large sets of articles, many of which mention but don’t discuss your search term(s). One way around this is to limit your initial search to the “Abstract Title Keyword” field. Once you have found an article that sounds on-target, click the “Related Articles” link beneath the citation This will open a range of articles on the same topic.
User Advisory: Don't settle for the default "Quick Search"--open "Search" for the full range of options. Among thse you can uncheck "All books," which is recommended if you're looking for articles. And if you open the "Dates" drop-down menu you'll find a much wider range of options than the default 10 year span.
User Advisory: Don't settle for the default "Quick Search"--open "Search" for the full range of options. Among thse you can uncheck "All books," which is recommended if you're looking for articles. And if you open the "Dates" drop-down menu you'll find a much wider range of options than the default 10 year span.
CINAHL is a health literature database with excellent resources and a very helpful search interface--if you know how to approach it. Whatever your topic, first find the "CINAHL Headings" for it--the link is at the top left. When you've found the right heading--whether Alzheimer's Disease, Obesity, or Doping in Sports--click on "Explode" to the right for a list of subheadings--among them Diagnosis, Drug Therapy, Ethical Issues, Prevention, Prognosis, Risk factors, Therapy, and Transmission. By ticking any of these boxes you can add them to the main Subject search, which you can then run by clicking "Search Database" at the top right.
ERIC (Ebsco interface) : A disciplinary database in Education—at all levels. The field of Education has its own set of Subject Headings so be sure to browse the “Thesaurus” (above the search slots) for the best "Descriptors." ERIC provides access not only to relevant journal literature (citations for these end in a number preceded by EJ—ERIC Journal), but also to research published directly to ERIC (citations for these end in a number preceded by ED—ERIC Document.
User Advisory: Eric Documents can be even more substantive than scholarly articles and they are unique to this database, so you may want to separate these out by running your search with "Documents" selected from the "Journal or Document" limit at the lower right.
User Advisory: Eric Documents can be even more substantive than scholarly articles and they are unique to this database, so you may want to separate these out by running your search with "Documents" selected from the "Journal or Document" limit at the lower right.
ATLA religion database with ATLASerials : Our religion and theology database. To browse the Subject Headings available here, click on "Indexes" above the search slots and select "Subjects ALL" from the drop-down menu.
Philosopher's Index : No full text, but the “ArticleLinker” arrows at the end of each citation will connect to scholarly full text in our other databases--making this an efficient one-stop search for ethics, political philosophy, metaphysics, and logic.
MLA International Bibliography provides the most complete and fully indexed coverage of articles and books on modern literatures, linguistics, folklore, rhetoric, and composition from 1925 to the present. There is ample full text provided by ProQuest, as well as links to full-text articles in JSTOR and Project Muse. Full text from other IC databases is also readily available via the "GetIt" links below article citations.
Because books, book chapters/essays, and dissertations will usually not be available full text, you may wish to limit your search to "Journal article" under "Source type."
"Author's Work" and "Author as Subject" will be especially helpful search fields at finding literary criticism. And for additional search field options either click on "Show more fields," or, for the complete list, open the drop-down menus to the right of the "Anywhere" default for the top three rows of search slots. This list includes both "Literary Influence"--who influenced a particular author you have entered--and "Literary Source"--who was influenced by that particular author.
If you set up a free "My Research" account with Proquest (top right), you can save all the articles you check, all the searches you want to remember, and set up e-mail or RSS notification for any new articles that match your search terms.
Because books, book chapters/essays, and dissertations will usually not be available full text, you may wish to limit your search to "Journal article" under "Source type."
"Author's Work" and "Author as Subject" will be especially helpful search fields at finding literary criticism. And for additional search field options either click on "Show more fields," or, for the complete list, open the drop-down menus to the right of the "Anywhere" default for the top three rows of search slots. This list includes both "Literary Influence"--who influenced a particular author you have entered--and "Literary Source"--who was influenced by that particular author.
If you set up a free "My Research" account with Proquest (top right), you can save all the articles you check, all the searches you want to remember, and set up e-mail or RSS notification for any new articles that match your search terms.
ARTstor is our premier image database, ARTstor covers not just the fine arts but also a wide range of material culture. Click on "Enter the ARTstor digital library" and when the "Basic Search" opens click on "Advanced Search" below the search slots.
Note that you can define a date range--for example 500 BCE to 350 BCE. In addition to the standard Keyword search, "Advanced" allows category searches of the image collection. On the "Geography" menu choose, for example, Greece. Among the "Classification" options are "Architecture & City Planning," "Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects," "Fashion, Costume and Jewelry," "Painting," and "Sculpture." This allows you, for example, to run a search of all available images of Architecture or Costume or Painting from Greece between 500 and 350 BCE. Or you can add a Keyword for focus--for example, "Acropolis" or "vase."
Double clicking on a thumbnail will open it in a new window where you can pan in any direction and increase magnification.
User Advisory: ARTstor requires Java and Flash Player, and you must have your browser set to allow cookies and your pop-up blocker disabled.
Note that you can define a date range--for example 500 BCE to 350 BCE. In addition to the standard Keyword search, "Advanced" allows category searches of the image collection. On the "Geography" menu choose, for example, Greece. Among the "Classification" options are "Architecture & City Planning," "Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects," "Fashion, Costume and Jewelry," "Painting," and "Sculpture." This allows you, for example, to run a search of all available images of Architecture or Costume or Painting from Greece between 500 and 350 BCE. Or you can add a Keyword for focus--for example, "Acropolis" or "vase."
Double clicking on a thumbnail will open it in a new window where you can pan in any direction and increase magnification.
User Advisory: ARTstor requires Java and Flash Player, and you must have your browser set to allow cookies and your pop-up blocker disabled.
America: History and Life borrows its full text from JSTOR (see above) via the "find full text" links at the end of citations and therefore can supply articles from the second half of the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries. One advantage of using America, History and Life is the availability of Subject searching, as well as the "Historical Period" limit that helps target articles which discuss a topic in relation to an era or specific date range.
CQ Researcher is a weekly publication from Congressional Quarterly. Each report (approx. 20 pages) examines a single issue relevant to American public policy, including health, criminal justice, internaional affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy. The non-partisan analysis always includes a "Background," "Current Situation," "Outlook," and "Pro/Con" section, as well as numerous charts and graphs of statistical data, maps, and a bibliography for further reading.
Note the "Issue Tracker" and "Pro/Con" browsers on the left of the home page: these provide an excellent way to find or brainstorm a topic.
User Advisory: The archives here extend back to 1991, and since many of these topics are time-sensitive, keep an eye on dates as you scan the reports.
Note the "Issue Tracker" and "Pro/Con" browsers on the left of the home page: these provide an excellent way to find or brainstorm a topic.
User Advisory: The archives here extend back to 1991, and since many of these topics are time-sensitive, keep an eye on dates as you scan the reports.
Facts on File World News Digest : is an archive of domestic and international news stories from 1940 to the present, updated weekly. It covers all major political, social, and economic events and contains more than a million internal hyperlinks, allowing you to follow the development of each story chronologically as well as connect it to related issues. You will not find depth of analysis here, but these resources can provide a useful overview of events and issues. In choosing a social/political topic, you may find this is a good database to brainstorm the possibilities.
At the bottom of the page, notice helpful links such as "Top Stories by Decade," Top Stories by Country," and "Top Stories by Issue," as well as "More Research Topics" and, under "Special Features," "Newspaper Editorials."
At the bottom of the page, notice helpful links such as "Top Stories by Decade," Top Stories by Country," and "Top Stories by Issue," as well as "More Research Topics" and, under "Special Features," "Newspaper Editorials."
ebrary : Each of the IC Library's approximately 90,000 full text online ebrary books has its own record in the Library catalog--just open any record with the designation "Electronic Book" and click on the "View e-Book" link.
The ebrary database can also be accessed from the Library home page under "Search a Specific Database." Choose the "advanced" search where you can enter both Keywords and the same Subject Headings used by the IC Library catalog.
The database search allows you to perform Keyword/Subjecct searches across the full text of all 90,000 titles. In any individual volume open "Infotools" to run a Keyword search of the ful text. Highlighting any word in the text will open a menu from which you can search the word in online dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, or biographical resources.
User Advisory: Set up a personal account--called your Bookshelf--for even more functionality: the ability to highlight and save passages as you read or to make and save marginal notes
The ebrary database can also be accessed from the Library home page under "Search a Specific Database." Choose the "advanced" search where you can enter both Keywords and the same Subject Headings used by the IC Library catalog.
The database search allows you to perform Keyword/Subjecct searches across the full text of all 90,000 titles. In any individual volume open "Infotools" to run a Keyword search of the ful text. Highlighting any word in the text will open a menu from which you can search the word in online dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, or biographical resources.
User Advisory: Set up a personal account--called your Bookshelf--for even more functionality: the ability to highlight and save passages as you read or to make and save marginal notes
WorldCat via FirstSearch is a "union catalog" that allows you to search the holdings of over 10,000 libraries from accross the country and around the world. Check WorldCat to discover what the entire universe of possible resources looks like for your topic.
User Advisory:
User Advisory:
- Because of the enormous size--over two billion items--and diversity of media acessible through WorldCat, I strongly recommend using the "Advanced Search," where you have several input fields and can set multiple search limits.
- In addition to Author, Title, and Keyword, note that the drop down menus of search fields offer a Subject search, which can be very useful if you have a topic in mind rather than a particular item.
- Format is the most useful limit to set. In such a large database it helps enormously to indicate whether you are searching for a book, a DVD, a CD, etc.
- If your topic is time-sensitive, try focusing on a recent time span under Year.
In searching the Web you may find research and policy recommendations published by "think tanks," many of which have political/ideological affiliations. An organization called SourceWatch can help you identify such ties and alert you to any political agenda the research was intended to serve.
Google Advanced Search: When doing research on the Web, always use the Adanced Search version of Google. This not only provides more flexibility in entering search terms, but more importantly it allows you to target the Web domains that are likely to provide the most authoritative information.
Under "Need More Tools?" you will find the "Search within a site or domain" slot. You may enter only one domain at a time, but it's worth targeting each of the three domains likely to supply the best information: colleges and universities (enter the "edu" tag), nonprofit organizations (enter the "org" tag), and the United States government (enter the "gov" tag).
Under "Need More Tools?" you will find the "Search within a site or domain" slot. You may enter only one domain at a time, but it's worth targeting each of the three domains likely to supply the best information: colleges and universities (enter the "edu" tag), nonprofit organizations (enter the "org" tag), and the United States government (enter the "gov" tag).
Ask.com: As you type your search, Ask.com may display a selection of searches related to your terms, any of which you may choose. Within retrieval sets there may also be a helpful display of "Related Searches," often including Pro and Con categories for controversial topics. And a new feature called "Ask Q&A;" can connect you to sites that answer specific questions on your topic.
To find some of the most authoritative Web resources on a topic, use Web directories, where all the Web sites have been selected by editors. Two of the largest Web directories are the Open Directory Project and the IPL2 (Internet Public Library).
Voice of the Shuttle: Sprawling gateway to resources on the Web, skewed towards the Humanities, though with some Social Science & Science. Use the “Contents” categories on the left to navigate.
FedStats: The United States government provides the raw data and statistics used in much social science research and public policy debate, so why not sample it yourself. FedStats is a good gateway and the “Topic Links A-Z” is a particularly helpful means of accessing this information.
Public Policy Issues and Groups: From Vanderbilt University, a very useful gateway to online resources for wide spectrum of social issues.
A Sociological Tour Through Cyberspace: Gateway to the many thematic collections of annotated links by Web sociologist extraordinaire, Dr. Michael Kearl.
World Values Survey: Political, social, and cultural data on the values and beliefs of over 80 societies worldwide--including the United States--since 1981. A great site, but it can be a challenge to navigate. See my user guide.
FedStats: The United States government provides the raw data and statistics used in much social science research and public policy debate, so why not sample it yourself. FedStats is a good gateway and the “Topic Links A-Z” is a particularly helpful means of accessing this information.
Public Policy Issues and Groups: From Vanderbilt University, a very useful gateway to online resources for wide spectrum of social issues.
A Sociological Tour Through Cyberspace: Gateway to the many thematic collections of annotated links by Web sociologist extraordinaire, Dr. Michael Kearl.
World Values Survey: Political, social, and cultural data on the values and beliefs of over 80 societies worldwide--including the United States--since 1981. A great site, but it can be a challenge to navigate. See my user guide.
Wikipedia: Predictable but unreliable. Anyone who registers can add articles and anyone who visits the site can rewrite them. To quote Wikipedia’s article on “Wikipedia”: “The authors need not have any expertise or formal qualifications in the subjects which they edit” and “Wikipedia contains no formal peer review process for fact-checking, and the editors themselves may not be well-versed in the topics they write about .”
Google Scholar: Reliable but unpredictable. Retrieves books, scholarly articles, and Web documents, but most are not available full text or free on the Web. Its coverage of books and journals is unpredictable, but it may be useful in identifying resources that you can then access through the IC Library collection or through the IC library’s subscription databases (Google Scholar provides links to the IC catalog and subscription databases if accessed via the campus network).
Google Scholar: Reliable but unpredictable. Retrieves books, scholarly articles, and Web documents, but most are not available full text or free on the Web. Its coverage of books and journals is unpredictable, but it may be useful in identifying resources that you can then access through the IC Library collection or through the IC library’s subscription databases (Google Scholar provides links to the IC catalog and subscription databases if accessed via the campus network).
- MLA citation for books: in print, from databases, on the Web
- MLA citation for articles: in print, from databases, on the Web.
- MLA citation for Web and Multimedia resources, including Web sites, movies, DVDs, CDs, and videos.
- MLA in-text (parenthetical) citation (far less satanic than the first three).
Jim BondraBusiness Librarian
Tel: 1962
Bridget Bower
College Archivist
Tel: 3096
College Archivist
Tel: 3096
Cathy Michael
Communications Librarian
Tel: 1293
Communications Librarian
Tel: 1293
Brian Saunders
Humanities Librarian
Tel: 1198
Humanities Librarian
Tel: 1198
Kristina Shanton
Music Librarian
Tel: 3887
Music Librarian
Tel: 3887
Jennifer Strickland
Fine Arts Librarian
Tel: 1199
Fine Arts Librarian
Tel: 1199
If you decide to find a new topic (or never really had one to begin with), try my Finding a Topic: Online Resources.
