English 106 ~
Spring 2003
Toni Countryman
The following are
selected resources available in the library and on the Internet.
|
NOTE:
If you are accessing this
page from off campus, the links to most library databases will not work.
To use these resources, go to the Library Web Page, where
you can connect to Articles and Databases, Reference
Sources, and Electronic Journals and Newspapers after providing
your Elmhurst College technology account login and password. If you don't know your E.C. login or
password, you'll want to see Computer Services, Room 107 CSTC. More
help on accessing resources from off campus is available
online. |
Getting
Started
It is often useful to
gather background information on your topic. For example, if you're writing
about gun control, you might want to find information on the Second Amendment,
get more insight into gun control advocacy, or learn the history of the NRA.
Statistics on the number of gun owners in the United States can also be helpful.
The sources below can help you get started. The electronic resources can also be
found under the Reference Sources button on the library home page. Here's how
you can access
these databases from off campus.
Background
Information
- CQ Researcher ~ An
excellent source for current hot topics. Each individual issue contains
historical background, a timeline, current status, and potential future
developments. The bibliographies are especially helpful in finding useful
sources.
- The New Encyclopaedia
Britannica, Reference R031 B862N1991 ~ A good source of background
information and bibliographies. Look up your topic in the index to get
started. Also available
electronically.
Statistics
- Statistical Universe
~ Search the Statistical Abstract
of the United States for statistics about the U.S.
- Statistical Abstract of the
United States, Reference R 317.3 U58S
- A Statistical Portrait of the
United States: Social Conditions and Trends, Reference R 306.0973 S797
- Datapedia of the United
States, 1790-2005: America Year by Year, Reference R 317.3 D96d
2001
Helpful
Reference Books
Also look in subject encyclopedias
for information. These encyclopedia focus specifically on topics. Some examples
include:
-
Censorship,
Reference R363.31 C396c
-
The Encyclopedia
of Civil Rights in America, Reference R323.1196 E56
-
Encyclopedia of
Crime and Justice, Reference R364.03 E56
-
Encyclopedia of
Drugs and Alcohol, Reference R362.2903 E56D
-
The Encyclopedia
of Multiculturalism, Reference R306.4460973 E56
-
The Encyclopedia
of Popular Music, Reference R781.6403 E56 1998
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The Encyclopedia
of Religion, Reference R200.3 E56
-
Encyclopedia of
Television, Reference R791.4503 E56
-
Encyclopedia of
the Modern Middle East, Reference R956.003 E56me
-
Encyclopedia of
U.S. Foreign Relations, Reference R327.73 E56F
-
International
encyclopedia of communications, Reference R302.2 I61
-
Routledge
International Encyclopedia of Women, Reference R305.403
R869
-
St. James
Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, Reference R973.9 S143
- Statistical Handbook on
Violence in America. (1996) R 303.60973021 S797
- Supreme Court Drama: Cases
that Changed America. 2001 R 347.7326 B821s
Encyclopedias are especially useful
because they often have bibliographies at the end of their articles; these
bibliographies can lead you to other useful books and articles.
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to the Top
Locating Books in the A.C. Buehler Library
Use Illinet Online to find
books held in the Elmhurst College library as well as books owned by 44 other
Illinois academic libraries.
- Quick Searches offer a
good way to start looking for books in Illinet Online. You can either look for
particular items (such as works by a particular author, or under a particular
title), or you can do keywords searching. Use the main words describing your
topic. For example, to find books about communication, try the
following Quick
Search:
Type the word
Communication
The above search yields items
with the word Communication anywhere in the description of the item;
some of these may be about theories of communication, and others may focus on
something else, like the FCC. To do a more focused search for gender
differences in communication, try the following:
Select Boolean, and type
in Communication and Gender
- You can also do a browse
subject search, which is a more precise way of searching. Illinet
Online uses Library of Congress Subject Headings (or LC subject headings) to
arrange and organize information. Unlike keywords, you can't simply make these
up; you have to find out what the exact terms are and enter them in Illinet as
a subject search. Some examples of subject headings include:
Sexual harassment--Law and
legislation--United States
Violence -- United States -- Case
studies
- Guided Keyword Searches
allow you more flexibility. Click the appropriate tab, and fill in the blanks
as desired. You can change your searching options to look for either some or
all of the words you've typed in, and to look in different areas of the item's
catalog record. For example:
Select all of these and
type violence media
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-
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Locating Articles in Library Resources
Use article databases to find
articles (only some of the 90+ databases are listed below). Some databases
will give you the full text of the article, which you can then go ahead
and print, while others will require you to find out if we own the journal
where the article is published.
Remember that these databases should
not be confused with "the Internet," although they are accessed via the web.
If you do a search for a topic on the Internet, you're most likely not finding
full-text articles; rather, you're finding web pages of individuals or organizations,
which may
not be of any use to you. The databases, on the other hand, are especially
designed to facilitate research, giving you access to articles you might not
be able to find otherwise.
- How do I get an article from
another library?
- How do I know whether an article
is useful to me?
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Internet Resources
Use a subject directory or a search
engine to find web sites on your topic. More potentially helpful, subject-specific
web sites are listed below.
Evaluating Internet Resources
Learn what to look for
in a web site, and find out what the red flags are.
Subject Directories
Subject directories
are collections of web sites organized by topic. These sites have been evaluated
by others, so that you can be assured of their quality.
When you feel comfortable
evaluating web sites on your own, you can use any of the numerous search engines
to find sites on your topic. Here are some popular engines. Others are listed
on our Internet Tools
and Sites page.
-
-
-
Dogpile ~ a metasearch engine, which
searches multiple search engines simultaneously
Despite what some would
have you believe, not everything is available for free on the Internet. Don't
rely on the web as your only source of information. Choose web sites carefully
using the resources below, and use them to support your articles and
books, not to replace them.
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Specific Resources
for the Research Paper
Below are only a few resources,
in addition to those above, that might be helpful to you as you do your research.
Resources are divided into the three subject areas studied earlier in the semester.
We the People of the
United States of America ~ Constitutional Issues
Say What? Communication
Styles of Men and Women
- ComAbstracts ~
Contains abstracts of articles published in the field of Communications.
- Gendered Lives: Communication,
Gender, and Culture. (1997) 305.3 W876G1997
- Exploring GenderSpeak: Personal
Effectiveness in Gender Communication. (1994) 305.3 I96E
- Talking from 9 to 5: How Women's
and Men's Conversational Styles Affect Who Gets Heard, Who Gets Credit, and
What Gets Done at Work. (1995) 651.7 T1666T
Bad Boy, Bad Boy ~
Increasing Violence in America
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Writing, Citing and Evaluating Resources
Documenting the information
you use in your assignments is very important. Please check with your professor
regarding the preferred citation style for your class. The librarians can help
you locate a citation syle guide at the library. Further writing assistance
is available from the Writing
Center, located in the Learning Center.
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Created by Jennifer C. Paliatka, Assistant Librarian
Last revised
18 March, 2003
by Ayanna Gaines, Assistant Reference Librarian
A.C. Buehler Library, Elmhurst College