Selected Reference Resources:

African American History E 185 .A25355 2006 (3 volumes) -- Ref, Africana Library

African American Encyclopedia E185 .A255 (8 volumes) -- Ref, Africana Library

Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience DT 14 .A37435 2005 (5 volumes) -- Ref, Africana Library & Olin Library

Encyclopedia of African American Society 1989. E 185 E546 2005 (2 volumes)-- Ref, Africana Library

Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History E 185 .E54 1996 (5 volumes) -- Ref, Africana Library & Uris Library

International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family HQ9 .E52 2003 -- Ref Mann Library

The Family in America: An Encyclopedia HQ536 .H365x 2001 -- Ref Mann Library

Gale Virtual Reference Library

CREDO Reference

Oxford Reference Universe Premium

Roget's Thesaurus

Language Tools

To find out if the print resources are available in other Cornell libraries, do a title search in CU Library Catalog.

---

Selected Library Subject Guides:

These guides can be used as starting points in the research process.

African American History, General	Asian American Studies
Afrocentricity	Japanese Studies in English
American Indian Studies	Latino Studies
Anthropology	Sociology Studies

---

Searching Techniques:

 

Whether you are clicking your way across the Web, searching for resources in the Cornell Library Catalog, or looking for scholarly articles in specialized subject databases, being aware of a few simple techniques can improve the effectiveness of your searches.

Do you know how to use the following search techniques?

• keywords vs. phrase searching [afrocentrisim vs. black nationalism]
• boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT (for combining search terms)
• truncation and wildcard symbols--for finding singular, plural, and other keyword variations. [afrocent* will locate, afrocentric; afrocentricity, afrocentricism]
• field searching (for narrowing a search to specific parts of a record)
• controlled vocabulary (subject headings)

See the following sites for details on how to refine and perfect your search results:

Introduction to Database Searching Skills
Search Strategies

 

---

Finding Books:

The CU Library Catalog

• Includes the holdings of 20 Cornell University libraries (over 7 million items)
• Contains records for books, DVD's/videos, sound recordings, magazines/newspapers/journals, computer files, government documents, manuscripts and archives, maps, musical scores, and more
• For help searching the library catalog, see a librarian or go to the catalog's help pages

If we do not have a BOOK in our holdings, or if the book you need is already checked out, try:

Borrow Direct
Click on the link above, connect to Borrow Direct, search for the book to see if it's available from another Ivy League university. If it is available, the book will be shipped to Cornell. Borrowing period is one month. Books arrive in 3-4 business days of the date of the request. (This service is for BOOKS only).

If we don't own an item that you need (any item -- journal article, DVD, dissertation, etc.), try:

Interlibrary Loan Services
If Cornell Library does not have an item you need, Use ILLiad (InterLibrary Loan Internet Accessible Database) to request that we borrow materials from other libraries. Loan period is usually one month. Items can arrive in as little as a few days to a couple of weeks.

---

Finding Articles:

• Research Library (Journal and Magazine Articles):
• JSTOR (Journal Articles)
• PsycINFO (Journal Articles)
• Ethnic Newswatch (Journal, Magazine, Newspaper Articles)
• LexisNexis Academic (Newspaper Articles)
• Black Studies Database (Kaiser Index to Black Resources, 1948-1986)
• Web of Science (Journal Articles)
  
• Periodical Index Online (Journal Articles)
• Chicano Database (Mix Resources)
• AnthroSource (Mix Resources)
• Bibliography of Native North Americans (Mix Resources)
• Literature Resource Center
• MLA Bibliography
  
• Sociological Abstracts (Mix Resources)
  
  
• Find Databases
  
  
• Trial Database, International Index to Black Periodicals and Black Studies Center
  Password: Africanalib

---

Citing Sources:

• Remember that citing your sources gives credit to the ideas of others and adds veracity (truth) to your research and readings.
  
  
• When to cite:
  1. If you quote an author, even if you are only borrowing a single key word, you need to tell your reader the origin of the quotation.
     
     
  2. You also need to cite a source:
     
     1. if you restate an idea, thesis, or opinion stated by an author.
     2. if you restate an expert's theory or opinion.
     3. if you use facts that are not common knowledge.
     4. if you need to provide an informational or explanatory note.
     
     (http://www.oslis.k12.or.us/secondary/howto/cited/cited01.html)

Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity

RefWorks: Your Personal Web-based Database and Bibliography Creator.

Chicago Manual of Style
Check reference section of any CU Library at call number: Z253 .U69 2003

Chicago Manual of Style Form Guide (Ohio State University)

The Chicago Manual of Style FAQ

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.)
Check reference section of any CU Library at call number:
BF 76.7 .P83x 2001x. Also in ILR and Mann Reference at BF 76.7 .A51 2001.

APA citation style (Gateway Help)

APA Reference Examples for Electronic Source Materials Excerpted from the new 5th edition of the Publication Manual.

APAStyle.org

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th ed.)
Check reference section of any CU Library at call number: Z253 .M68 2003 .

MLA Citation Style (Gateway Help) MLA Style (MLA's web site)

---

Helpful Links:

• How to distinguish scholarly from non-scholarly
  http://www.library.cornell.edu/t/help/res_strategy/evaluating/scholar.html
  

• Types of Periodicals http://www.library.cornell.edu/africana/guides/periodicals.htm
  

• Critically Analyzing Information Sources
  http://www.library.cornell.edu/t/help/res_strategy/evaluating/analyze.html
  

• Evaluating Web Resources
  http://www.library.cornell.edu/t/help/res_strategy/evaluating/evaluate.html
  
  
• Cornell University Library Guides http://campusgw.library.cornell.edu/services/guides.html

• Library Instruction Evalution Form