Development Sociology 112
Urban Subjects: The Politics of Citizenship in the Global City
Developing a Search Strategy
Search strategy is the process of finding information in a logical, step-by-step manner. Using a search strategy insures that you will find the information and materials you need as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Research Steps:
- Choose your topic
- Find background information
- Find books on your topic
- Find periodical articles
- Find networked resources or relevant Web sites
- Evaluate your sources
- Cite your sources
For more information
about library research strategy and using library resources, go to Research
Strategy: a tutorial.
Return to Top
Finding
Background Information
-
Reference
Sources: Encyclopedias, Yearbooks, Dictionaries:
Caves, Roger W.,
ed. Encyclopedia of the City.
New York: Routledge, 2005.
Olin Library Reference (Non-Circulating): HT108.5 E63 2005+
Ember, Melvin et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Urban Cultures: Cities and Cultures around the World.
Danburry: Gloiler, 2002.
Uris Library Reference (Non-Circulating): HT108.5 E52 2002
Four volumes of essays on major urban centers.
Shumsky, Neil Larry. eds. Encyclopedia of Urban America: The Cities and Suburbs .
Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1998.
Olin Library Reference (Non-Circulating): HT123 E5x 1998
Comprehensive reference work on U.S. towns and cities.
Data:
- American FactFinder
Presents population, housing, economic, and geographic data from the United States Census Bureau. Features geographic comparison tables as well as reference and thematic maps. Data sets section offers tables for the Decennial Census, American Community Survey, Economic Census, and Population Estimates. Includes educational information for children. - CU Library Catalog
Find various countries' census data through the catalog. - World Development Indicators 2005
A World Bank statistical publication on global development on both a national level and aggregated globally. This statistical reference allows you to consult over 900 indicators for some 150 economies and 14 country groups in more than 80 tables. It provides a current overview of the most recent data available as well as important regional data and income group analysis in six thematic sections: World View, People, Environment, Economy, States and Markets, and Global Links. .
News:
- Factiva [Restricted to Cornell]
Provides access to global news and business information, including local newspapers, same-day newswires, company reports, and media programs. - Lexis
Nexis [Restricted
to Cornell]
Provides access to full text resources on topics including current and general news; business and financial information; newspapers; company directories; government and politics; medical and health topics; accounting, auditing, and tax; federal and state laws; legal cases; and regulations.
Open Web:
- UN Habitat
Analyses and studies human settlement patterns, and develops methods for controlled settlement with the preservation of the environment in mind. - Global Urban Observatory
Addresses the urgent need to improve the world-wide base of urban knowledge by helping governments, local authorities and organizations of the civil society develop and apply policy-oriented urban indicators, statistics and other urban information. - Center for an Urban Future
A New York City-based think tank that fuses journalistic reporting techniques with traditional policy analysis to produce reports and policy solutions on the critical issues facing American cities. - Urban Institute
An institute investigating and analysing US social and economic problems and issues, including the New Federalism, welfare and welfare-to-work, Medicare, etc.
Finding Books and Videos
Click
on the image to connect to the Cornell Library online catalog:
- CU Library Catalog
The Cornell University Library Catalog includes the holdings of 19 Cornell University libraries. The catalog contains records for books, computer files, government documents, manuscripts and archives, maps, musical scores, periodicals, serials, sound recordings, and visual materials. CU Library Catalog Help Pages
- Borrow
Direct
A new rapid book request and delivery system that enables Cornell faculty, staff, and students to search the combined library catalogs of Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale, and directly request expedited delivery of circulating items. - 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.
- Useful Subject Headings on the Cornell Catalog:
Citizenship
Human Rights
Globalization -- Social aspects
Globalization -- Political Aspects
Urban anthropology; Urban ecology, Urban economics, Urban health, Urban policy, Urban poor, Urban renewal, Urban-rural migration, Urban schools, Urban women, urban youth, urbanization.
Tip for finding Videos in the Catalog
Go to the Library Catalog Choose Guided Keyword Search Add the word videorecording to your search
|
- WorldCat
A catalog of the holdings of books, journals, and other materials primarily in major academic and public libraries in the U.S.
Finding Images
There are a number of databases available for finding images located in the Images category of Find it!.
Recommended Sources:
The Photo Archive is an on-line database containing almost a half-million of Associated Press's current and historical images for the last 150 years. It features state, regional and national photos from North America, as well as international photos. All are available moments after they move on the AP's spot picture system. The Photo Archive receives an average of 800 photos a day. About a quarter of the photos are selected for the permanent archive, while the rest are removed after 12 months.
Google Image Search
Google search engine's Advanced Image Search
Finding Articles:
Three approaches to finding articles:
|
1. Search a Specific Database
Recommended Databases:
Index to Current Urban Documents [Restricted
to Cornell]
A only regularly published guide to the reports and research generated by local government agencies, civic organizations, academic and research organizations public libraries, and metropolitan and regional planning agencies in approximately 500 selected cities in the United States and Canada. Indexes over 2,400 documents yearly, providing a spectrum of access to local information..
PAIS International
[Restricted to Cornell]
Contains citations to public policy literature of economics, government, law, international business, political science, public administration, and other social sciences. It includes references to journal articles, books, government documents, reports and pamphlets in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
ProQuest Research Library [Restricted to Cornell]
Includes an extensive number of periodicals, covering general interest magazines and
scholarly journals in the social sciences, humanities and sciences. Also included
are citations and abstracts to selected television and radio programs. Full
text of many articles is provided. Includes Proquest Dissertations and Theses.
Sociological Abstracts [Restricted to Cornell]
Abstracts and indexes the international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. Provides citations from 1963 to the present, and abstracts since 1974, to journal articles, conference papers, books, and dissertations. Subjects covered include community development, culture and social structure, demography and human biology, environmental interactions, family and social welfare, health and medicine and law, religion and science, social psychology and group interactions, welfare services, and women’s studies.
2. Search a number of databases at the same time using Find Articles!
The Find Articles feature on the Library Gateway allows you to perform a simple search across multiple databases. For more precise searching, it is best to search the databases individually.
1. Search Individual Electronic Journals
Selected titles include:
International Journal of Urban and Regional research
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Regional Science and Urban Economics
Please note that not all volumes and issues of these journals are available electronically, and that there are other print journals that may be suitable for your topic, e.g. City and Community, call number Olin HT123 C582. The best strategy is always to search in a database first.
Evaluating Sources
Evaluating the sources you find is a crucial step in the process of scholarly research. The questions you ask about books, periodical articles, or multimedia sources are similar whether you're looking at a citation to the item or have the item in hand.
How
to Critically Analyze Information Sources
Lists some of the critical questions you should ask when you consider the appropriateness
of a particular book, article, media resource, or Web site for your research.
Distinguishing
Scholarly from Non-Scholarly Periodicals: A Checklist of Criteria
Shows how to evaluate periodicals by looking at their format, intended audience,
and appearance.
Evaluating
Web Resources
Lists ways to analyze the Web sites you find.
Evaluating
Web Sites: Criteria and Tools
See this page for additional suggestions specific to Web sites.
Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites
Offers a table of suggestions.
Citing Sources
| APA
citation style Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.) Africana,
Hotel, Management, Olin, and Uris Libraries APA citation style (CUL Gateway Help pages) APA Reference Examples for Electronic Source Materials (Excerpted from the 5th edition of the Publication Manual) APAStyle.org (APA's web site) |
MLA
citation style
Olin and Uris Libraries Z253 .M68 2003 MLA citation style (CUL Gateway Help pages) MLA Style (MLA's web site)
|
Managing Information using Bibliographic/Citation Software
Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity
Research and Reference Help
- Library Gateway Help
- CU Library Catalog Help
-
- Reference Desk Directory
- Reference
Desk Schedules in Olin and Uris Libraries
- Olin Library Reference phone number: 255-4144
- Uris Library Reference phone number: 255-2339
- Writing Walk-in Service (Knight Institute) -- available in Olin Library
October 28, 2007
Kornelia Tancheva [kt18]
Olin and Uris Libraries, Cornell University, Ithaca
NY 14853
PSA: Public Services and Assessment
Information and reference: 607-255-4144, okuref@cornell.edu
Circulation: (Olin) 607-255-4245, (Uris) 607-255-3537, olincirc@cornell.edu