http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/anthr146.html
Research Guide for
ANTHROPOLOGY 146:
DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS DIVERSE CULTURES
Developing a Search Strategy
Finding Background Information
Finding Books
Finding Periodical Articles Finding Networked Resources
Finding Internet Resources
Evaluating Sources
Research Help Online
Reference Help in Person
DEVELOPING A SEARCH STRATEGY
DEVELOPING A SEARCH STRATEGYSearch strategy is a library term for the process of finding information in a logical, step-by-step manner. Using a search strategy insures that you will find the information or material 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 - an online, hypertext guide to library research that is a part of Library Gateway Help.
- FINDING BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Guides and Handbooks
- The materials listed below are a selection of reference resources for finding background information and context for topics you will be covering in this class. Note the call numbers and library locations for these materials and check the reference collections for additional sources of background information.
The authors of articles in reference books often provide bibliographies of selected books and articles for further study.
Print Reference Resources
- The materials listed below are a selection of reference resources for finding background information and context for topics you will be covering in this class. Note the call numbers and library locations for these materials and check the reference collections for additional sources of background information.
- Kibbee, Josephine Z. Cultural Anthropology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1991.
[OLIN Ref Z 5111 K46 1991]The major, most comprehensive literature guide for general anthropology with an emphasis on cultural anthropology. Provides citations and informative annotations on reference sources, including handbooks and manuals, bibliographies, indexes, databases, literature surveys and reviews, catalogs, dissertations, book reviews, conference proceedings, and employment and grant sources. Separate sections are focused on 12 subfields of anthropology, including physical, linguistic, medical, cognitive and urban anthropology, archaeology, and anthropology of women, among others. Can also be approached by geographic area study; an extensive chapter on resources is organized into 7 geographic sections.
- Barfield, Thomas ed. The Dictionary of Anthropology. Oxford: Cambridge, Mass: Blackwell, 1997.
[OLIN Ref GN 307.D485x1997] - The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers. Edited by Richard B. Lee and Richard H. Daly. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
[OLIN Ref GN388 .C35x 1999]Chapter delineates the ethnographic characteristics of 65 hunter-gatherer societies in the indigenous world. Particular attention is given to the effects of culture contact as these groups are influenced by, and adapt to, new social, technical and economic forces. Contributions are based upon sustained fieldwork - some of the authors themselves are representatives of the indigenous groups discussed. Reading lists, a directory of organizations and advocacy groups and a subject index are provided.
- Companion Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Edited by Tim Ingold. N.Y.: Routledge, 1994.
[OLIN Ref GN 25 C73]With nearly 40 signed articles on different facets of humanity, culture and social life, this monumental work is as much as reader, encompassing the depth and breadth of anthropology and related disciplines, as it is an encyclopedia. Articles are followed by lists of cited references and bibliographies of further reading on each topic. A detailed subject is provided.
- Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology. David Levinson and Melvin Ember, eds. New York: Henry Holt, 1996.
[URIS Ref GN 307 .E52x 1996; also Olin Ref]An excellent four-volume encyclopedia of key concepts, methods and topics central to the study of cultural anthropology. Articles are signed and followed by brief but helpful bibliographies. The set has a subject index and an appendix of anthropological periodicals. The subject index at the end of vol. 4 lists topics such as social stratification and commercialization.
- Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology. Alan Barnard and Jonathan Spencer, eds. New York: Routledge,
1996.
[OLIN Ref GN 307 E55 1996]Contains over 250 clear, concise entries, written by specialists, on theory, history and ethnography. Areas covered include kinship, gender and family, marriage and consumption. Also provides over 500 brief definitions of terms and concepts in social and cultural anthropology and over 200 biographical entries. Extensive corss-references, a detailed subject index and bibliographies containing references for further reading are provided.
- Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Edited by David Levinson. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1991 - .
[OLIN Ref GN 307 E56 1991; also Urif Ref]Sponsored by the Human Relations Area Files. Lists and describes over 1500 cultures in 10 volumes. Historical, social, political, economic, linguistic and religious information will be provided. Contributors are from over 50 countries; some are members of the cultures they have studied. Selective bibliographies are provided at the end of each article.
Networked Reference Resources
There are other networked reference resources, including online encyclopedias and dictionaries, available in the General Interest and Reference section of the CU Library Gateway including the following databases:
- Britannica Online offers the full text of the multivolume paper encyclopedia set, including its numerous bibliographies, maps, and photographs, as well as supplying links to related Web sites for many of the topics covered.
- Merriam-Webster online: the language center Contains an electronic version of the 10th ed. of Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary, as well as a thesaurus.
- Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed.
- Roget's Internet thesaurus of English words and phrases
FINDING BOOKS
Cornell University Library Catalog Plus, Olin Library Card Catalog
FINDING BOOKS
Cornell University Library Catalog Plus, Olin Library Card Catalog
- CU Library Catalog Overview
Search Commands, Subject Searching, Keyword Searching, and other functions of the online catalog are explained on these web pages.
- The Cornell University Library Catalog includes the holdings of all 17 of the libraries on the Ithaca campus, in addition to those of the Geneva Experiment Station. (The Medical College Library, located in New York City, has a separate catalog.) The catalog contains records for books, computer files, government documents, manuscripts and archives, maps, musical scores, periodicals, serials, sound recordings, and visual materials received and cataloged since 1973. There are also records for most pre-1973 items, and for items that are on order or in process.
- Connect to the Cornell University Library Catalog
When to Check the Card Catalog
- When the book you want was published before 1973 and it's not in the CU Library Catalog, check the card catalog located in the John M. Olin Library. This card catalog contains cards for authors, subjects and titles filed in an alphabetical, word-by-word arrangement for books cataloged through December 1972. Whenever you cannot locate the material you need, ask at a reference desk for assistance.
- The Cornell University Library Catalog includes the holdings of all 17 of the libraries on the Ithaca campus, in addition to those of the Geneva Experiment Station. (The Medical College Library, located in New York City, has a separate catalog.) The catalog contains records for books, computer files, government documents, manuscripts and archives, maps, musical scores, periodicals, serials, sound recordings, and visual materials received and cataloged since 1973. There are also records for most pre-1973 items, and for items that are on order or in process.
The Cornell University Library uses Library of Congress subject headings as the standard for subject searching. Unlike searching by keyword, where any term or wording of a topic can be entered into the computer, subject searching requires you to use the exact wording of an official Library of Congress subject heading in order to retrieve search results.
Some useful standard subject headings:
INDIGENOUS OR INDIANS [ANY] AND CLAIMS OR "LAND TENURE" [ANY]
Specialized Book Bibliographies
- Anthropology Bibliography on DISC. New York: G.K. Hall 1997.
[OLIN Ref CDRom]A cumulative catalog of the Tozzer Library at Harvard which has the largest anthropology collection in the United States. The collection encompasses all areas of anthropology with special strengths in Mayan and Mesoamerican studies. Included are records for books, journal titles (not articles), maps and audiovisual materials. For references to journal articles, see the index, Anthropological Literature.
FINDING PERIODICAL ARTICLES
Periodical Indexes and Abstracts
FINDING PERIODICAL ARTICLES
Periodical Indexes and Abstracts
Periodical articles are published "periodically" or sequentially in daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual or irregular intervals. They are found in newspapers, magazines, journals, yearbooks, and other sources.
Periodical indexes and abstracts are Reference resources that identify and locate articles in periodical publications. They are often subject-oriented and list author, title, name of periodical, volume, pages and date of publication in entries called bibliographic citations.
Periodical indexes and abstracts are available in several formats: traditional bound paper volumes, stand alone CD-ROM computer workstations, and as networked resources in the CU Library Gateway.
Finding Periodicals and Periodical Articles
Selected Periodical Indexes and Abstracts
Periodical Indexes
- America History and Life. Calif.: ABC-Clio, 1964 - .
[ibrary Gateway -- Networked Resources]The major abstracting source for journals on American history. Provides access to articles on archaeology, paleontology, Native American studies and ethnology.
- Anthropological Index Online. London, England: Museum of Mankind Library.
[Library Gateway -- Networked Resources]A database of periodical articles appearing in anthropology journals located originally in the Royal Anthropological Institute,which was incorporated into the Museum of Mankind Library. Chronological coverage includes primarily 1970 - 1994. Regional coverage includes Africa, America, Asia, East Indies, Oceania, Australia, and Europe. Topical coverage includes physical and cultural anthropology, human biology, archaeology, ethnology, linguistics and ethnomusicology.
- Anthropological Literature. Cambridge, Mass.: Tozzer Library, Harvard University. 1984- . Updated quarterly.
[Library Gateway -- Networked Resources]The most comprehensive index for the field, containing references to English- and other European-language articles that appear in journals or edited collections held by the Tozzer Library at Harvard. Primary emphasis is on archaeology, anthropology (biological, physical, cultural, social) and linguistics. Book reviews, conference proceedings and reports are not included. Coverage extends back into the 19th century.
- Periodical Abstracts. 1986 - .
[Library Gateway -- Networked Resources]Available as part of the ProQuest Direct system, Periodical Abstracts indexes and abstracts over 1500 periodicals, covering general interest magazines, newspapers and key scholarly journals in the social sciences, humanities and sciences, including over 40 anthropology journals. Also included are citations and abstracts to selected television and radio programs. The ProQuest Direct Web interface provides the full-text, in several formats, of many articles contained in the database.
- Sociological Abstracts. San Diego: Sociological Abstracts, Inc., 1952-.
[Library Gateway -- Networked Resources 1963-; Olin Ref Z7163 S67+]Indexes and provides brief summaries of the articles in approximately 3000 journals covering sociology, social work and other social sciences, including many journals from the field of anthropology. Also provides abstracts of papers presented at conferences, some of which can be difficult to obtain.
- Women's Resources International. Baltimore, MD: National Information Services Corp., c1991, 1996 -.
[Library Gateway -- Networked Resources]An interdisciplinary database which includes Women Studies Abstracts (1984-present), and Women's Studies Database (1972-present) which provide references to journal articles and other materials pertaining to all aspects of women's studies. Also includes the resource, New Books on Women and Feminism (1987-present), Women of Color and Southern Women (1975-present), The History of Women and Science, Health, and Technology: A Bibliographic Guide to the Professions and Disciplines (1970-1995), Women's Health and Development: An Annotated Bibliography (1995), Women, Race, and Ethnicity: A Bibliography (1970- 1990), WAVE: Women's Audiovisuals in English: A Guide to Nonprint Resources in Women's Studies (1985-1990). NISC will add new databases as they become available.
NOTE: Numerous other periodical indexes are available. For example, separate databases are available for geographic areas such as Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Full-Text Resources
- Ethnic Newswatch. Stamford: Softline Information, 1992- . Monthly.
[Library Gateway -- Networked Resources]This is a multi-cultural database containing the full-text of articles, columns, and editorials from 125 ethnic and minority American newspapers and news magazines. It includes African-American, Arab-American, Asian-American, Eastern European, European, Hispanic/Chicano/Latino, Jewish, and Native American publications. Spanish-language newspapers are in Spanish; the database is searchable in English and Spanish. Local, national, and international business, economic, political, and social issues are covered in addition to entertainment, fashion and music topics.
- Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe. Dayton: Mead Data Central.
[Library Gateway -- Networked Resources]This Web-based service contains the full text of a number of large- and medium-size newspapers; transcripts of broadcast news shows, interviews, and press conferences; wire services; some popular magazines; and legal materials. Since it is updated daily, it is an excellent index to current topics and events.
- GenderWatch. Stamford, CT: SoftLine Information, 1970- .
[Library Gateway -- Networked Resources]A full-text database of scholarly journals, magazines, newsletters, newspapers and special reports that focus on the impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas. In addition to women and gender studies topics covered are relevant to culture, education, family, health, international issues, politics, government, religion, sociology and more. All articles are fully indexed -- free text and boolean searching are also available.
Cornell University Library Gateway
The Cornell University Library Gateway provides a unified approach to finding information about the Cornell University Library and to selecting and connecting to our diverse and growing constellation of networked electronic resources and services.
Networked Resources contains titles, descriptive information, and links to approximately 2000 networked electronic resources, including periodical indexes, numeric and spatial data files, catalogs, audio-visual materials, and full text documents such as electronic journals and reference sources. It is a "database of databases." There are two main ways to search for databases in your areas of interest: searching and browsing.
Search Tips for Finding Networked Resources
Search Engines and Subject Guides
Use search engines or Internet subject guides to find resources or sites on the World Wide Web on your topic. Search Engines are software that allow you to search the contents of web pages and Subject Guides are web pages that use menus and lists to sort and classify web sites.
Question and evaluate the information that you find on web pages. As you would do with books and journal articles, look to see who is responsible for producing the web page or site that you are accessing. How objective is the information? How accurate or truthful? How authoritative? Go to the Evaluating Sources section of this page for more information on how to assess the web sites you have accessed.
FINDING NETWORKED RESOURCES
FINDING INTERNET RESOURCES
Selected Internet Resources
Return to Table of Contents
EVALUATING SOURCES
EVALUATING SOURCES
Evaluating the sources you find is a crucial step in the process of library 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.
Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites offers a table of suggestions.
For additional suggestions specific to Web sites, see Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools.
RESEARCH HELP ONLINE
- Library Gateway Help
- The Reference Home Page at O*K*U Libraries
- Research strategy: a tutorial
- Glossary of Library Terms
REFERENCE HELP
- Olin Library Reference phone number: 255-4144
- Uris Library Reference phone number: 255-2339
Question? Ask a Librarian
October 12, 2000
Nancy Skipper
Reference Services Division, Olin*Kroch*Uris Libraries
Cornell University Library
URL: http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/anthr146.html
Olin and Uris Libraries, Cornell University, Ithaca
NY 14853
Information and reference: 607-255-4144, okuref@cornell.edu
Circulation: (Olin) 607-255-4245, (Uris) 607-255-3537, olincirc@cornell.edu