Olin*Kroch*Uris Reference Division

http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/rsoc109.htm

Research Guide for
Rural Sociology 109: AIDS and Societies

Developing a Search Strategy Finding Background Information Finding Books Finding Periodical Articles
Finding Information on Current Affairs
Finding Statistics and Public Opinion
Finding Networked Resources Finding Internet Resources Citing Sources

Research Help Online Reference Help in Person

Question? Ask a Librarian

DEVELOPING A SEARCH STRATEGY

Search 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:

  1. Choose your topic
  2. Find background information
  3. Find books on your topic
  4. Find periodical articles
  5. Cite your sources

For online help using on library research strategy and using library resources, try using Library Research, a Hypertext Guide - online, hypertext-based tutorial on library research.

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FINDING BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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.

Here are some citations and call numbers for a few selected print resources of interest:

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Guides

Aby, Stephen H. Sociology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources. 2nd ed. 1997.
[OLIN REF Z 7163 S68 A17x 1997]

AIDS Information Sourcebook. Malinowsky, H. Robert, ed. 3d ed. 1991.
[MANN REF RC 607 A26 A293 1991; also OLIN STACKS + RC 607 A26 A293 1991]

In four parts: (1) Chronology, listing events in the AIDS epidemic through 1990; (2) Directory, listing approximately 1,000 facilities in the US and Canada; (3) Bibliography, including citations to periodical articles, bibliographies, books, pamphlets, etc.; (4) Appendix, containing selected statistical tables and a glossary of brief, nontechnical definitions.

AIDS Knowledge Base.

"A textbook on HIV disease from the University of California, San Francisco, and the San Francisco General Hospital." The full text is available online. Chapters include: "Epidemiology and Transmissions," "Basic Science and Pathogenesis of HIV," and "Prevention and Education."

Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Reich, Warren T., ed. 5 vols. 2nd ed. 1995.
[URIS REF BJ 57 E56+ 1995; also MANN REF]

"Bioethics" is defined here as "the systematic study of the moral decisions in the life sciences and health care." Anyone interested in the pros and cons of almost any bioethical issue would do well to consult this encyclopedia first. From "Abortion" through "Xenografts", issues are discussed at length by philosophers, biologists, physicians, theologians, psychologists, lawyers, various health professionals and social scientists, all known to be experts in their field. In addition, each essay contains a long, reasonably up-to-date bibliography. Although the volumes are alphabetically arranged by topic an index at the end of Volume 5 helps locate smaller sub-topics found within larger topics. An appendix of codes, oaths, and directives related to bioethics is included in the final volume.

Encyclopedia of Sociology. Borgatta, Edgar F., ed. 4 vols. 1992.
[URIS REF HM 17 E56 1992; also OLIN REF, ILR REF, MANN REF, HOTEL REF]

The first comprehensive encyclopedia for general sociology, intended for a broad audience. Nearly 400 articles with bibliographies. Includes classic topics as well as those reflecting emerging fields.

Jary, David & Julia. The HarperCollins Dictionary of Sociology. 1991.
[OLIN REF HM 17 J38]

"Its main aim is to function as a study aid." More than 1,200 entries provide brief definitions. Some British emphasis.

Johnson, Allan G. The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology: A User's Guide to Sociological Language. 1995.
[OLIN REF HM 17 J64x 1995]

Johnson, William A., et al. The Sociology Student Writer's Manual. 1998.
[URIS REF HM 73 S637x 1998]

Designed to help students "(1) learn how to research and write in sociology, and (2) improve writing ability." Divided into three parts which cover: "A Handbook of Style for Sociology," "How to Conduct Research in Sociology," and "How to Write Different Types of Sociology Papers" (e.g., book reviews, social issue analysis papers, case studies, and sociological survey papers).

Timmreck, Thomas C. Health Services Cyclopedic Dictionary: A Compendium of Health-care and Public Health Terminology. 1997.
[MANN REF RA 393 T56x 1997]

Watstein, Sarah. The AIDS Dictionary. 1998.
[URIS REF + RC 607 A26 W383x 1998]

"A comprehensive reference examining all aspects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. More than 3,000 entries -- all free of moralization, stigmatization, and euphemism -- cover the basic biological and medical aspects of the disease, as well as many of the financial, legal, and even political and social terms associated with it." The appendices include brief statistical information.

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FINDING BOOKS

Cornell Library Catalog Plus, Olin Library Card Catalog

Help Using the Cornell Library Catalog

Search Commands, Subject Searching, Keyword Searching, and other functions of the online catalog are explained on these pages.

Connect to the Cornell Library Catalog

The Cornell Library Catalog currently includes all items from all Cornell libraries cataloged since 1973, some pre-1973 items, and items on order or in process. Included in the Cornell Library Catalog are books, periodicals and government documents, as well as some other materials located in the libraries at Cornell. The catalog provides the call number, the name of the library, and the circulation status for most materials.

When to Check the Card Catalog

When the book you want was published before 1973 and it's not in the Cornell 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.

Understanding Library of Congress Call Numbers

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FINDING PERIODICAL ARTICLES

Periodical Indexes and Abstracts

Articles

Periodical articles are an excellent source for detailed analysis or up-to-date information on a topic. These articles are from materials that are published "periodically" or in daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual or even irregular intervals. They are found in newspapers, magazines, journals, yearbooks, and other sources.

Periodicals are available in several formats: bound paper volumes (like books), microfiche or microfilm, and increasingly as electronic text.

Indexes and Abstracts

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. For information about bibliographic format and how to cite resources that you use in your research, go to Citing Sources.

Abstracts are specialized indexes that also include summaries of the content of the articles with their citations.

Periodical Indexes and Abstracts also come in several formats: traditional and historical bound paper volumes, stand alone CD-ROM computer workstations, and more recently as networked databases available via the Internet.

Networked indexes and abstracts come in a variety of versions and interfaces: telnet, Web, InfoShare (linked to the Catalog), and full-text, to name a few. For more information about finding Networked Resources available through the Cornell University Library, go to Finding Networked Resources.

Linked Indexes

InfoShare indexes are directly linked to holdings in the library catalog. This means your search will yield two kinds of information: 1) it identifies articles on your topic, and 2) it tells you where that source is in the Cornell Library system.

When using indexes and abstracts linked to the catalog, look for the message: Held by library--type HOL for holdings information. This note will appear in the lower lefthand corner of the screen in records where the Cornell Library has the journal or magazine listed as the source of the article. Typing HOL will take you to the Holdings information detailing what libraries on campus have the journal, what volumes they have, call numbers and special locations, and the circulation status of the material.

When using unlinked indexes (essentially all non-InfoShare indexes), search the Cornell Library Catalog (CU) by the title of the periodical (i.e. Time, Scientific American, etc.). If you have questions, ask at the Reference Desk.

Full-text Articles

An ever growing number of periodical indexes offer access to the full-text of articles electronically. Use the Library Gateway to find full-text resources.

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Selected Periodical Indexes and Abstracts

Bibliography of Bioethics. annual. 1975 - .
[URIS REF + Z 6675 E8 B58; also OLIN REF, MANN REF QH 332 B582]

"A subject bibliography listing English-language books, essays in books, journal & newspaper articles, court decisions, bills or laws, films & audio cassettes." Concerned with ethical aspects of health care, contraception, abortion, population, reproductive technologies, genetic intervention, mental health therapies, human experimentation, artificial and transplanted organs or tissues, death and dying, etc.

Health Reference Center. latest 5 years only.

Provides indexing and full text of journals covering a broad range of health subjects and issues. Updated monthly.

Internet Grateful Med.

Includes links to AIDSLINE, AIDSDRUGS, AIDSTRIALS, and BIOETHICS ONLINE, among other databases.

Medline. 1965 - .

Produced by the US National Library of Medicine, Medline is one of the major sources for biomedical literature materials. Includes indexing to articles from 3,600 journals published in over 70 countries. Covers virtually every area in the broad field of biomedicine including: clinical medicine, experimental medicine, dentistry, nursing, hospital literature, paramedical professions, pharmacology and pharmaceuticals, psychiatry and psychology, health services administration, environment and public health, veterinary medicine, health occupations, nutrition, pathology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology and parasitology, toxicology, and medical specialties.

PAIS International. 1972 - .

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. Covers many periodicals in these subjects not indexed elsewhere. Available in print in Olin Reference as: Public Affairs Information Service, Bulletin, 1915 - . [+ Z 7163 P97].

Periodical Abstracts. 1986 - .

Indexes and abstracts over 1,500 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.

Popline. 1993 - .

Abstracts journal articles on population and family planning and related health care, law and policy issues. Also indexed are monographs, technical reports and unpublished works. Materials date from 1827 with most dating from late 1960s. Includes population, family planning, health care issues, legal issues, policy issues, human fertility, contraceptive methods, maternal health, child health, AIDS in developing countries, program operations, program evaluation, demography, censuses, vital statistics, population growth, mortality, migration, ethnic characteristics, economic characteristics, social characteristics, biological characteristics, economic development, population policy, legislation, population statistics.

Sociological Abstracts. 1963 - .

Contains records from 3,000 journals covering sociology, social work, and other social sciences.

Other networked indexes and abstracts can be found on the Cornell Library Gateway.

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FINDING INFORMATION ON CURRENT AFFAIRS

Congressional Universe. 1970 - .

Serves as both an index and a full text source of US Congressional materials: members and committees, bills, laws, hearing transcripts, committee prints, documents, the Congressional Record, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, US Code. Updated daily. Produced by Congressional Information Service, a major publisher of government documents related reference sources, including (in print) the CIS Index to publications of the United States Congress (1970 - ) [OLIN REF Z 1223 A2 C739+] and "historical" volumes and series covering the publications of Congress from 1789 to 1970. The latter is also available on CD-ROM in Olin Reference as Congressional Masterfile 1 [Disk Z 1223.A2 C737].

GPO Access. dates of coverage vary.

From this site users can connect to more than 25 text and data resources distributed by the Government Printing Office, such as Congressional Bills, Calendars, Directories, Records, GAO Reports, House and Senate Manuals, Supreme Court Decisions and United States Code.

Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe. dates of coverage vary.

A web-based database providing 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. Resources include TV and radio news transcripts. Updated daily.

World News Connection. [*requires sign in by reference staff -- ask at reference desk*]

A web-based information system providing local news coverage of issues and events from Central Eurasia, East Asia, Near East & South Asia, China, East Europe, West Europe, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. WNC provides access to the full text of speeches, TV & radio broadcasts, books, and reports from the past 2 years. The material is wide-reaching with an emphasis on political, socioeconomic, scientific, technical, and environmental information. Generally, the information in WNC is available within 48-72 hours from the time of the original publication or broadcast. All material is translated into English.

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FINDING STATISTICS AND PUBLIC OPINION

Bongaarts, John. Global Trends in AIDS Mortality. 1995.
[OLIN STACKS RC 607 A26 B66z 1995]

The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion. annual. 1978 - .
[OLIN REF HM 261 G17 G2]

A compilation of polls on political and social issues. Arranged chronologically but also includes a subject index. Kept up to date by The Gallup Poll Monthly [OLIN REF + HM 261 A1 G17].

Instat : International Statistics sources : Subject Guide to Sources of International Comparative Statistics. Fleming, Michael C., ed. 2 vols. 1995.
[OLIN REF ++ Z 7551 I59 1995]

Statistical Universe. 1973 - .

Provides comprehensive access to US statistical information. Includes an index to over 100,000 US government statistical publications from 1973 to present, abstracts and tables, and background information. Links to some full text. This information, along with indexing to international and non-governmental statistics is available on CD-ROM in: Statistical Masterfile. [OLIN REF DISK Z 7554 U5 S792] Both the online version and the CD-ROM are based on three separate print indexes: American Statistics Index (1973- ) [OLIN REF + Z 1223 A2 A51], Index to International Statistics (1983- ) [OLIN REF + Z 7552 I38], and Statistical Reference Index (1980- ) [OLIN REF + Z 7554 U5 S79]. Note: Beginning in January 1999, Statistical Universe is expected to include the equivalent of all three print sources listed here; Statistical Masterfile will not be updated after December 1998.

World Health Statistics Annual. annual. 1962 - .
[OLIN REF ++ RA 651 A5 W92; also MANN REF]

Provides statistical overviews, by country and worldwide, of changing trends in health patterns and causes of death.

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FINDING NETWORKED RESOURCES

Cornell Library Gateway

The Cornell University Library Gateway is a new web site which 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.

Buttons on the left side of the screen will always be available to help you navigate among a variety of choices. The Cornell University Library Catalog is at the top of the array to make it easy for you to connect and search for books, journal titles and many other types of materials at Cornell. Networked Resources, the default display on the right side of the screen, enables you to identify and connect to networked electronic resources, such as periodical indexes, full text documents or numeric data files. About CU Library leads you to a wealth of information about the Library, including individual library web sites. Services provides information about library services such as circulation, instruction and reference, and enables you to make a variety of requests, electronically, for services such as book renewals and interlibrary borrowing. Help provides information on a wide variety of general and technical topics that will help you understand and use the CU Library as well as the Library Gateway. And if you need personal help you can click on "Ask a Librarian" at the bottom of each page. Last, but not least, the CUInfo button enables you to connect easily to the Cornell University information system.

Networked Resources contains titles, descriptive information, and links to over 1,200 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.

Searching for Databases

Click on the top search box to select the type of resource you are interested in, such as indexes or full text, or all types, then type a keyword or keywords in the second search box. The Networked Resources database will then generate a list of resources (databases) that match your search request.

Browsing for Databases

Below the Search boxes you will find a menu of subject categories. Click on a subject category to browse lists of resources available in that subject area. Or, you can browse the lists of New Resources, "Greatest Hits" (frequently used databases), or the Alphabetical List of titles contained in the Networked Resources database (over 1,200 titles and growing).

Once you have identified the networked resource you are interested in, you can then connect to it directly to gather the information you need to perform a search on your specific topic in the file or database you have selected.

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FINDING INTERNET 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 Authority! The Internet is a very democratic tool, in that anyone can write or say virtually anything they wish to on it. 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. Does the individual or institution have a particular bias or concern or agenda in presenting their information. How objective is the information? How accurate or truthful? How authoritative?

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CITING SOURCES

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RESEARCH HELP ONLINE

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REFERENCE HELP

You can ask your questions at our reference and information desks, over the phone, or by e-mail.

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Olin*Kroch*Uris Reference Division
Reference Home Page

Cornell University Library | Cornell Library Catalog | CUinfo |

October 2, 1998
Suzy Szasz Palmer
Reference Services Division, Olin Kroch Uris Libraries
Cornell University Library
URL: http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/rsoc109.htm
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