Cultural Anthropology -- Notes from the workshop:
Anthropology is highly interdisciplinary. In addition to cultural anthropology, it also includes archaeology, linguistics, physical anthropology and medical anthropology. See Cultural Anthropology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources (Reference Z 5111 K46 1991), for a good overview of the subdisciplines.
The focus of this workshop is Cultural Anthropology. The workshop will introduce a number of literature guides along with some research tools and strategies.
Reference material for Cultural Anthropology can be found in two different call number classifications -- Z 5100- and GN - .
Core Resources in Cultural Anthropology:
Cultural Anthropology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources. (Olin Reference Z 5111 K46 1991)
Very helpful, includes all the sub-disciplines of anthropology. Subject index in back. Area studies.
Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology (Olin Reference GN 307.E52x 1996)
Outlines Anthropological thinking about different concepts. One example is the section on Gender. Entries include a selected bibliography.
Encyclopedia of World Cultures (Olin Reference GN 307.E56 1991)
Arranged by cultural group
- ethononym index - helps with variant names for different ethnic groups and the geographic distribution
- may need to search other catalogs using the variant names
- includes very selective bibliography
- index at the end is a subject index to cultural topics -- to approach world cultures by the cultural issue they are dealing with.
- lists cultural topic and then all the cultures that are dealing with this topic.
- note the difference between gender identity and gender roles
Anthropology Bibliography on Disc (Electronic Text Center CDROM Z 5111.A68 1997)
This is the catalog of the Tozzer Library. It includes books, dissertations, research reports. The CD extends to 1997. There are print supplements that update the CD, but the best approach is to use the Hollis online catalog (Harvard). Anthropology Bibliography complements Anthropology Plus.
Anthropology Plus (Library Gateway, Find Databases)
Includes Anthropological Literature, and Anthropology Index. Focuses on periodical articles, although it includes other types of resources as well. The Anthropology Bibliography on Disc provides more complete coverage of these other resources. See above. Coverage extends back to very early documents. Keyword searching is recommended.
- can use command line searching: ex. fin sw __ and sw __ and sw __ (sw =subject word)
- online Help has some instructions for command line searching. You may want to compare results with form searching.
- Choose LIST or FULL to get your marked records to display for printing or downloading.
Note: We also still have a separate entry for Anthropology Index. Covers the Eastern hemisphere (British Commonwealth). The subject headings are very general, not very helpful. Need to use lists of various keyword combinations and work through them.
Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) (microfiche, lower level) and eHRAF (Library Gateway, Find Databases)
HRAF consists of ethnographic studies that have been coded, sentence-by-sentence to create one big, fat index.
Steps to locate fiche:
- Outline of World Cultures -- look up group name.
- Outline of Cultural Materials -- look up topic and find code
- Go to fiche, find group and then find code.
- See: Human Relations Area Files (HRAF): Instructions for Use
Analytics are loaded into the OPAC however these are misleading because people will usually want the whole book and the entry is really referring to snippet. Category 111 (on fiche) also includes source bibliography.
eHRAF
- Start with Browse. Is country covered?
- Includes an encyclopedia entry
- Includes a list of sources (full-text links)
- OCM=topic code
- Browse subject categories, or
- Search, by OCM code and culture code (ex. 562 A07)
- Use [ctrl] key to select more than one cultural group
- Within documents, look for matches -- those are the segments of text chosen -- or, you can go in at a higher level -- chapter, book. Full-text of book is in the left frame.
Browsing LC Subject Headings for ethnographic material
Anthropology Core Sources (pdf)