Research Guide for STS 4131: Comparative Environmental History: The 20th Century World
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/sts4131.html
DEVELOPING A RESEARCH 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
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FINDING BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Guides and Handbooks
The materials listed below are a selection of reference resources for finding background
information or supplying 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.
Selected Sources
Encyclopedia of Environment and Society
Robbins, Paul, ed.
Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2007.
Olin Ref HM 856 .E53 2007eb
The Encyclopedia of Environment and Society brings together multiplying issues, concepts, theories, examples, problems, and policies, with the goal of clearly explicating an emerging way of thinking about people and nature. With more than 1,200 entries written by experts from incredibly diverse fields, this innovative resource is a first step toward diving into the deep pool of emerging knowledge. The four volumes of this Encyclopedia represent more than a catalogue of terms. Rather they capture the spirit of the moment, a fascinating time when global warming and genetic engineering represent only two of the most obvious examples of socio-environmental issues. (Publisher).
Encyclopedia of Global Change : Environmental Change and Human Society
Goudie, Andrew S., ed.
2 vols, Oxford: New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Mann Library Ref GF149 .E47x 2002
Here for the first time is a comphrehensive, interdisciplinary guide to the full range of issues concerning natural and human-induced changes in the Earth's environment. Featuring 300 original articles by leading scholars, the Encyclopedia brings together in one source current knowledge about the relations between technological, social, demographic, economic, and political factors and biological, chemical, and physical systems. The clearly-written articles cover concepts of global change, earth and earth systems, human factors, resources, responses to global change, agreements and associations, institutions, policies, biographies and case studies. Enhanced by 1,500 charts, diagrams, and other illustrations, extensive cross-references, bibliographies and an index, the Encyclopedia links essential knowledge across many fields--geography, geology, geophysics, atmostpheric science, political science, economics, technology, and others-in a resource that is accessible as it is authoritative. (Publisher).
Encyclopedia of Globalization
Roland Robertson, Jan Aart Scholte, eds.
4 vols, New York: Routledge, 2007.
Olin Library Ref JZ 1318 .E63 2007+
The Encyclopedia of Globalization provides a thorough understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of globalization as well as the various historical and analytical interpretations. Consisting of over 400 entries, coverage includes key cultural, ecological, economic, geographical, historical, political, psychological and social aspects of globalization.Entries in the Encyclopedia vary in length from 500 to 3500 words, depending on the scope of the topic and its relative prominence in studies and politics of globalization. All entries provide bibliographical references for further reading and research.From the advances in nanotechnology to the controversies surrounding humanitarian intervention, the Encyclopedia of Globalization is a key inter-disciplinary resource to all aspects of globalization. Compiled by a cross-disciplinary editorial team of leading academics on the subject this essential reference work will appeal to students, scholars, researchers, and the general reader interested in the many facets of globalization. (Publisher).
Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change
Philander, S. George, ed.
Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications, 2008.
Olin Library QC 981.8 .G56 E47 2008eb
The Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change helps readers learn about the astonishingly intricate processes that make ours the only planet known to be habitable. These three volumes include more than 750 articles that explore major topics related to global warming and climate change—ranging geographically from the North Pole to the South Pole, and thematically from social effects to scientific causes. (Publisher).
Encyclopedia of World Environmental History
Shepard Krech III, J.R. McNeill, Carolyn Merchant, eds
3 vols, New York: Routledge, 2004.
Mann Library Ref GF10 .E63x 2004
In order to address today's global environmental challenges, it is important to understand them within the context of humankind's influences on its environment throughout the ages. The Encyclopedia of World Environmental History provides much needed explanation of urgent social and environmental issues — from urbanization to water shortages, climate change to the extinction of species — in articles replete with the stories of human and natural history. (Publisher).
Science, Technology and Society: An Encyclopedia
Restivo, Sal, ed.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Olin Ref HM846 .S43 2005 +, see
Table of Contents.
"Contains over 130 A to Z signed articles written by major scholars and experts from
academic and scientific institutions and institutes worldwide. It emphasizes an
interdisciplinary and international coverage of the functions and effects of science
and technology in society and culture. Each article is accompanied by a selected
bibliography." (Publisher)
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Connect to the Cornell Library
Catalog
Help Using the Cornell Library Catalog
Understanding Library of Congress Call Numbers
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FINDING PERIODICAL ARTICLES
Periodical Indexes and Abstracts
Periodical indexes and abstracts identify and locate articles in magazines, journals and newspapers.
Periodical indexes provide the authors, titles, and sometimes abstracts, of relevant articles,
along with the name of the periodical, volume, pages and date. Some online periodical indexes
also provide the full-text of the article. When full-text articles are not provided,
use the Cornell Library Catalog to determine which library owns the periodicals you need.
Selected Periodical Indexes
America: History and Life
America: History and Life (AHL) is a complete bibliographic reference to the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Published since 1964, the database comprises over 530,000 bibliographic entries for periodicals dating back to 1954. Additional bibliographical entries are constantly added to the databases from editorial projects such as retrospective coverage of journals issues published prior to 1954.
Environment Index
Formerly known as Environmental issues & policy index, Environmental Policy Index, and Environmental Knowledgebase Online. The Environment Index provides researchers with abstracts and indexing for over 1,000 titles covering environmental policy and studies. Updated monthly, with ongoing coverage for over 500 of those titles, the database contains citations for nearly 700,000 articles published since 1973. The database offers deep coverage of applicable areas of agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, environmental law, geography, marine and freshwater resources, public policy, social impacts, urban planning, and more. Additionally, an Environment Thesaurus and publication index are available for more precise, advanced searching.
Historical AbstractsPublished since 1954, Historical Abstracts currently covers over 1,700 journals published worldwide in over forty languages. The database comprises over 720,000 entries from periodicals, with full-text links to over 135,000 articles and dissertations and masters’ theses. Each year, the editors of Historical Abstracts add over 16,000 abstracts and citations, over 3,000 book citations, and over 1,200 citations of dissertations and masters’ theses to the database from the current literature and publications. Additional bibliographical entries are also added to the database by editorial projects such as retrospective coverage of journal issues published prior to 1954.
PAIS
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.
Research Library
Research Library, formerly known as Periodical Abstracts, is a comprehensive database
available through the ProQuest online system. It indexes and abstracts general interest
magazines and scholarly journals in the social sciences, humanities and sciences. Full
text of many articles is provided.
Sociological Abstracts
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.
Wildlife and Ecology Studies Worldwide
Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide is the world’s largest index to literature on wild mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Over 514,000 bibliographic records, many include abstracts. Approximately 18,000 records are added per year.
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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.
Critically Analyzing 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 Journals from Other Periodicals shows how to
evaluate periodicals by looking at their format, intended audience, and appearance.
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.
How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography.
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CITING SOURCES
|
APA Citation Style
(American Psychological Association)
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.)
Africana, Hotel, Management, Olin, and Uris Libraries
BF 76.7 .P83x 2001x
(located at the Reference Desks)
Also in ILR and Mann Reference at
BF 76.7 .A51 2001
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
(Modern Language Association)
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
(6th ed.)
Olin and Uris Libraries Z253 .M68 2003
(located at the Reference Desks)
MLA Citation Style (CUL Gateway Help pages)
MLA Style (MLA's web site)
|
RefWorks is a web-based program that allows you to
easily collect, manage, and organize bibliographic references by interfacing with databases.
RefWorks also interfaces directly with Word, making it easy to import references and incorporate
them into your writing, properly formatted according to the style of your choice. RefWorks
workshops are offered at
Uris Library,
Mann Library.
EndNote allows you to build your own database of
bibliographic references from a variety of resources, including library catalogs and periodical
indexes. EndNote interfaces with several standard word processing programs and provides direct
connections to resources, making it easy to import references and incorporate them in your
writing. EndNote (or RefWorks) is highly recommended for researchers. EndNote workshops are
regularly held on campus at
Uris Library,
Mann Library.
Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity
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RESEARCH AND REFERENCE HELP
(Online chat/I.M. provided by Cornell staff 10am - 5pm Mon - Fri)
Olin Reference e-mail address:
okuref@cornell.edu
Reference Desk Schedules in
Olin
Library
Olin Library Reference phone number: 255-4144
OKU Research Consultations
OKU Workshop Schedule
Writing Walk-in Service (Knight Institute) -- available in Olin Library
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9 October 2009 (rk)
Tony Cosgrave, ajc5@cornell.edu
Reference Librarian
Cornell University Library
URL: http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/sts4131.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, okucirc@cornell.edu
Developing a Research Strategy