Documentary Research

Need help with your research? Contact:

Jen Jarson
Social Sciences Reference Librarian
phone: x3552
email: jarson [at] muhlenberg [dot] edu
IM (AIM, Yahoo, MSN): jjarson1 (add @hotmail.com for MSN)

Need help after hours?
IM the Library at TalkToTrexler (for AIM, Yahoo, and MSN)
Note: Add @hotmail.com for MSN.
Online Sunday-Thursday 2pm-10pm.
See Ask a Librarian for more information.

Selected Reference Materials

American Women Through Time (Middle Tennessee State University)
http://www.mtsu.edu/~kmiddlet/history/women/wh-timeline.html

Cullen-DuPont, K. (2000). Encyclopedia of women's history in America (2nd ed.). New York: Facts On File.
Reference 305.40973 C969e

Eisenmann, L. (Ed.). (1998). Historical dictionary of women's education in the United States. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Reference 371.822 E36h

Frost-Knappman, E. (1994). The ABC-CLIO companion to women's progress in America. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Reference 305.40973 F939a

Hamilton, N.A. (1997). The ABC-CLIO companion to the 1960s counterculture in America. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Reference 973.92303 H219a

Schwartz Seller, M. (Ed.). (1994). Women educators in the United States, 1820-1993: A bio-bibliographical sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press
Reference 371.10092 S467w

Solomon, B.M. (1985). In the company of educated women: A history of women and higher education in America. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Main Collection 378.1982 S689i

Tierney, H. (Ed.). (1989-1991). Women's studies encyclopedia. New York: Greenwood Press.
Reference 305.403 T564w v.1-3

Tompkins, V. (Ed.). (1994-2001). American decades. Detroit, MI: Gale.
Reference 973.92 A512d v.1-10

Weatherford, D. (1994). American women's history. New York: Prentice Hall.
Reference 305.40973 W362a

Worell, J. (Ed.). (2001). Encyclopedia of women and gender: Sex similarities and differences and the impact of society on gender. San Diego, CA: London : Academic Press.
Reference 305.403 E56e v.1-2

Zophy, A.H. (Ed.). (1990). Handbook of American women's history. New York: Garland.
Reference 305.40973 Z88h

Finding Books

TREXLER LIBRARY

Search the Trexler Library Catalog to find out what books, government publications, journals, videos, etc. the library owns.

GETTING THERE:
Use the shortcut search box on the Library Homepage or Library Homepage  --  Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box)  --  Trexler Library Catalog

For tips on searching the catalog, use the Help link above the search boxes.

OTHER LIBRARIES

WorldCat. To find books held by other libraries, search WorldCat, a database of over 60 million library records from around the country and world. Use the ILL button to request a book from another library. (ILL can take 10-14 days.)

GETTING THERE:
Library Homepage  --  Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box)  --  Other Library Catalogs -- WorldCat

E-ZBorrow. For quick delivery of books from many Pennsylvania and area academic libraries (including University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, University of Pittsburgh, and many more), use E-ZBorrow. (E-ZBorrow takes 2-4 business days.)

GETTING THERE:
Library Homepage  --  Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box)  --  Other Library Catalogs -- E-ZBorrow

TIP: Because E-ZBorrow books can arrive so quickly, check the E-ZBorrow catalog for any books you find in WorldCat. If not available there, then request via the ILL button in Worldcat.

LVAIC. You can borrow books directly from LVAIC (Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges) Libraries.

GETTING THERE:
Library Homepage  --  Books, Videos, Music, ... (in Find box)  --  Regional Libraries  -- LVAIC Libraries

For more information on Interlibrary Loan options, see http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/more/ill/index.html or ask for help.

GETTING THERE:
Library Homepage  --  ILL (in the Services & Forms box)

Finding Articles: Databases & Indexes

See a list of all databases via the Library Homepage  --  Articles A-Z (in the Find box).

Academic Search Premier
Large and diverse database that covers most academic disciplines, including communication and sociology. Contains both scholarly and non-academic resources. Includes many articles in full text.

America: History and Life
The primary database for locating articles on United States and Canadian history (from prehistory to the present).

Communication and Mass Media Complete
The most comprehensive database in communication studies. Contains both abstracts and almost 200 journal titles in full-text.

ERIC
Premier database in education, funded by the US Department of Education.

JSTOR
Searchable collections of full-text journals.

OmniFile (WilsonWeb)
Multi-disciplinary database providing the complete content-indexing, abstracts, and full text-from six of Wilson's full-text databases, including Social Sciences Abstracts.

Sage Journals Online
Provides access to all journals published by Sage (full-text online for 1999-present).

Sociological Abstracts (SocAbs)
Premier sociology database. Subjects covered: community development, culture and social structure, demography and human biology, environmental interactions, family and social welfare, racial issues, and women's studies.

GETTING THE ARTICLES

  1. When searching for articles, you may find the full-text of an article linked in the database.

  2. If not, you need to search the Trexler Library Catalog to see if we own the journal in which the article is published.
    • Most databases have a Get It! or Text at Trexler link embedded. Click the link to check our holdings.
    • Otherwise, search the catalog by journal title. Verify that we have online, print, or microform access to the year/volume you need.
  3. If we do not own the journal you need, request the article via Interlibrary Loan.
    • Some databases have a Request on Interlibrary Loan link embedded. Click the link to fill out the form. Click Submit.
    • Otherwise, use the Interlibrary Loan Journal Article Request Form (Library Homepage  --  ILL (in the Services & Forms box)  --  Articles request form). Fill out the form with as much information as possible. Ask for help, if you have questions.

Statistical Resources

FedStats
http://www.fedstats.gov/

Historical Statistics of the United States
Online or search the Trexler Library Catalog by title.

National Center for Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/

Statistical Abstract of the United States (U.S. Census)
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab.html

Citing Your Sources

For help using APA Style, consult the following resources:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).  (2001).  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 p976m 2001 (at Reference Desk)

Concise Rules of APA Style.  (2005).  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.06615 C744r (at Reference Desk)

Writer's Handbook (University of Wisconsin--Madison)
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html

Trexler Library handout on using APA style: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/reshelp/apa_example.pdf.
This and other style guide handouts available from the library website.  Library Homepage -- Citation Guides (in the Research Help box).

© Muhlenberg College
Last modified: 25 September 2007