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Madmen, Geniuses and Nerds
Selected Reference Resources
These resources are shelved in the Reference Collection, located on Level A of Trexler Library. Use the indexes in these volumes to look up your topic. This may lead you to relevant articles that will give you background information, as well as a bibliography or list for further reading.
Dictionary of Scientific Biography
Reference 509.20 D554Notable Twentieth-Century Scientists
Reference 509.22 N167nThe Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science
Reference 509.22 O34bAmerican Men and Women of Science
Reference 509.2 A512mSocial Issues in Science and Technology
Reference 303.48303 N5611sEncyclopedia of Bioethics
Reference 174.95703 E56oEncyclopedia of Science and Religion
Reference 201.6503 E56oEurope 1450 to 1789 : encyclopedia of the early modern world
Reference 940.203 D515eEncyclopedia of Environmental Issues
Reference 363.7003 E56oThe History of Science and Religion in the Western Tradition: An Encyclopedia
Reference 291.175 F364hPublic Interest Profiles
Reference 322.4025 P976iReader's Guide to the History of Science
Reference 509.03 R286gScientifically Speaking: A Dictionary of Quotations
Reference 500 G144s
Finding Books
Trexler Library's main collection of circulating books is located on levels B and C. When searching the catalog, you may notice government documents listed in your search results. These are located on level A.Trexler Library Catalog
From the library home page (www.muhlenberg.edu/library), follow the path: Finding BooksOur Catalog. Use the Quick Search drop-down menu to do a keyword search on your topic (e.g., science and society). If necessary, narrow your search by looking at the subject headings of several relevant titles.
WorldCat
From the library home page (www.muhlenberg.edu/library), follow the path: Finding Books
To locate books and other documents that are not part of the Trexler Library collections, search WorldCat, an online catalog that will locate books owned by other libraries in the United States. If you find an item that you would like to use in your research, click on the link in the WorldCat record that says "Borrow this item from another library" and fill out the interlibrary loan request form. It may take up to two weeks to get your book, so place these requests as early as possible. If you need assistance, a librarian will be happy to help you.EZ Borrow
From the library home page (www.muhlenberg.edu/library), follow the path: Finding Books
Another way of obtaining books that are not owned by Trexler Library is through EZ Borrow, a consortium of over 60 Pennyslvania libraries (plus a few in West Virginia and New Jersey). Books requested through this service often arrive within 3-5 days.
Finding Articles
To find articles in academic journals, magazines, or newspapers, search any of the electronic databases listed below. Start at the library home page (www.muhlenberg.edu/library) and follow the path: Finding ArticlesAcademic Search Premier
This database is a good place to begin your search for articles because it covers a wide range of topics and includes many articles in full-text.Omnifile (WilsonWeb)
A group of databases covering a broad range of topics, with many full-text links.JSTOR
Provides access to the full text of articles from back issues of journals covering a diverse range of subjects. This is a useful database if you are looking for articles from the past few decades.LexisNexis Academic
A good source for news reports. Includes individual databases for news, business, legal research, and medical information. Full text.Coverage varies.PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service)
Indexes journal articles, books, government documents, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more. International. 1970s-present. No full text.Project MUSE
Covers a broad range of topics in the humanities and social sciences, including philosophy, ethics, political science, and religion. 1990s-present. Full Text.Pro & Con
This is a reference database and may be accessed by following the path: Finding More
Searching the Web
The Trexler Library home page (http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/) can also provide you with assistance in searching the Internet. Follow the path: Finding More
Government documents are a rich source of information on this topic, and many of these are available on the Web. Used the Advanced Search option to limit the domain to .gov or .org sites. (Trexler Library also has a large collection of government documents, located on level A. A keyword search in the catalog will often retrieve government document titles as well as books.) Google Scholar is another source for scholarly articles.Librarian's Internet Index
For the most effective results, use the advanced search interface.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
Interlibrary loan is a free service to Muhlenberg students, and you may submit as many requests as needed. ILL requests may also be submitted from your home (or another remote) computer. The form to request a book is different from the form to request an article. To access the interlibrary loan request forms from the library homepage, follow one of the paths listed below:For books: Finding Books
After clicking on either Interlibrary Loan or E-ZBorrow, you will see the links to the ILL request forms in blue at the top of the page. Simply click on the link, fill out the required fields, include your name and student ID number (without the dash), and submit your request. You will receive an email when your book arrives. It may be picked up at the circulation desk in the library.For articles: Finding Articles
After clicking on Getting a Copy of an Article you will see the blue link to the article request form at the top of the page. Follow the same procedures for filling out the form as described above for books.In order to obtain the books and articles that you need in a timely fashion, place your requests as early as possible.
Writing Assistance
If you are having trouble with the writing process, a short guide based on Writing Analytically (by David Rossenwasser and Jill Stephen) is also available from the Trexler Library home page (http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/). Follow the path: Research Help
The Writing Center is also located in the library, on level C. For additional information on hours, scheduling, etc., go to: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/students/writing/index.html
Citing Your Sources
To avoid plagiarism, you must document the information and ideas of others that you use in your paper. Handbooks and handouts providing information on the correct way to cite both print and electronic sources are available at the reference desk. If you are having difficulties figuring out how to cite a source, a librarian will be happy to help you.Librarians at Trexler Library have prepared a short guide to each of the major citation syles (APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian), and these include examples for citing various types of resources. These guides can be accessed from the library homepage by following the path: Research Help
If you would like to try using an automated guide to create your citations, visit NoodleBib Express
(http://www.noodletools.com/noodlebib/express.php). This tool covers only the MLA and APA styles.If you would like to learn more about what MLA or APA citation style is, visit the Drop-In Workshops page at http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/guides/libinst/workshops/index.html.
If you would like help with your research, please feel free to contact me at:
Lynne Kvinnesland
Reference Assistant
Trexler Library
484-664-3542
kvinnesland@muhlenberg.eduor visit the library and consult one of the librarians at the Information / Reference Desk.
We are all here to assist you!