Need help with your research? Contact:

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

Selected Reference Materials

Andermahr, S., Lovell, T., & Wolkowitz, C. (1997). A concise glossary of feminist theory. New York, NY: Arnold.
Reference 305.4201 A543c

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

Walter, L. (Ed.). (2003). The Greenwood encyclopedia of women's issues worldwide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Reference 305.4203 G816e v.1-6

Worell, J. (Ed.). (2001). Encyclopedia of women and gender: Sex similarities and differences and the impact of society on gender. New York: Academic Press.
Reference 305.403 E56o v.1-2

Finding Statistical Information

Alic, M. (2002). Women's changing roles. Detroit, MI: Gale Group.
Statistics Reference 305.420973 A393w

American Factfinder (U.S. Census Bureau)
http://factfinder.census.gov/
Easy-to-use census data/maps.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S. Department of Labor)
http://www.bls.gov/

Bureau of Statistics, Treasury Department. (2006). Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington: G.P.O.
Statistics Reference 317.3 U58s 2002
Note: Various other editions, dating back to 1886, are also available in the Government Documents section at C 3.134:886 - C 3.134:2004/2005.

Caplow, T., Hicks, L., and Wattenberg, B.J. (2001). The first measured century: An illustrated guide to trends in America, 1900-2000. Washington, DC: AEI Press.
Statistics Reference 306.0973 C244f

Davis, J.A. (1999). General social surveys, 1972-1998: Cumulative file. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research.
Reference CD-ROM 303.38 D261g

Davis, J.A. (1999). General social surveys, 1972-1998: Cumulative codebook. Chicago: National Opinion Research Center.
Reference CD-ROM 303.38 D261g

Fast, T.H., & Fast, C.C. (1995). The women's atlas of the United States (revised ed.). New York: Facts on File.
Statistics Reference 305.40973 F251w

FedStats
http://www.fedstats.gov/
Gateway to statistics for U.S. Federal agencies

ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research)
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/

Kurian, George Thomas. (1994). Datapedia of the United States, 1790-2000: America Year by Year. Lanham, MD: Bernan Press.
Statistics Reference 317.3 K96d

LexisNexis Academic (Polls and Surveys)
Note: Accessible via the Library Homepage    Finding Articles    Periodical Databases and Indexes    Alphabetical List    LexisNexis Academic    Reference    Polls & Surveys.

LexisNexis Statistical Universe
Note: This is a searchable database of statistical tables, accessible via the Library Homepage    Finding Articles    Periodical Databases and Indexes    Alphabetical List.

Statistical Resources on the Web (University of Michigan Library, Documents Center)
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html

U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/
        Census 2000 Gateway (http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html)
        Census 1990 Gateway (http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen1990.html)
        Paper versions of the decennial census (1850-1990) are available in the Government Documents Census Section on Level A.

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    Finding Books    Our Catalog

• For tips on searching the catalog, use the Help link above the search boxes. (Or click here.)


• Need help with your keywords and search strategy? Try the Keyword Searching (Combining Concepts) worksheet.  [ PDF | Word ] 

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    Finding Books    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    Finding Books    E-ZBorrow

TIP: Check the E-ZBorrow catalog for any books you find in WorldCat. If not available there, then request via ILL.

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    Finding Books    Borrowing from Other Libraries

Finding Articles: Databases & Indexes

SEARCHING FOR ARTICLES

See a list of all Social Sciences databases at http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/articles/databases/social_sciences.html.

Get to this list, and more: Library Homepage    Finding Articles    Periodical Databases and Indexes    Social Sciences / Alphabetical List.

Need help with your keywords and search strategy? Try the Keyword Searching (Combining Concepts) worksheet.  [ PDF | Word ] 

Subject-specific Databases

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

Contemporary Women's Issues (CWI)
Provides indexing to global information on women in over 150 countries. Indexes books, journals, newsletters, research reports from non-profit groups, government and international agencies, and fact sheets. Contains over 35,000 records covering dates from 1992 to present.

Economic Literature (Econ Lit)
Index to select articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents, statistical directories, 1972 to present. Especially useful for research on the economics of motherhood.

Health Source
A full-text database for finding articles on health and medical topics.

PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service)
Top source for International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Public Affairs resources. Indexes select articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents, statistical directories, 1972 to present. Especially useful for research on topics relating to public policy.

PsycINFO
Primary psychology database. Use this to search for scholarly articles relating to child development, mental illness, psychological devleopment, the emotional connections between parent and child, etc.

Sociological Abstracts (SocAbs)
Premier sociology database. Subjects covered: 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.

Interdisciplinary Databases

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

JSTOR
Searchable collections of full-text journals. JSTOR contains the full text of journals from a wide variety of possibly relevant disciplines.

OmniFile (WilsonWeb)
"A full text "mega" database comprised of various smaller databases from separate academic disciplines. Its general scope includes general sciences, humanities, The Reader's Guide, social sciences, and business."
Note: WilsonWeb does not allow for a Search Trexler Library for this title link (see Getting the Articles, below, for more information). Instead, they include an icon ( ) when the library has the article available elsewhere. Click on the icon to be transferred to the catalog record for the journal. If the library does not have access to the article online or in print, request it via Interlibrary Loan (see Getting the Articles, below, for more information).

Project MUSE
"Provides full text access to journal articles in the arts and humanities and social sciences. All articles are peer-reviewed. Muse contains articles from as early as 1993 or 1995, but the majority of articles are from 2000 to present."

News

Alternative Press Index
Indexes journals covering cultural, economic, political & social change. Includes indexing from nearly 300 alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines.

LexisNexis Academic
Indexes and provides full-text of major national and international newspapers (English Language editions only), newswires, select journals and magazines, and legal publications. Updated daily. Dates of coverage vary by publication.

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.
   • Some databases have a Search Trexler Library for this title 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    Finding Articles    Getting a Copy of an Article). Fill out the form with as much information as possible. Ask for help, if you have questions.

Selected Websites

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

American Women's History: A Research Guide (Middle Tennessee State University)
http://www.mtsu.edu/~kmiddlet/history/women.html

Librarians' Internet Index
http://www.lii.org/
Note: Browse to the Women category under People, explore other categories, or search by keyword.

Women's Studies/Women's Issues Resources Sites
http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/links.html

WSSLINKS: Women and Gender Studies Web Sites
http://libr.org/wss/wsslinks/index.html

Citing Your Sources

• For help using APA (American Psychological Association) 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)

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    Research Help    Citation Guides.

Try NoodleBib Express for a quick tutorial on APA Style: http://www.noodletools.com/login.php

• For help using Chicago Style, consult the following resources:

The Chicago manual of style (15th ed.). (2003). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.027 C632m (at Reference Desk)

Trexler Library handout on using Chicago style: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/library/reshelp/chicago_example.pdf
This and other style guide handouts available from the library website.  Library Homepage    Research Help    Citation Guides.

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

• For help using MLA (Modern Language Association) Style, consult the following resources:

Gibaldi, J. (2003). MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th ed.). New York: Modern Language Association of America.
Reference Desk Reserve 808 M689h, 2003 (at Reference Desk)

Gibaldi, J. (1998). MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (2nd ed.). New York: Modern Language Association of America.
Reference Desk Reserve 808.02 G437m (at Reference Desk)

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

Try NoodleBib Express for a quick tutorial on MLA Style: http://www.noodletools.com/login.php.