HDSR 239
Persons and Systems

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Step One: Find integrative information on your topic in several encyclopedias:

Print and Online Disciplinary Encyclopedias

International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences 26v. Ref/H/41/F58/2001

Encyclopedia of Social Work.  3 vols.  Ref/HV/35/S6/1995

Social Worker’s Desk Reference.  Ref/HV/40/S646/2002

Encyclopedia of Education. 8vols. Ref/LB/15/E47/2003 Also Online

Encyclopedia of American Education. 3 vols.  Ref/LB/17/U5.4/2001

Encyclopedia of Sociology.  5 vols. Ref/HM/425/E5/2000  Also Online

Encyclopedia of Psychology. 8 vols.  Ref/BF/31/E52/2000

Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology. 4 vols. Ref/BF/636/E52/2004

The Handbook of Social Psychology.  2 vols. Ref/HM/251/H224/1998

Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  10 vols.  Ref/B/51/E53/2006 Also Online

Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. 4 vols. Ref/BJ/63/A6.6/1998

Encyclopedia of Bioethics.  5 vols.  Ref/QH/332/E5.2/2004  Also Online

West’s Encyclopedia of American Law.  12 vols.  Ref/KF/154/W4.7/2004

Subject Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice. 2nd Ed. 4 vols.  Ref/HV/6017/E52/2002

Encyclopedia of Juvenile Justice.  Ref/HV/9104/E58/2003

Encyclopedia of Prisons and Correctional Facilities.  2v. Ref/HV/9471/E693/2005

Encyclopedia of Racism in the United States 3 vols. Ref/E/184/A1/E773/2005

Encyclopedia of Urban America: The Cities and Suburbs.  2 vols.  Ref/HT/123/E5/1998

Child Welfare for the 21st Century.  Ref/HV/741/M336/2005

Sourcebook on Violence Against Women. Ref/6250.4/W65/S68/2001

Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictive Behavior.  4 vols.  Ref/HV/5804/E53/2000

Encyclopedia of Family Life.  5 vols.  Ref/HQ/534/E53/1999

International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family. 4 vols.  Ref/HQ/9/E5.2/2003 Also Online

Population Specific Encyclopedias

Handbook of the Psychology of Women and Gender. Ref/HQ/1206/H2385/2001

Encyclopedia of Women and Gender.  2 vols. Ref/HQ/1115/E52/2001

American Masculinites. Ref/HQ/1090.3/A453/2004

Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood.  3vols.  Ref/HQ/767.84/E53/2003

Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. 5 vols.  Ref/E/184/A1/G15/1999

Encyclopedia of African American Culture and History. 6 vols.  Ref/E/185/E5.4/1995 Also Online.

The Asian American Encyclopedia. 6 vols.  Ref/E/184/O6/A8.27/1995

Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States.  Ref/E/184/S75/O97/2005

Ency. of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America.  3 v.  Ref/HQ/76.3/U5/E53/2004

Statistical Sources

Statistical Abstract of the United States. 2006.
Ready Reference/HA/202/2007

Earlham Libraries Guide to Statistical Sources

Step Two: Search the Earlham Libraries Catalog for books on your topic

Do a "Keywords Anywhere" search first.  Find a book that looks useful, and note the subject headings they have been given.  Do more Subject Keyword searches using these headings.

Step Three: Use Academic Search Premier to find academic/scholarly/professional journal articles on your topic.

Remember that you can limit your search:
Clicking Peer Reviewed will limit your search to scholarly journals.
Clicking both Earlham Print and Full Text and EBSCO Full Text will limit your search to journals available here, either in print or online.

Step Four: Use LexisNexis Academic to find newspaper articles offering in depth analysis on your topic.
            From the Earlham Libraries page -- News Resources  -- LexisNexis Academic

Additional Sources

Other journal databases
We have access to databases in all disciplinary. You can find these disciplinary databases on the Resources by Subject pages.
Please ask a Reference Librarian for assistance.

Web Sites:
Web sites tend not to be integrative. 
Organization sites that advocate a cause or point of view can be very useful, but keep in mind that they are offering information to promote their agenda.  You may find the names of activist organizations in books and articles on your topic.

SFX
Discover if Earlham has access to a journal, magazine, or newspaper online or in print.

Citation Help

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