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Usually focused on a particular subject, annuals and yearbooks present data and statistics from a given year. Their primary purpose is to compile the year's activities in to an arrangement by country, subject or specialized area. Annuals and yearbooks are usually located in the Reference Collection of the Library.
| The Statesman's Yearbook: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World | REF JA 51 .S7 |
Books are written or printed works produced by one or more authors. Individuals or committees with expertise in the field often edit books. Because they provide comprehensive information on their subject at the time of publication, books are very valuable in the research process. For many subject areas this is the best starting point for research. Many books contain valuable bibliographies at end of each chapter or at the close of the book. This provides an excellent entry point into the subject material as well to the authors publishing in a particular field of study.
Online information databases are large, regularly updated collections of digitized information -- including but not limited to abstracts and full text articles from journals and newspapers, conference proceedings and submitted papers, dissertations, government reports, essays, book chapters, web pages, etc. The content is created by publishers who release print versions, then lease the rights to their information to database vendors. Database records are easy to search and retrieve because the content of each record has been analyzed and assigned appropriate subject headings, keywords, names, etc. New records are regularly downloaded from the producer of each database.
In order to access these resources off-campus, you must first obtain the passwords.
If you are looking for a specific journal within a database, use the E-Journal Portal. It returns the names of databases which contain the desired journal.
A dictionary is any single or multi-volume work which briefly explains terms and topics related to a specific subject, usually arranged alphabetically. Dictionary entries are usually shorter than those found in an encyclopedia. Dictionaries assist with the understanding of terminology and concepts, suggest synonyms, related terms, and scientific names, and are useful resources to consult when formulating and refining your research strategy. Often illustrations and references to additional resources are included.
| Dictionary of the Social Sciences | REF H 41 .D53 |
Encyclopedias are among the most widely used reference sources and contain articles of varying lengths covering all fields of knowledge. Typically encyclopedias cover many topics but without going into a great deal of depth on any one thing. Encyclopedias are a good starting point for researching topics that you do not know much about or that are completely new to you. They can give you background information which can help when you move to more in-depth sources later. Specialized encyclopedias may cover just one field or even a sub-unit of that field. Subject encyclopedias can be consulted for detailed or technical information on a subject.
| Education and Sociology: An Encyclopedia | REF LC 189.95 .E38 |
| Encyclopedia of American Social History; three volumes. | REF HN 57.E58 |
| Encyclopedia of Criminology and Deviant Behavior; four volumes. | REF HV 6017.E53 |
| Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology | REF GN 307 .E52 |
| Encyclopedia of Global Change | REF R 362.7.E56 |
| Encyclopedia of Social Issues; six volumes. | REF HN 57 .E59 |
| Encyclopedia of Sociology; five volumes. | REF HM 425.E5 |
| Encyclopedia of Women in American History; three volumes. | REF HQ 1410 .E53 |
| Encyclopedias of World Cultures; six volumes. | REF G 307 .E53 |
| Ethnic Relations: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia | REF GN 496 .L48 |
| Greenwood Encyclopedia of Women's Issues Worldwide; six volumes. | REF HQ 1115 .G74 |
| Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mankind | REF GN 307 .I44 |
| International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences | REF H 40 .A2 I5 |
| Social Issues In Science and Technology: An Encyclopedia | REF Q 175.5 .N49 |
| The Encyclopedia of Aging | REF HQ 1061 .E53 |
| The Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence | REF HQ 772 .G27 |
| Violence In America: An Encyclopedia | REF HN 90.V5 .V5474 |
| Women's Studies Encyclopedia | REF HQ 1115 .W645 |
Government information is generated by local, state, national, and international governments on almost all topics. Most government information is undergoing a major shift from traditional formats such as print and microfiche, to a variety of electronic formats available through the Internet. Government information is considered to be a primary, authoritative and reliable resource. To find government information on your topic, search the library catalog, specialized indexes, and government agency web sites.
Handbooks, manuals and guides are resources which supply concise factual and statistical information often in the form of charts, graphs, tables and formulas. These sources have very basic information, with little or no discussion or analysis of the facts they present. They cover a wide variety of topics, and as with other reference sources, these tools may be general or specific to a field, group of people, or era. These sources are frequently updated, which makes them valuable for locating current information. Try searching the online catalog using the keywords of your topic combined with one of the following keywords: handbook, manual or guide.
| Cultures of the World | REF GN 307 .E532 |
| Handbook of American Women's History | REF HQ 1410 .H36 |
Journals are scholarly periodicals which publish current research and commentary on their specific field of study. Most scholarly journals are peer-reviewed which means they have been reviewed and verified by a panel of experts in the field.
If you are looking for an electronic edition of a specific journal, use the E-Journal Portal. It returns the names of databases which contain the desired journal.
Statistical sources attempt to answer questions beginning with “How much?” or “How many?” The tool needed to answer such a question is determined by the question's depth and complexity. Typically a straightforward question requires searching for statistics already analayzed and recorded in books, journal articles, and the publications of governments, associations, and organizations.