Welcome! This site has been created to assist you finding and using library resources to do the background research for your Geography 104 assignment.
Once you've found your statistical data and mapped the phenomena you are interested in, come her to find articles, books and other publications that will help you interpret and explain your map.
Our library is the largest publicly funded university library in the world. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it is truly a treasure trove for scholars.
All of the University of Illinois Library's resources are available to you as you do your research, so explore, have fun, and don't hesitate to ask questions!
ASK-A-LIBRARIAN FOR HELP WITH YOUR RESEARCH
Use our Ask-A-Librarian Service to IM, chat, email, phone or find a reference librarian. You can also type in the box to the right to instant message us.
For individual help with your research, don't hesitate to contact me:
JoAnn Jacoby
Office hours: Thursdays at 4 pm or by appointment.
Office: Education and Social Science Library, 100 Main Library
Email: jacoby@uiuc.edu
Or fill out an Individual Research Consultation Form to sign up for a one-on-one appointment with a librarian to learn about the best databases, search strategies and information sources for your upcoming project or paper.
FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND
We have over 40 departmental
libraries on our campus. The libraries you will likely find
most useful for this class are Education
and Social Science, Government Documents, and
Map & Geography. All three are located in the Main Library building, just west of the Undergradaute Library.
Education and Social Science Library, 100 Main Library, Spring Semester 2008:
M-Th: 8:30 am-11:00 pm
Fr: 8:30 am-6:00 pm
Sa: 11:00 am-5:00 pm
Sun: 1:00 pm-11:00 pm
Hours
and contact information for all UIUC Libraries.
FINDING STATISTICAL SOURCES: Try the resources listed on the Government Documents Library's site for Geography 104.
FINDING ARTICLES
- InfoTrac's
Academic OneFile - A mix of general and scholarly periodicals, newspapers and
and some full text documents. This multipurpose database supports one-stop shopping, but a more focused database may provide more efficient access to the literature on your topic.
-
Sociological Abstracts - The preeminent database for citations to scholarly journals in sociology and related disciplines such as anthropology, criminology, ethnic & racial studies, gender studies, politics and urban studies. Indexes and abstracts over 2,600 journals and other serial publications, plus conference papers, books, and dissertations.
-
Frequently Used Databases in the Social Sciences - Browse this list of databases in the social sciences to find a good place to start your search for topics related to education, gender, politics, or psychology.
Plan out your search statement.
- Start with the "key concept" terms from your "Devising a Search Strategy" worksheet.
- Enter your keyword search in the search box(es). Use a subject search if available.
- Use the HELP screens in the database to find what truncation symbols are used.
- If desired, limit to Peer Reviewed (items approved by experts in the field) and to a range of publication dates.
Search the database and evaluate the results.
- Think carefully about the results of your search. Narrow or broaden your search as needed.
- Mark relevant entries.
- Print, download or e-mail citations and print full-text articles.
- Use the Check Your Library link, if available, to determine the UIUC call number(s) and location(s) (i.e. Undergrad, Education, etc.) for your periodical title(s).
Find journal articles(if full text wasn't available online).
If the article is not available in full-text, and the database does not have Check Your Library, find the journal call number by using the Library Catalog "Quick Search:"
- Type in the Title of the Journal
- Select Start of Magazine/Journal Title from the pull-down box
- Click Search
- Once you have found the record you need, scroll down to "Library Has" and compare with your article citation
- Write down the call number
- Check for big red "e": - the library has online access to thousands of journals.
If the item you need is not available through UIUC, use the online Interlibrary Loan request services
FINDING BOOKS, JOURNALS & OTHER MATERIALS
- Online Library Catalog - Look here to find books, magazines or journals containing articles that you need, DVDs, and many other resources. In addition to the 10 million volumes we have on this campus, you can connect to over 40 other libraries in Illinois and request books be sent to you.
When
you find something you want in the catalog, write down the following:
Location - in which library the item is kept (or libraries, if
we have multiple copies)
Call Number - this number is essential for finding the item on the shelf
Status - is it available for you to check out?
Hint: Library catalogs are used for two purposes: (1) If you know exactly what you are looking for - an exact title or author - you can use the catalog to locate your material (this works for book titles and journal titles); (2) You can also use catalogs to discover material that might be helpful to you by doing subject and keyword searching.
- I-Share Catalog
Find and place requests for materials located at I-Share libraries (over 50 academic libraries in Illinois).
- WorldCat
Search libraries worldwide. Can request loans of materials not available through UIUC or I-Share network. You can also request books by filling out a form on the Interlibrary Loan page.
- How do I find books?
A series of brief tutorials on using the catalog.
Style and Writing Guides - How to format citations, write papers, and do research in the social sciences.
Citation Formats and Library Learning - How to cite
government information, particularly government information found on the
Internet.
Refworks - A great tool for writing papers, Refworks helps you export bibliographic records from databases, change the citation styles as needed and import the citation directly into a Word document so you can create bibliographies on the fly. For help using this utility, see Refworks Help.
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