HI 3323: Topics in the Western Intellectual Tradition

B. Baller

Off campus?

Off campus access to resources with proxy.

Background Information

While gathering general information and facts...

Make a list of keywords and add to this list as you find more
Follow up on relevant authors, researchers, experts
Gather statistical information to build scope and impact of problem
Consider all perspectives: historic, economic, social, political, etc.

Beyond reading your class texts try...

The free web: search engines and other free web sites such as Wikipedia
Encyclopedias: Britannica Online

Information Choices: What Sources To Use

Use different types of information to get broad coverage of your topic. Historians use primary materials to build their research. See the Primary Sources guide for information on primary literature and how to find it.

Review the 5 items below. What type of sources are the following? Newspapers, popular magazines, scholarly journal, primary material? ______________________________________________

Who's the intended audience for each?
______________________________________________

Kastoryano, Riva. "France's Veil Affair: National Institutions and Transnational Identities." Inroads: A Journal of Opinion 15 (Summer-Fall 2004): 63(10). Health Reference Center Academic. Gale. Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 9 Jan 2006 <http://find.galegroup.com>
Berger, Anne-Emmanuelle. "The Newly Veiled Woman: Irigaray, Specularity, and the Islamic Veil" Diacritics 28.1 (Spring 1998): 93-119. JSTOR. Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 9 Jan. 2006 <http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0300-7162%28199821%2928%3A1%3C93%3ATNVWIS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6>
"Their culture, our culture: Muslim Migrant Women in Europe Condemn Cultural Relativism." WIN News 23.n2 (Spring 1997): 80(1). Professional Collection. Gale. Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 09 Jan. 2006 <http://find.galegroup.com>
Barr, Judith, India Clark, and Melissa Marsh. "Veils and Veiling" Women, The Visual Arts and Islam. 9 Jan. 2006 <http://www.skidmore.edu/academics/arthistory/ah369/index.html>
"Young, Muslim and French." Wide Angle. PBS. 26 Aug. 2004. 9 Jan. 2006 <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/france/transcript.html>

Evaluate everything...

Evaluating Web Resources Checklist (PDF)

According to a study at Stanford, nearly half of all web site evaluators (46.1%) used visual cues, to assess a site's credibility. Move beyond what a site looks like...

Authority
Scope
Currency
Accuracy

Books

Books can be beneficial if searching historical topics, as they will give in-depth analysis of a topic. Possible subject headings:

France History
France Colonies
France Ethnic relations
France Foreign relations
France History, Military

Find Books at WPI (library catalog) | Beyond (WorldCat)

Find Articles about Your Topic

All databases listed are WPI subscriptions. But check out Google Scholar, a web search of scholarly sources.

New York Times - ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Full text and image 1851 - 2003. For current NYT articles 1980+ search LEXIS®-NEXIS® Academic
LEXIS®-NEXIS® Academic: Current full text news, legal, medical, and business information. News coverage ranges from regional coverage (Worcester T & G) to national. Some back to 1980s. Choose GUIDED NEWS tab, WORLD NEWS, to find articles in European Newspapers such as London Times, The Guardian, and newswires.
Historical Abstracts: References to articles on historic topics. International topics well covered.
Readers Guide Retro: References to articles on historic topics (1980-1982) but indexes most American publications.
Filter and Follow Up...
- Scan results: use subject headings/descriptors, keywords, phrases found to expand search
- Scrutinize article titles, number of pages, and journal title
- Browse promising abstract and conclusion sections of long studies
- Bibliographies can clue you in on the value of the article as well
- Find an interesting author? Search for more articles or for his/her web site
- Notice an agency, association or expert mentioned in an article? Follow up!
- Limit by date ranges to focus your topic
Gale PowerSearch: Articles on all topics, click More Search options... checkbox to limit only to peer-reviewed articles. Contains articles back to the 1980s but good coverage of historical topics.
JSTOR: Complete full text of important scholarly journals in a variety of academic fields. Coverage: Varies by publication but many back to late 1800s.
More History Databases & Electronic Resources

Only Finding a Citation? Getting the Full Text

Is the journal online or here in the library? Search our Journals, Magazines, & Newspapers list
Visit another library: Search WorldCat to find one
Request delivery from another library: Interlibrary Loan.

Give Credit! Cite Your Sources

Questions?

Stop by the reference desk or set up a research consultation.

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Last modified: Feb 15, 2008, 10:08 EST