reference databases

reference databases

Biography Sources

Biography Sources

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Research
There are lots of types of things to research, but often we seem to focus on issues or abstract concepts. Are people better off if they do A over B? What does the experiment show? How do we decide a difficult policy question? But those issues and events are put into motion by people, whose lives and ideas shape the ideas. We turn to biographies when we want to learn about people’s lives. But sometimes, even if it seems like you’re dealing with an abstract issue or policy question, your work will be deepened by an understanding of the people behind it. Who they are, and why they formed the ideas they did. Literature has long embraced this – as … Continued
Peer Review and How to Find It

Peer Review and How to Find It

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Research
As a scholar, you will likely be asked to find a lot of very specialized information for your assignments, papers, and projects. Some of this is the type of material – use a certain number of books, articles, and websites. Sometimes you’ll be looking for primary sources – those created by the participants themselves. Other times it will be multimedia, like documentaries, interviews, or television news broadcasts. And other times it will be for peer reviewed material. Peer review isn’t complicated – it is a work of scholarship, usually a journal article, which other experts in the field read before it is published, and who attest to its veracity or academic value. A journal that is peer reviewed is generally … Continued
Latin American Resources

Latin American Resources

, Frances Yates, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, Programs
The United States is undergoing a massive demographic shift, as immigration again changes our national character and makeup. But in recent decades, the influx of people has not been from Europe but from our own hemisphere – Mexico, Central, and South America. And like generations of previous immigrants, these new Americans bring their own vibrant culture, interweaving it with the multifaceted tapestry that is already here. Richmond seems far away from the southern border, but almost all of us have still been touched in some way by Hispanic culture – neighbors, friends, coworkers, and colleagues. Perhaps you’re curious about these cultures, and want to know more. The library has plenty of tools to study Latin American and Hispanic culture – … Continued
More from your MUSE

More from your MUSE

Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
A few weeks ago, we looked at the Humanities Collection of Project MUSE, a newly added database provided by the School of Humanities and Social Science and the Library, which adds significantly to material available for writing, education, literature, social science, and other fields. But Project MUSE has a lot of parts, and one other part that we have acquired is the Global Cultural Studies journal supplement.  This section adds access to 20 additional full text journals that are relevant to any student of contemporary culture.  This includes American studies, ethnic studies – including Asian, Latin American, African-American, and indigenous studies – women’s and gender studies, disability studies, and more. One of the new journals is The Global South, which … Continued
Sing, oh MUSE

Sing, oh MUSE

, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
The School of Humanities and Social Science and the Library have teamed up to add a spectacular new resource – the Humanities Collection of Project MUSE. Project MUSE is one of the major vendors for digitized, peer-reviewed full text humanities and social science content, with a special focus on material created by university presses and scholarly societies (over 120 publishers are represented). In all, you now have access to hundreds of thousands of articles and ebooks, in topic areas including Creative Writing, Education, History, Language and Linguistics, Literature, Social Sciences, and Women’s Studies, Gender, and Sexuality. And all content is stable – once it goes online in MUSE, it stays online, permanently. If you’ve done research with any of our … Continued