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UMass Libraries > Research by SubjectPrintable Version

Library Course Guide for BDIC 496C
Junior Year Writing in Interdisciplinary Studies

Introduction
This guide is arranged in the order that one might work through the research process. However, if you would like to go to a particular area, choose from the alphabetical grouping below.

Academic Department Contacts | Books | Citation Styles | Databases | Internet Resources
| Journals, Periodicals | Library Help & Contacts | Locating Library Materials |
 Reference Materials | Research Process | Reserves

Reference Materials
Locate background information on your topic by using the Library Catalog. To restrict your search to reference materials, click on the Other Searches box, then choose Restrict Searching to Reference Collections Only. Some sample reference books on the topic CAREERS (all are located on the Main floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library):

  • Occupational Outlook Handbook / U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Washington, D.C.: The Bureau.
    UM/Ref HF5381.U62  Ask at Reference Desk for the latest volume.
  • Career Information Center
    UM/Ref HF5382.5.U5 C32 1999 (13 vols.)
  • Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance
    UM/Ref HF5381 .E52 2000 (4 vols.)
  • The Career Guide : Dun's Employment Opportunities Directory
    UM/Ref. HF5382.5.U5D86 2005
  • Encyclopedia of Associations
    UM/Ref. HS17.G332 + Ask at Reference Desk for the latest volumes.
    Discover the associations for a specific field and their publications.  
  • Career and Job Hunting Resources in the Library An extensive list of books available at UMass Amherst Libraries.

    Please note:     The "REF" before the call number indicates an item in the Reference Collection.

    Books
    For books at UMass, use the Library Catalog for searches at http://www.library.umass.edu/cgi-bin/aka/babel.cgi?dokma=http://umlibr.library.umass.edu/ . Start with a subject search (use keyword if subject yields no results). You can use broad categories to browse for sub-topics or to limit (by date, words in subject or words in title) for more focused results. When you find books that that you would like to use, write down the location and the call number. Consult the floor Directory     to the Du Bois Library to find the floor where your call number is located.

    For example, to find books about career advice - choose the Subject search in the Library Catalog and type in the names of occupations or fields of study, followed by the phrase - VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE. Examples: 

    For books on WRITING about your career, or to read what others in the profession have written about their career, choose the Subject section of the Library Catalog and type in the term - AUTHORSHIP - and the name of occupation or field of study. Examples:

    Other sources of books include:

    Databases
    Databases are indexes to print and online journals. Once you have a topic, this is where you search for articles on that topic. Citations, abstracts and/or full text of journal articles, magazine articles, newspapers, dissertations, government documents, and other information sources are found by searching library databases

    Please note: In many of our databases you will see the UMLinks button - graphic for SFX/UMLinks service . Clicking on this button will take you directly to the full text of your article, if available, or to other options for finding the article if not available online. For more information, see Frequently Asked Questions about UMLinks.

  • For the complete list of all library databases, use the Database Locator.

    Research Tips:

    1. From off-campus locations, an OIT Computer Account is required to access licensed databases. See Accessing Library Resources Online for more information about remote access to Library resources.
    2. Use the Database Searching Log to keep track of your searches and search strategies.
    3. Use RefWorks to manage your citations and create your bibliography.
    4. After you've run a search, use the button (if the database has it) to retrieve articles or to be taken directly to Interlibrary Loan, so you can order the article if UMass does not have it. 

    Selected databases for BDIC 496C research topics are: 

  • ABI Inform Global: citations to articles in business & management journals; some full text.
  • Academic Search Premier: an interdisciplinary databases with many full text articles. Good starting point for many topics.
  • ACM Digital Library: computer science journals, full text.
  • Anthropology Plus: citations to articles & books in anthropology. 
  • CINAHL: citations to articles from the field of nursing, including alternative therapies.
  • College Source Online: about 20,000 college catalogs from U.S. and international institutions. A great source for viewing courses in your area from other institutions.
  • Contemporary Women's Issues (CWI):  Full-text articles from periodicals relating to women and women's issues.
  • Education Complete: articles in the field of education, some in full text.
  • ERIC: articles & reports in the field of education.
  • Ethnic NewsWatch: full text article from ethnic presses in the United States.
  • InfoTrac: Group of periodical indexes for scholarly and popular subjects, with many articles in full text. Good starting point for many topics. Examples to explore:

  • JSTOR: full-text articles from back issues of scholarly journals.
  • LexisNexis Academic: full text articles from news sources, business periodicals, legal, and medical publications.
  • PsycArticles: full text of articles in the 28 journals of the American Psychological Association published since 1998, six journals of the EPF since about 1998, three journals of the Canadian Psychological Association since 1998, and six journals from Hogrefe & Huber published since 2000.
  • PsycINFO: citations to articles in the field of psychology.
  • PubMed: citations and abstracts for medical journal articles and reports.
  • Science Direct: full-text scholarly journals from the sciences and social sciences published within the last five years.
  • Social Services Abstracts: current research on social work and human services.
  • Sociological Abstracts: citations to articles in the field of sociology.
  • Xreferplus: full-text encyclopedias and dictionaries.
     
    Journals, Periodicals Specific to This Subject Area
    The Library offers many journals in digital format. For a listing, see the E-Journal Locator (a link is always available at the top of the page.)
  • To view a list of journals owned by the library on a specific subject, go to the Library Catalog and choose Subject Search. Use a broad subject heading and add the word periodicals. Examples:
            Psychology periodicals
            Feminsim periodicals
            Marketing periodicals

  • The "Per" before the call number indicates an item is a periodical/journal. Many of the periodicals that are listed in the catalog are available in several formats (print, online, or microfilm.) Click on this title American journal of sociology. You will see that this journal is available in print, online, and in microfilm!

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    Locating Materials within the Libraries
    After you have the citation for your material (from a database, library catalog etc.) find the call number. If not available in the database or index you are using go to the Library Catalog.

    1. Choose title and type the name of the journal title, book or other material in the box that appears.
    2. If your title appears write down the call number given and location (UM/Main - W.E.B. Du Bois, UM/Sciences - Integrated Sciences & Engineering Library, Special Collections etc.).
    3. Consult the Call Number chart to identify the floor for your material.

    If this library doesn't own the material you want, try searching for an item from the Four College Catalog, or fill out an Interlibrary Loan Request Form with the appropriate citation information. Staff will attempt to locate and bring the material here for you to use.

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    Internet Resources
    Please note: Keep in mind when you are researching information on the Web that anyone can publish a web page. Read about the advantages and disadvantages of the "Free Web" and evaluate the information you find.

    Reserves
    All Course Reserves are located on the third floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library.

    The Research Process (an introduction)

    Citation Styles
    See Using Citation Styles for examples and links to standard style formats.

    Library Help & Contacts

    Academic Department Contacts

    Prepared for BDIC496c, (04/05)
    Library guide by Beth Lang, BDIC Department Library Liaison
    http://www.library.umass.edu/subject/courseguides/BDIC.html     

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