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UMass Libraries > Subject Research Guides > UMass East Asian Collection > East Asian Studies Class Guides

Library Course Guide for Elementary Research in Japanese

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 |
Other Library Materials | Reference Materials | Research Process | Reserves

Reference Materials

Everyone needs dictionaries! If you don't have your own, or you want to use bigger dictionaries, please use the library catalog to see what is available in the Library. Please use the CJK Catalog and set your encoding to UTF-8 so that you can see the Japanese characters. <Warning: You will get a "Port Disabled" notice if you try to use a Netscape browser for the CJK Catalog. Switch to Internet Explorer please> 

To find a Japanese - English dictionary (和英辞典) do a subject search: Japanese language dictionaries English

Some are located  in the East Asian Reference Room (located on the 22nd floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library):
for example:  Kenkyusha's new Japanese-English dictionary UM/East Asian Ref. PL679 .K4 2003
in this case another copy is also available in the Main Floor Reference Room as well: UM/Ref.  PL679 .K4 2003 

While others are available to be checked out from the East Asian Collection (located on the 21st floor of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library)
for example:   Deirī Konsaisu Ei-wa Wa-ei jiten.  UM/East Asian  PL679 .S362 1990
                     デｲﾘ―ｺﾝｻｲｽ英和和英辞典.

You will also need to refer to a dictionary that will help you to read kanji 漢字.
To find them, do a subject search:  Chinese characters Dictionaries Japanese
for example: 

•  Kanji & kana = 漢字とかな : a handbook and dictionary of the Japanese writing system / by Wolfgang Hadamitzky and Mark Spahn.   UM/W.E.B. Du Bois   PL679 .H28   and UM/East Asian Ref. PL679 .H28
• The Kodansha Kanji learner's dictionary / Editor in chief Jack Halpern.　　UM/East Asian Ref.  PL681.C5 K54 1999
• The new Nelson Japanese-English character dictionary.　UM/East Asian Ref.  PL677.5 .N44 1997
  
• The Kanji dictionary (Spahn & Hadamitsky)   UM/East Asian Ref.  PL677.5 .S625 1996    and   UM/Ref.  PL677.5 .S625 1996
  

Please note: The "REF" before the call number indicates an item in the Reference Collection. BUT you need to double-check if it is UM/Ref. (which means the main floor) or UM/East Asian Ref. (which means the 22nd floor).

Books
Search for books in the Library Catalog.

Searching for Japanese language materials in the UMass Amherst Library Catalog:

1. Search by romanization:  Use the form of romanization found in the Kenkyusha dictionary, and do not type in long sounds. Separate your words.
   
1. Tokyo  not Toukyou  for 東京
   
2. Chizu  not tidu for 地図
3. Nihon bungaku no rekishi  日本文学の歴史
2. Search using Japanese characters. Make sure that you are in the CJK OPAC <http://www.library.umass.edu/cgi-bin/aka/babel.cgi?dokma=http://umlibr.library.umass.edu:1080/search/> with the encoding set to UTF-8 (Unicode). Open up your Japanese input system, and type in the characters.

Collections of Japanese Materials that are easier to read:

• Net Library - online books (here include sample records from net library)
• WorldCat and Other Library Catalogs for searching other catalogs if you don't find books in the Four College Catalog.
• Borrow books from the Virtual Catalog and Interlibrary Loan.

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Databases
Locate citations, abstracts and/or full text of journal articles, magazine articles, newspapers, dissertations, government documents, and other information sources in your subject.

Please note: In some of our databases you may see the UMLinks button - . 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.

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.) A selection of scholarly or academic journals follows:

Nihongo jānaru = The Nihongo journal.  UM/Media    PL501.N45
日本語ジｬ―ﾅﾙ = The Nihongo journal.   note: this journal is accompanied by a CD-ROM/Audio CD so that you can also practice your hearing.

Please note: The "Per" before the call number indicates an item is a periodical/journal.

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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.

Japanese Language Materials within the Libraries:

1. Most books written in Japanese are located on the 21st floor (UM/East Asian)
2. Most bound periodicals written in Japanese are located on the regular floors

Other Library Materials

Materials in the Media Collection (3rd floor)

Audio CDs - We have a nice collection of Japanese literature (short stories, novels, and poetry) available on CD.
    You can find these by searching the title: Shincho CD  or by searching the subject heading: audiobooks

Book and CD sets - Even better to have both the book and the CD.

Japanese Movies - Most, but not all, of the movies we have in the library have English subtitles.
    You can find these by searching the subject heading: motion pictures, Japanese.

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Internet Resources & Online Texts
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.

Online Dictionaries:

• Rikai    - your mouse turns into a dictionary.
• Goo Dictionaries - E<->J, Japanese, it is also linked to web/news searching

• Aozora Bunko - Japanese texts online
  
• UVa Japanese Text Initiative
• Kokubungaku Kenkyu Shiryokan 国文学研究資料館
• Nihon Bungaku Nado Text File 日本文学等テキストファイル
• Alphabetical List of Classical Japanese Works in Translation - maintained by Michael Watson.
  

Reserves
Reserves department homepage

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The Research Process (an introduction)

• Getting Started with Research - Learn about some very basic research tools and when they are appropriate.
• Library Research Subject Tutorial -
• Merlin Information Literacy Tutorial - In-depth tutorial on the library research process, including evaluation and citation of information sources.

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

Library Help & Contacts

• Ask a Librarian
• Evaluate a Session
• Instructional Services
• Interlibrary Loan
• Request a Consultation with Sharon Domier
  
• Subject Research Guides
• Tutorials

Academic Department Contacts

• Department of Asian Languages and Literatures
  
• Course page in progress
  
• This course is taught by Amanda Seaman
  

Prepared for JPN297, Feb. 4th, 2004
Library guide by Sharon Domier, East Asian Studies Librarian
http://www.library.umass.edu/subject/easian/clsguides/JPN297.html

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Last updated: Nov. 1, 2004

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