Subject Specialist:
African American and Diaspora Studies
African Studies
Ethnic Studies
814-865-8864
e-mail:san17@psu.edu
Sylvia A. Owiny
Title: Social Sciences Librarian
Subject Specialist:
African American and Diaspora Studies
African Studies
Ethnic Studies
814-865-8864
e-mail:san17@psu.edu
Review your syllabus for topic ideas.
Try These First is a list of general databases that can help you to narrow your topic.
Use Bibliographies to locate information about a topic in books, journals, magazines, newspapers, etc.
To locate a bibliography on your topic, try a keyword search in The CAT using your keywords and the word bibliography.
Example: In Quick Search or Advanced Search in The CAT, enter matrilineal kinship bibliography in Keywords Anywhere.
Talk to your instructor or librarian.
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works provide background information and overviews of topics, cited works, etc. They are a good starting point for researching your topic.
To find encyclopedias and other reference works in The CAT, use Advanced Search, enter identified keywords, e.g., matrilineal kinship, then select Material Type Reference Book to find encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc. - or - simply enter keywords, e.g., matrilineal kinship and the word encyclopedia or dictionary in Quick Search.
To find general books, videos and other materials in The CAT, use Advanced Search, enter keywords, e.g., matrilineal kinship, and limit your search to Material Type, Publication Date, Library location, etc.
Use the I want It button to have books delivered to you from a Commonwealth Campus location.
Use the Find Materials Not at Penn State research guide for help finding titles that are not in the Penn State Libraries' collections.
Using the LionSearch Advanced Search menu:
These titles are available through the Libraries Databases by Title (A-Z list):
The online indexes and databases listed below are available through the Libraries' Databases by Title (A-Z list):
America: History and Life (U.S. and Canada)
The following databases are available through the Libraries' Databases by Title (A-Z list):
CQ (Congressional Quarterly) Electronic Library — includes access to:
Statistical Insight (for statistics)
The following databases are available through the Libraries' Databases by Title (A-Z list):
Gale Virtual Reference Library (search by subject Law)
Newspapers and other news sources can provide context for information you are gathering. Use the Libraries' News and Newspaper Sources Research Guide for help finding current and historical news sources.
The following Penn State Libraries' Research Guides may be helpful for your research:
Citation and Writing Guides, a Penn State Libraries' Research Guide, provides links to online citation guides as well as citation management tools that will help you correctly format your bibliographic references.
