Librarian Contacts:

Joan Ariel Women's Studies Librarian 386 Main Library 824-4970 jariel@uci.edu

The Librarians are IN Humanities:   Research Consultation Office Hours  in HIRC, Humanities Hall, Room 269:   Mondays 11-12   Tuesdays 3-4   Wednesdays 1-2   Thursdays 1-2   Fridays 11-12

This guide is designed as an introduction to web and print resources useful for researching topics in Women's and Sexuality Studies.  It is extremely selective, both in terms of the sources cited and the strategies recommended for exploring and analyzing the literature on your selected topic.

In your identification and investigation of the literature on the topic you have selected for your research paper, you will be engaging in bibliographic or library-based research in which you:

• Select and analyze your topic
• Collect data and information sources: books and articles from academic journals
• Critically evaluate your sources: authority, currency, evidence, perspective, bias, etc.
• Select the most important sources to draw upon in your paper.
• Thoughtfully and critically analyze and evaluate your sources to incorporate into your paper.

As a UCI student, you have access to all resources listed/linked here.  In order to access these from home or an off-campus location, you will need to configure your "proxy server."  Follow the straigtforward instructions found on Connect from Off-Campus.

1. Topic Selection and Analysis
2. Search Types and Strategies
3. Beginning Your Research: UCI Libraries' Web Gateways to Sources
4. Finding Books, Videos and Other "Monographs": Library Catalogs
• UCI: ANTPAC
• UC System: MELVYL
• Worldwide: WorldCat
5. Finding Journal and Other Periodical Articles
6. Further Information and Assistance

A little advance preparation and analysis of your topic/project will go a long way toward making your research more effective and efficient, thus minimizing the time required and the possible frustrations encountered. Before you begin searching for sources, consider the topic carefully and analyze it in order to focus your search strategy and produce useful and manageable results.

The following steps may prove helpful in analyzing your topic and in constructing a useful search strategy.  Note: It is often very helpful to make an actual list of these elements.

1.1. Survey the topic and clarify any unfamiliar terms or concepts.

One good way to do this is to use reference works to get an overview.information on your topic. Getting background information on your topic can assist in your investigation and sometimes provide leads to resources as well as key terminology and concepts related to your topic.

Consider consulting encyclopedias, handbooks, and other reference sources online or located in the Main Library Reference Room (first floor), including the following more recent titles:

• Women's Studies Encyclopedia.  Helen Tierney, ed.  Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1999.  [Conveniently available on the Web;

also available  on CD-ROM in Multimedia Resource Center (MRC) and in print: 3 vols. MAIN Reference HQ 1115 W645 1999]
• Gay Histories and Cultures : An Encyclopedia. George E. Haggerty, ed. MAIN-Reference HQ75.13 .G37 2000
• The International Encyclopedia of Sexuality. Robert T. Francoeur, ed.  MAIN-Reference HQ21 .I68 1997
• Lesbian Histories and Cultures : An Encyclopedia. Bonnie Zimmerman, ed. MAIN-Reference HQ75.5 .L4395 2000

1.2. Consider subtopics or component parts of the topic as well as the particular perspective(s) you want to take or argument(s) you will make.

• For example, if your topic is gay parenting: subtopics might include adoption issues; particular perspectives might include historical, psychological, etc.
• To help focus, ask five questions about your topic: what? who? when? where? why?

1.4. Keep track of bibliographic citations with all required elements that you will need to formally cite your sources:

• Books: Author, title, place of publication, publisher, and date.
• Articles: Author, article title, journal title, volume, number, date, and pages.

In doing library-based research, there are three key approaches to identifying information and materials on a subject or topic: known item; keyword; and subject heading.  All are based on the "bibliographic record" for the book, article, or other item.

2.1.  Known Item
A book or scholarly article  you already have can provide leads to additional research sources:

• Use the bibliography and footnotes to identify other materials
• For books, search the title or author in ANTPAC, then link from the subject headings in the "bibliographic record" to expand your retrieval to related items.

In most library catalogs and databases, searches for your keywords,  usually drawn from the following data fields:

     Books: title, series title, and/or subject heading words and sometimes author and notes fields.
     Articles: article title, subject heading, abstract if available.

Cautionary Note:

     In some databases (ANTPAC included), you must use a single word, an exact phrase, or and between multiple words.
     Example: lesbian*  and mother*

     In other databases (MELVYL included), the database automatically inserts an implicit and between multiple words.
     Example: lesbian# mother#

It is important to know how the database you are using translates "keyword." If in doubt or you get a zero result, try both strategies.

2.3. Subject Heading
Searches for subject heading(s) assigned by the Library of Congress or descriptors assigned by the index/database producer using a "controlled vocabulary."

The best way to identify subject heading(s) for your topic is to do a keyword search first, then note and link from subject headings of the most promising items.

• A subject search in ANTPAC is an exact subject heading search.
• Some "subject" searches (e.g, in MELVYL as well as some databases) provide the option of searching by topic keywords, subject heading words, or exact subject heading.  Read search screens and select options carefully.

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome -- epidemiology *
• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome -- prevention & control *
• AIDS disease -- Prevention
• African American gays -- Social conditions
• Bisexuality
• Church work with gays -- United States
• Feminism -- United States
• Gay adoption -- United States
• Gays -- Legal status, laws, etc
• Gender Identity
• Hermaphroditism
• Hermaphroditism -- therapy *
• Hermaphroditism -- Treatment
• Homophobia -- United States
• Homosexuality -- United States
• Homosexuality -- Religious aspects
• Homosexuality -- Religious aspects -- Christianity
• Homosexuality, Male -- Japan
• Lesbians -- Employment -- United States
• Lesbians -- Legal status, laws, etc
• Lesbians -- United States -- Family relationships
• People with disabilities -- Sexual behavior
• Racism -- United States
• Same-sex marriage -- Law and legislation
• Sexual discrimination in employment -- United States
• Sex instruction -- United States
• Sex instruction for people with disabilities
• Transsexual college students -- Services for -- United States
• United States. Defense of Marriage Act

• Intersex Society of North America
• Lorde, Audre
• Riggs, Marlon T.
• Safe Schools Coalition of Washington
• Shepard, Matthew, d. 1998 -- Death and burial

In constructing your searches, carefully consider the power and usefulness of truncation to expand your retrieval.  Truncation builds upon the root of a word to retrieve all variations based on it.

Truncation symbols vary across catalogs and databases; most often * or # are used.

Examples:

• lesbian*          =  lesbian, lesbians, lesbianism
• economic#      =  economic, economics, economical
• sexual*           =  sexual, sexuality, sexualities, etc.

• rac#   = race and racism but also raccoon, racer, rack, racketeer, etc.

6. Sending Results:  Most catalogs and databases allow you to email, print, and/or download your search results.  If necessary, use any available help screens/features for instructions.
 
 

3. Beginning Your Research: UCI Libraries' Website ~ Gateways to Sources

UCI's local catalog, the most current and comprehensive source for materials in the UCI Libraries.  ANTPAC includes monographs (books, videos, government publications, etc.) as well as periodical/journal titles, but it does not index periodical articles.  [To identify articles on your topic, see section #5 below).

Search tips:

• Begin with Keyword Search, display promising items, then link from subject headings to expand your retrieval.
• Remember to put and between your key words.  If you get a zero result, try other words to describe your topic.
• To Email: Use the Export Record button to export then email items to yourself.

The MELVYL Catalog serves as the catalog for all 9 UC libraries; as a UCI student, you have full access to these libraries and their collections.

OR: try the NEW MELVYL Catalog, which  just debuted this week and also includes periodical titles (but not articles).

4.3. Worldwide: WorldCat

Records from the worldwide OCLC Online Union Catalog for books, computer files, audiovisual materials, periodicals, maps, manuscripts, musical scores, etc., in a variety oflanguages.  (Also provides links to other databases of possible interest, e.g., ArticlesFirst, etc.)
 
 

5. Finding Journal and Other Periodical Articles

5.1. CDL Databases Specifically for Women's Studies Research

5.2. More Comprehensive List:

5.3. Recommended Indexes for Beginning Research in Women's Studies

If any of these links in the table above do not work, link from Article Databases list.
 

5.4. Useful Indexes in Other Disciplines

Selected additional databases that may be useful for your bibliography are included in the table below.  Select those relevant to the discipline you are researching.  To access these, link from Article Databases list.
 

America: History & Life  Anthropological Literature ArtAbstracts  ArticleFirst  Arts and Humanities Citation Index  Bibliography of American Literature  Bibliography of Asian Studies Chicano Database

Ethnic News Watch  ERIC (Education)  Historical Abstracts  Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Left Index Lexis/Nexis MLA via Silverplatter (Literature)

Music Index National Newspaper Index PAIS (Public Affairs Intl)  PsycINFO (Psychology) PubMed (Medicine) Social Science Citation Index  Social Services Abstracts Sociological Abstracts

5.5. Electronic Journals in Women's Studies

5.5.1.
CDL List for Women's Studies

5.5.2.
List on Libraries Website: Full-Text Journals
Allows searching by titles words, e.g., women* or wom*n* or feminis*

5.5.1.
JSTOR
A searchable retrospective archival full-text collection of over 100 journals in such subject areas as history, African-American and Asian studies, ecology, economics, education, finance, mathematics, philosophy, political science, population studies, and sociology. JSTOR does not include the latest 5 years of any journal, but often includes back issues from several decades past.

Includes a number of journals related to Women's Studies, among them:

• Family Planning Perspectives 1969-2000
• Gender and Society 1987-1998
• Journal of Interdisciplinary History 1970-1996
• Journal of Marriage and the Family 1964-1999
• Marriage and Family Living 1941-1963
• Social Forces 1925-2000    (plus links to recent content 2001-2002)
• Studies in Family Planning 1963-1999
• Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature 1982-1996

1. Enter search terms and search fields [e.g., full-text or title or abstact.
2. Select Disciplines/Journals to Search [required] e.g., History, African American Studies, etc.  [You may select as many categories as desired.]
3. Limit your search to Articles if desired.  You may also limit by publication date range and/or content availability [ieAll content or full-text only].
4. Submit search
5. Refine your search as necessary or View your results, selecting one of the following display options:
• Highest scoring items first
• Most recently published items first.
• Oldest items first.
6. Review your results carefully.  Download or print those items of particular interest. Unfortunately, JSTOR does not [yet?] provide email option.
7. If you got zero or few results, try varying your search terms and fields.

5.5.2.
MUSE - Project Muse-- Johns Hopkins University Press
Current full text collection of  nearly 200 quality journal titles from some 30 scholarly publishers covering the fields of
history, literature and criticism, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies,
economics, and many others. Full text coverage varies by journal title but most range from 1996 to the present.

Selected journals related to Women's Studies include:

• Camera Obscura
• Differences
• Emily Dickinson Journal
• Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies
• GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies
• Hypatia
• Journal of the History of Sexuality
• Journal of Women's History
• Legacy
• NWSA Journal

Note:  If desired, Quick Navigation menus allow you to select a search limitation at the outset by:

• A title, e.g., Journal of Women's History; etc.
• A subject, e.g., Women's Studies, etc.
• A collection, e.g., Arts and Humanities; Social Sciences, etc.  Note: not recommended; may miss useful items.

1. Click on Advanced Search
2. Enter search terms and fields [recommend all fields except text to begin; if zero result, expand to include text]
3. Use * for truncation as desired.
4. Limit by Type to Articles
5. Narrow results as necessary by adding additional search terms
6. Unfortunately, Muse does not provide an internal email or print function.
7. You may print from your browser and/or copy and past the URL for the desired article into a web email program if you have one.

5.6. Search Strategies and Delivery Options in Periodical Databases

If you have found too few:

Remove some of your key words if you used more than one

Remove some of your  limits, e.g. abstracts or text.

Consider and search related, broader topics

If you have found too many:

Remember, where possible, to consider and specify display format desired:

• Print:  Print results to connected printer
• Mail:   Email search results in specified format (including abstracts and text if desired)
• Download: Download results to your computer or floppy disk.

1. Review and analyze your search results

• Read the article title carefully
• Note the journal title, author, and date and length of the article
• Read the abstract, if available, carefully
• View the article in long display format to note the subject headings if available; these often are good indicators of the primary focus of the article (and can be used to expand your search)
• You may also quickly scan article text if provided.
2. Select those articles that seem most promising; check these by clicking in the square box next to the item number.

3. Once you have selected those you want, email, print, or download the items. Provide a subject or name for your search; using your search strategy words as the subject helps you keep track of your research process.

5.7. Locating Articles at UCI

To find the specific journal and issue you need:

• Note the UCI Libraries call number if provided in the index that you used to identify the article.
• If call number is not provided (e.g., CWI, GenderWatch, WRI, etc.), check ANTPAC by the journal title to find the call number.
• Note whether the issue you need is bound (indicated by "B" in front of volume/number) or unbound.
• Unbound journals("current" issues):
• Main Library: Current Periodicals Room, 2nd floor, by call number.
• Science Library: Current Periodicals Room, 2nd floor, by title.
• Bound journals: Shelved by call number (interfiled with books) in the stacks.
• Microforms:      Current Periodicals Room, check ANTPAC by title for location.

6.1. Further Tips on Beginning Your Research

6.2. Ask a Librarian: Live and Email

6.3. Research Consultation with Women's Studies Librarian, Joan Ariel: jariel@uci.edu