Best Bets for Starting Your Research in... :: Black Studies::
Use databases to find articles on your topic. These databases are the best place to start.
- America: History and Life
Covers the history and culture of the U.S. and Canada from prehistoric times to the present.
Date coverage: 1964-present.
- Ethnic Newswatch
Ethnic NewsWatch is a full-text collection of the newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press.
Date coverage: 1985-presen
- Expanded Academic ASAP
Contains scholarly and general publications. 50% full text.
Date coverage: 1980-present.
Tips: When searching databases, use AND, OR, and parentheses to focus your search.
The asterisk * symbol will search for all variations of a word. For example: basket* will search for baskets and basketry. Using quotes will search for a phrase.
Combine synonyms with OR and put them inside parentheses, like this:
"Martin Luther King, Jr." AND (speech* OR sermon*)
Here's another example:
("civil right*") AND (protest* OR activis*)
Already have the citation? Find an article with citation linker! Did you know...Databases are basically just search engines for articles on specific subjects. |
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Find books using the library catalog. Browse these subjects to get general information on your topic.
- African Americans
- American literature - African American authors - History and criticism
- African Diaspora
Search the library catalog! Find books, media materials, and more. Other searches:
Browse | Advanced Search Tips: When searching the library catalog with keywords, use the dollar sign ($) to search for a word and all of its variations.
For example: Africa$ will search for Africa and African
Did you know...- WorldCat is a catalog of thousands of libraries around the world!
- If a book isn't in the Fairfield University catalog, search WorldCat and request the book from another library. Just click on the Interlibrary Loan button.
- You can search ReQuest to search just the libraries in Connecticut.
- Contact John Cayer, Interlibrary Services, with questions.
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Reference tools such as dictionaries and encyclopedias are good places to start your research because they provide an overview of the topic as well as keywords, dates, and facts.
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Handbooks
- Africana : the Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience
Ref DT14 .A37435 2005
- Encyclopedia of Black studies
Ref E185 .E554 2005
- The Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American Literature
Ref PS153 .N5 G73 2005 V.1 - V.5
Tips: Try looking at the bibliography at the end of the entry for a list of other sources such as relevant journal articles and books.
When you have found books on your topic, look at the books on the shelf nearby to see if they are related to your topic.
Did you know...
Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, so make sure you use another source to confirm the information you find there. |
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These web sites have been evaluated by librarians (that's a good thing) for your use in an academic setting.
Did you know...
There are billions of web pages and Google only finds a fraction of them (about 15%). The rest is held in what's called the "Invisible Web", which is made up of dynamically generated information, password protected sites, and databases-driven sites!
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Use these short e-learning modules to get quick answers!
Still have questions?
Curtis Ferree , Reference & Electronic Resources Librarian
By phone at (203) 254-4000 ext. 2185
By e-mail at cferree@mail.fairfield.edu
AIM: cferree1
by Facebook
IM the Reference Desk at FairfieldULib - AOL and Yahoo
FairfieldUlib@hotmail.com - MSN
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Did you know...
February is African American History Month. Take a look and listen at the amazing resources compiled by the Library of Congress in celebration of this event for 2007 at http://www.loc.gov/topics/africanamericans/
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