Human Biology 202- Ethnic Minorities in Science
Finding Books
Cofrin Library Catalog
- Do a Keyword by Date search for the person
you are researching and remember to put quotation marks around
the name. For example, "Ernest Everett Just"
- Not everyone will find a book on his or her topic.
If you are searching for a book and you discover our library does not own it you can request it through interlibrary loan, a service for students to get books and journal articles for other libraries. To get a book through interlibrary loan, stop by the reference desk for assistance.
Universal Borrowing
As a memeber of the UW Green Bay community, you are able to check out books from any University of Wisconsin campus. Universal Borrowing allows you to request items directly from any UW System library through the Cofrin Library Catalog. Items will be available for pick up at the Cofrin Library in approximately one to five days. Periodicals, reference books, and special or archival collection materials are not available through this service.
Worldcat
Use the mega-catalog, Worldcat, to find books from other libraries. WorldCat will allow you to search over 15,000 libraries worldwide. Although the Cofrin Library may not own an item that you find in WorldCat, you can submit an interlibrary loan request from right inside the database. It can take from 7-10 days for the item to arrive so it is important that you start your research early to give yourself an opportunity to get the best resources for you research.
Finding Journal Articles
- The best place to start when searching for research articles on a specific topic is in an on-line database. On-line databases provide information about articles on specific topics and in some cases provide the full text of the article.
- Listed below are some databases to help you get started with your research.
Biographies Plus Illustrated
A great place to start to get some background information and journal articles on your subject. The entries are usually short but concise
and serve as good starting points for research.
Academic Search PremierInformation on more current figures.
GenderWatch
Information on contemporary women scientists.
Ethnic NewsWatch
Another online database for information on scientists still living.
JSTOR
An historical archive of full text articles
from scholarly journals. Useful for living and non-living subjects.
America: History and Life
Good place to start if your subject is not contemporary. Citations only, we may or may not have the journal that is cited.
When connecting to online databases from off campus you will be asked to identify yourself as a member of the UW-Green Bay community by entering your username and password. This is the same user name and password you use to log onto the network when on campus.
Internet Resources
The Internet is a good starting point for a project like this because you can get quick biographical sketches and possibly information about other sources. Remember to evaluate what you find.
No matter what type of source you are using, be it a book, article, or web site, you should look at 5 key points:
Authority - What are the author's credentials?
Accuracy - Compared to other sources does it seem to be giving correct information?
Objectivity - Is there a bias or an agenda by the author?
Currency - Is the source current enough for your needs?
Coverage - Does the source go enough in-depth for your needs?
The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences
http://webfiles.uci.edu/mcbrown/display/faces.html
Contains profiles of African American men and women who have contributed to the advancement of science and engineering.
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
This is a good site for finding background information on your subject and links to other websites. This site does not have a formal review process so use the information found here as a starting point only, not as the basis for your project.
Research Assistance
Remember, the library staff is here to help! The sources listed here are just the beginning of possible resources for your research. Our reference staff would be happy to work with you on your specific research needs. To contact a librarian, see the Research Assistance page.
Feel free to contact me directly at:
Renee Ettinger
ettinger@uwgb.edu
465-2542