Using concepts learned in class and at least three sources other than class material and describe:
the problem you have identified
its origins
its consequences for the affected populations and society
any policy solutions (existing or proposed)
Required Elements
One or more tables or figures that provide descriptive statistics
Three sources from peer reviewed journals or books in the social sciences. Cites to web pages that are not published journal articles or books will not be counted toward the required three cites. You may use as many other additional sources as you choose.
Before you search the databases and the library catalog :
Search policy institution websites or policy research centers for background information on a problem you have identified. Many policy institutions post working papers for free and have useful bibliographies from which to cull sources.
Try the Economic Policy Institute and search through their issue guides, or, try Brookings or CATO or NBER. Each will have working papers, and will include references to government reports and statistics.
Pull together keywords and make special note of the terminology used within the reports. Use these terms when you begin your keyword searches in the library databases and the Cruzcat or Melvyl library catalog.
For a timeline/chronology, try CQ Researcher, search your issue in the simple search box and look for related articles, within the article, select chronology to view significant events/legislation related to your topic .
Sociological Abstracts:
This searchable database citations for articles from journals, books, conference papers, and dissertations in sociology and other social and behavioral sciences. Citations after 1974 contain abstracts. Publisher is Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA). Subject area(s): Social Sciences. Covers: 1963 - present.
Use your list of keywords from step 1 and type them into the search box(es)
Example Topic : Access to 4 year College Education
Potential keywords: college access, higher education, race, poverty, analysis, statistics, data, black white differences
Successful Searches:
If your search is successful and you find some relevant articles, make a note of the descriptors - these are subjects the database uses to index your topic and they are located immediately to the right of each individual search result.
Try running a search with database descriptors to locate articles; try combining descriptors with keywords and see what results you get.
Unsuccessful Searches:
Use the database thesaurus located in the tab called Search Tools.
Select thesaurus from the next set of tabs( the page defaults to a command search box)
Enter the term you were searching by and see what the thesaurus recommends - make note of the terms used by the database and rerun your search with descriptors and keywords
Note: follow the same principles outlined above, begin with a keyword, take note of the terms the database is using to index your topic, look for a thesaurus and combine subject/descriptors with keywords. Each database is slightly different, but the methodology outlined above will help you determine how to search any of the databases listed below.
Econlit : EconLit is a searchable database of citations with selected abstracts of literature in economics. Includes coverage of major journals as well as articles in collective volumes (essays, proceedings, etc.), books, book reviews, dissertations, and working papers.
Subject area(s): Social Sciences. Covers: 1969-present.
NOTE: there are no direct links to full text or cruzcat/melvyl searches in Econlit; open two browsers to search for articles and check citations in Cruzcat/Melvyl.
Westlaw - "Westlaw Campus is a web-based legal research tool for undergraduate and graduate students who need to research law-related issues." Subject Area(s): Social Sciences. Note: you must agree to the terms and conditions of using the database before you may begin searching. The main search page defaults to a journal and law review search. Select "all journals and law reviews" from the drop-down menu and conduct your search.
CWI -
Global information about women, full-text. Covers journal articles, newsletters, and research reports. Topics include sociology, psychology, health, education, and human rights. Subject area(s): Social Sciences. Covers: 1992 - present.
Genderwatch -
GenderWatch is a full text database of scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, pamphlets, conference proceedings, and government reports that focus on the impact of gender, men, and women across disciplines.
Subject area(s): ['Humanities', 'Social Sciences']. Coverage varies, 1970 - present.
Cruzcat and Melvyl will only allow access to the titles of books or journals owned at UCSC (Cruzcat) and in the UC (Melvyl). Following the same principles used in the database searches, start with a keyword search, make note of the subject headings listed under titles of interest to you, and search the subject headings or sub-headings.
Many of the articles you find will include data and discussions of the data. If you need additional data, or, want to look deeper into the statistics used in the journal articles you find, the library has a very thorough research guide to help determine how to find statistics.
It is linked from the research page under the header "Find."
Government Resources of Special Note:
The Department of Labor has a "find it" by topic, audience, index. Topics include wages, health plans, unemployment. Look through these and link to the statistics referenced.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics: The Bureau of Labor Statistics is an agency under the Dept. of Labor, it is "... the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics." Use the search box to help ascertain how to locate statistics on your topic; use your keywords or, search for surveys referenced in your scholarly articles if you are uncertain of what terminology to use.
