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AFRICAN STUDIES A LIBRARY RESEARCH GUIDE |
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AFRICAN STUDIES A LIBRARY RESEARCH GUIDE |
This guide is designed to help you do research on social, cultural, political, economic and historical issues on the African continent from ancient civilizations to countries of today. If you'd like learn more about research and online resources stop by the Reference Desk, or take a class at the Library.
Taking a few minutes to read about your topic in a specialized encyclopedia, dictionary or handbook may be one of the most effective and time saving research tips in this guide. These can help you define unfamiliar terms, locate quick biographical information, verify dates and events. Encyclopedia articles are often followed by carefully selected bibliographies or lists of references to other works, useful items to have as you begin looking for additional information. The following are located on the Reference shelves behind the Reference Desk area.
| Encyclopedia of World Cultures: Africa | Ref GN307.E53 V. 9 |
| The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mankind | Ref GN307.I44 |
| Cambrige Encyclopedia of Africa | Ref DT3.C25 |
| Black Africa: A Comparative Handbook | Ref DT352.8.M67 |
| A Historical Guide to World Slavery | Ref HT861.H59 |
| Black Chronology from 4000 B.C. to the Abolition of the Slave Trade | Ref DT17.D5 |
| Africa South of the Sahara | Ref Desk DT352.A1A3 |
| The Middle East and North Africa | Ref Desk DS49.M5 |
ATLASES
Ref G1030.T54 Atlas of World History (Atlas stand)
Try starting your search with a periodical index which arranges articles by subject. An often overlooked resource for journal articles are the bibliographies that can be found at the end of related journal articles or in books on your topic. There are even specialized indexes that allow you to search just for bibliographies! Stop by the Reference Desk for help.
INDEXES/CURRENT EVENTS -- Available on Index Table 14 in the Reference Area
| BBC Focus on Africa | http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/focus/index.htm |
| Electronic Newspapers | http://library.ucsc.edu/news/newsaf.html |
Article Databases relevant to .......:
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Click here for a web based melvyl session |
Don't bother looking for the card catalog if you want to locate books at UCSC. The catalogs for finding materials in the library are computerized. These online catalogs are powerful search tools, but to take full advantage of them you may need some help getting started. Stop by the Reference Desk for one on one assistance in learning how to use these systems, or check out the workshops offered throughout the school year.
UC Santa Cruz's Catalog
CRUZCAT is UCSC's local online library system. It includes materials at the McHenry and the Science Libraries and allows you to locate books, periodicals, government publications, maps, music scores, films and more. CRUZCAT also provides status information, e.g. if the material is checked out. It does not, however, index journal contents or include the full text of articles.
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Click here to go to a web-based cruzcat session |
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Both the California Digital Library (CDL) Melvyl Catalog and CRUZCAT use "Library of Congress Subject Headings" (large red books at the Reference Desk) to catalog books. These subject headings are slow to change and sometimes removed from contemporary usage; they are, however, extremely useful in locating books and articles. Subject headings:
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| Individual Countries (Examples): Ghana--History Zimbabwe--Bibliography Nigeria--Social Conditions |
Individual Tribes/Peoples (Examples): Bantu-Speaking Peoples Masai |
Ethnic groups or geographical locations can be substituted for other groups or locations. Some names and organizations can also be used in subject searches.
| Who's Who in South African Politics | Ref DT779.954.G37 |
| African Biographies | Ref DT18.A36 |
| African States and Rulers | Ref DT31.S786 |
Where is it in the library?
Where are the books shelved in McHenry Library? See our guide to
using Call Numbers
(library.ucsc.edu/ref/howto/call_numbers.html) that includes tips on locating
where our books and journals are shelved in the Library.
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
A bibliography is a list of books, articles and sometimes
other materials such as films and recordings. They can be entire
books, within books or at the end of journal articles. These
are often overlooked resources that can be a treasure trove of
related sources. Some are even annotated, with short descriptions
of each entry. A well-organized, carefully selected and annotated
bibliography can lead you to the best and most relevant sources
on your topic.
| Reference Guide to Africa | Ref DT4.K15 |
| Africa World Press Guide | Ref Z3501.A1.A37 |
| South Africa's Road to Change | Ref Z3608.R3K36 |
| South African Bibliography | Ref Z3601.A1M9 |
| Women in the Third World | Ref HQ1870.9.W6548 |
| Under individual countries (Examples): | |
| Senegal | Ref DT549.22.D44 |
| Ghana | Ref Z3785.M94 |
| Ethiopia | Ref DT373.K33 |
When you write a research paper, it's important that you credit
the scholars and critics who have contributed to your ideas,
whatever the format their publications may take (print, sound,
film, WWW). There are guides specific to certain fields of study,
or your professor or instructor may request a specific bibliographic
and citation style. Some Reference Guides that provide more detail
on bibliographies and specific style guides are:
WWW
The World Wide Web (WWW) provides a means of connecting to a vast amount of information via the Internet. The range of information is enormous, ever-changing and astonishingly varied. However, just because something comes packaged in a high tech format, doesn't mean it's well researched or accurate. One approach to researching the Web is to start your search using a site that is more likely to focus on scholarly resources and critically evaluate your WWW search results.
