ECO 323 - U. S. Labor and Employment Relations

Introduction | Reference Sources | Indexes & Databases | Internet Resources | Writing the Paper

For further research assistance, please contact Zip Kellogg (zkellogg@usm.maine.edu; 780-4272)

In order to find books, journal titles, videos, government documents and other materials held in the University of Maine System you will need to consult URSUS, the online catalog. Because journal article citations are not individually included in URSUS, you will need to use a discipline-specific index to find this information (see Resources by Subject).

If you do not know the exact subject heading describing the topic you need, try doing a keyword search using other word/s related to that topic and then click on the subject heading links found within the relevant records to find additional, useful resources.

To obtain materials not located at your USM campus, but within URSUS, you will need to click on the Request button on the URSUS screen and enter your name and barcode number (found under the barcode on your USM Card, always beginning with 25022....). Your barcode will first need to be activated at the Circulation Desk of one of the campus libraries.

To find books, journal titles, videos, government documents and other materials not available through the University of Maine System or MaineInfoNet, please check WorldCat.

If the item is not available through the University of Maine System (URSUS) or Maine Info Net you can request it via Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad).

Reference sources are useful tools to obtain background information and to develop a vocabulary of possible search terms. The following items are resources available within the University of Southern Maine system and electronically.

American Salaries and Wages Survey
POR Reference HD4973 .A647

EH.Net: Encyclopedia of Economic and Business History
Peer-reviewed encyclopedia. Includes a detailed article on history of labor unions.

Employment, Hours, and Earnings United States
POR Reference HD5723 .E5

The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Institutions: Labor Unions
POR Reference HD6508 .L234
Although dated, this volume still contains useful historical information.

Handbook of U.S. Labor Statistics: Employment, Earnings, Prices, Productivity, and Other Labor Data, 7
POR Reference HD8051 .A63

St. James Encyclopedia of Labor History Worldwide
POR Reference HD4839 .S74

Because of the lengthy publishing cycle for a book, information in a book is not always current. Periodical articles are current sources of information. There are two main types of periodicals: scholarly and popular. Scholarly periodicals are usually referred to as journals. Articles in journals contain reports of primary research; the articles are written by experts in the field and for other researchers/scholars; use terms and language specific to that discipline; may include graphs, charts, etc. related to the topic; most often are peer reviewed via an editorial board; are published by professional organization or society, university, research centers, scholarly presses; and often include a bibliography. Popular periodical articles contain general information; are written using easily understood language that appeals to a varied audience; are usually written by journalists or others who are not experts in the field; do not include citations; has a limited or non-existent editorial review board; and may contain glossy photographs. The Finding Articles tutorial provides more information on how to find articles.

To find scholarly articles it is necessary to consult a discipline-specific electronic or print index/database. The following are electronic indexing sources available to the University of Southern Maine community.

Academic Search Premier
Date coverage: dates vary by resource
A multidisciplinary database providing full text for nearly 3,300 scholarly publications of which 2,400 are peer reviewed

America: History and Life
Date coverage: 1964-present
Index to research on the history of the United States and Canada, from prehistoric times to the present. Includes references to journal articles, books and book reviews, dissertations, and collective works. For non-U. S. history see Historical Abstracts.

The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School
Date coverage: pre-18th century-present
Contains digital documents relevant to the fields of law, history, economics, politics, diplomacy and government.

Business Source Premier
Provides full text for more than 2,800 scholarly business journals of which 912 are peer reviewed. Coverage includes: management, economics, finance, accounting, international business and much more.

Econlit
Date coverage: 1969-present
Contains citations and abstracts to economic research. Provides comprehensive information on accounting, capital markets, econometrics, economic forecasting, government regulations, labor economics, monetary theory, urban economics and much more.

FactSearch
Date coverage: 1984-present
Facts and statistics on current issues. Guide to statistical statements on current social, economic, political, environmental and health issues. Includes information from Christian Science Monitor, Congressional Record, congressional hearings, White House Press briefings, and briefings from the U.S. departments of state and defense, as well as debates in the Australian, British, and Canadian Parliaments.

IngentaConnect
Date coverage: 1988-present
Indexes 17,000 English-language periodicals. Updated daily.

PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service)
Date coverage: 1972-present
Citations for articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents, and book chapters

Proquest Newspapers
Date coverage: Varies according to source
Full text of more than 500 U.S. and international news sources. Includes the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and the Times of London, plus hundreds of other news sources and news wires.

Sociological Abstracts
Date coverage: 1974-present
Covers sociology and related disciplines including anthropology, criminology, demography, education, gerontology, mental health, minority studies, political science, public health, social psychology, social work, urban studies, welfare programs, and women's studies. Comprehensive and international in scope.

Statistical Abstract of the United States
This electronic version of the Statistical Abstract provides access to approximately 1500 statistical tables drawn from published and unpublished data from federal agencies plus some state and private sources. Click Contents and Index to find specific tables. Use the Table of Contents to select tables from a list of broad topics (e.g. Population or Transportation). Use the Index A-Z to identify more specific topics (e.g. pets or jogging). Updated annually.

Statistical Universe
Searchable index to more than 100,000 United States government and privately published statistical sources. Also includes searchable, full-text access to the Statistical Abstract of the United States.

Women and Social Movements in the United States 1600-2000
A collection of documentary projects pertaining to women and social movements in the United States. Primary source materials include books, images, manuscripts, journal articles, pamphlets, letters, commentaries and bibliographies, documenting the multiplicity of women's reform activities. This database has been made available through USM Faculty Technology Grant awards to the History and Women's Studies programs.

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Date coverage: 1975-present
This database supplies citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international serials literature in political science and its complementary fields, including international relations, law and public administration/policy.

There is no authority control for the Internet. In choosing Internet resources it is imperative to evaluate the authenticity of the source. Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources (UCLA College Library) provides excellent evaluation criteria. The following selected resources have been chosen because of authenticity and comprehensiveness of coverage.

Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs (Wayne State University)
"The Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs was established in 1960 to collect and preserve records of the American labor movement, with special emphasis upon industrial unionism and related social, economic and political organizations in the United States." The Research Links section provides access to other collections.

B & E Datalinks (American Statistical Association: Business and Economic Statistics)

Bureau of Labor Statistics (U. S. Department of Labor)

Bureau of Labor Statistics: National Longitudinal Survey (U. S. Department of Labor)

Economic Census (U. S. Census Bureau)

Economic Data: Employment and Population (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)

FedStats: Labor Statistics

Labor and Unemployment (Frequently Used Sites Related to U. S. Federal Government Information)

National Bureau of Economic Research
The Working Papers series, available in full-text, are excellent sources of research information. A search engine is included.

Southern Labor Archives (Georgia State University)
"The largest accumulation of labor records in the Southeast, the Archives holdings include organizational records, pamphlets, periodicals, photographs, personal papers of labor leaders, oral histories, collective bargaining agreements, constitutions and bylaws, and convention proceedings from 1888 to the present. " Also includes the national records of some organizations.  

his category contains information on how to properly cite your sources. In using resources it is imperative that they be used ethically and legally. The sources listed here provide assistance in this process.

USM has a site license for EndNote, a personal reference database program. The main functions this program include maintenance of a database of reference, downloading reference from other databases, using the database to link to references in word-processed document, and generating a bibliography in the correct style for publications. See the EndNote Help for further information.

A Writer's Reference
POR and GOR Reference PE1408 .H2778
Includes sections on composing and revising, design, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, writing, and documentation. The Student Companion web site includes online help.

The Complete Guide to Citing Government Information Resources
POR Reference J9.5 .G37

Citation Style: APA

APA Documentation (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)

APA Style.org

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
POR and GOR Reference BF76.7 .P83; LEW Reserve BF76.7 .P83

Online: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources

Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format (Updated to 5th Edition) (Purdue University Online Writing Lab)

Citation Style: Chicago

The Chicago Manual of Style
POR Reference Z253 .U69

Chicago/Turabian Documentation (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)

Online: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources

Turabian and Chicago Styles Citations (University of California-Berkeley)

Edited by: Zip Kellogg
Created on: 10.24.2005
Last Updated: 03.30.2008