English 101 - Independent Writing (Waldrep)

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

For further research assistance, please contact Pat Prieto (pprieto@usm.maine.edu; 780-5662) Research and Instruction Librarian, Glickman Library, University of Southern Maine.

In order to find books, journal titles, 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 identify journal articles (see Indexes and Databases section below), then URSUS to check for holdings.

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.

Books that are not available through the University of Maine System (URSUS) or Maine InfoNet may be requested through Interlibrary Loan (Illiad). Journal articles that are are not available at the USM Libraries may be requested through Interlibrary Loan (Illiad).

Reference sources are useful for background reading and definitions of terms in the context of a specific context or field, as well as for dates, statistics, and other factual information.

The following subject encyclopedias may be useful; please ask reference staff for suggestions if your subject is not included here. You can also locate reference works in URSUS by doing a subject search on a broad subject heading with the subdivision "encyclopedias" or "dictionaries". Example:
Political Science - Dictionaries
Science - Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of recreation and leisure in America
POR Reference GV53 .E53 2004

Encyclopedia of leisure and outdoor recreation
POR Reference GV11 .E55 2003

Encyclopedia of world art
POR Reference N31 .E533 v.1-17

International encyclopedia of women and sports
GOR Reference GV709 .I58 2001

McGraw-Hill encyclopedia of science & technology
POR Reference Q121 .M3 2002

St. James encyclopedia of popular culture
POR Reference E169.1 .S764 2000

To complete your research, you will need to consult periodicals as well as books. USM subscribes to many databases that can help you identify journal articles and other publications on your topic. Once you have a citation, Finding Articles at USM gives detailed instructions on locating full text articles online and in print journals.
The following is a sampling of some of the most frequently used databases available through the USM Libraries:

Academic Search Premier
Provides full text for nearly 4,000 scholarly publications of which 3,100 are peer reviewed. Academic areas of study include: social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies.

Communication And Mass Media Complete
Offers full-text coverage for more than 160 titles, and indexes additional journals, major journalism reviews, recent encyclopedias, and handbooks.

SCOPUS
SCOPUS provides abstracting from over 14,000 journals in the sciences and social sciences; subject coverage includes chemistry, biology, environmental sciences, mathematics, physics, engineering, health and life sciences, social sciences, psychology and economics.

Sociological Abstracts
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.

SPORTDiscus
Subjects include biomechanics, coaching, engineering, physical therapy, and physiology. Indexes over 2,000 journals as well as books, theses, and non-print resources.

For a more complete list of the USM Libraries' databases by subject, click here.

Accurate, properly formatted footnotes and bibliographies are indicators of good academic research, and the ethical/legal use of information. For assistance in citing your sources, see the Mariner tutorial , the style manuals available at the libraries on all three campuses, or Online: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources (Look under “Citation Styles” for MLA format)

The following handbooks are available in the libraries:

MLA handbook for writers of research papers
(POR Ref LB2369 .G53 2003)
(GOR Ref LB2369 .G53 2003)

St. Martin's Handbook
(Por. Ref. PE1112 .L86 1989)
(Lew Ref. PE1112. L86 1989)
Contains sections on the writing process, sentence construction, punctuation, doing research, and academic writing.

A Writer's Reference, 3rd Edition
(Gor. Ref. PE1408 .H2778 1995)
Includes sections on composing and revising, design, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, writing, and documentation.

Created by: Pat Prieto
Created on: 03.10.2006
Last Updated: 03.13.2006