University of Southern Maine

HRD110 - Choices, Changes, and Careers

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

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.

The following are a listing of URSUS related subject headings:

Ability testing
Career changes
Career development
Identity philosophical concept
Job hunting
Occupational aptitude tests
Occupations
Women employment

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.

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 print resources available within the University of Southern Maine system.

The American Almanac of Jobs and Salaries
POR and GOR Reference HD8038 .U5W74 2000-2001

Headquarters USA
POR Reference E154.5 .W37 2003
This directory provides contact information for selected company headquarters.

Help! My Job Interview is Tomorrow
POR Reference HF5381 .T26 1997
LEW Reference HF5381 .T26 1991

Job Choices: Diversity Edition, 2005
POR Reference Career Area

Job Choices for Business and Liberal Arts Students, 2005
POR Reference Career Area

Job Choices for Science, Engineering and Technology Students, 2005
POR Reference Career Area

Maine Employment Statistical Handbook
POR, GOR, and LEW Reference HD5725 .M3M384 2003

Occupational Outlook Handbook
POR and LEW Reference HD8051 .A62 2004-05
Previous editions in the Stacks for POR and Gor for 1996-2003.

O'Net Dictionary of Occupation al Titles
POR Reference HB2595 .O16 2002

Real Resumes for Students
POR and GOR Reference HF5383 .R3963 2000

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
For date and title coverage click here
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.

Business and Company Resource Center
Comprehensive source of information for conducting company, industry and market research. Provides access to the contents of over 4,000 business and economics periodicals (over 3,000 with full-text coverage). Also includes the contents of key reference works such as Ward's Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies, Business Rankings Annual, International Directory of Company Histories, Market Share Reporter and Encyclopedia of Associations.

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-current
Provides comprehensive information on accounting, capital markets, econometrics, economic forecasting, government regulations, labor economics, monetary theory, urban economics and much more.

ERIC-Education
Date coverage: 1966-current (note: because of contractor changes, some of ERIC's updating may have coverage lags)
Indexes and abstracts journal articles and documents on education research and practice.

Maine Newsstand
Index to and full text coverage of four Maine newspapers. Database includes comprehensive coverage of the Bangor Daily News (12/3/92-present) and the Portland Press Herald (10/30/95-present). Selected business coverage of the Central Maine Morning Sentinel (8/12/93-8/27/97) and Maine Times (2/4/95-present).

ProQuest Newsstand
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. Years of coverage vary by title. Maine papers included: Bangor Daily News (1992+), Portland Press Herald (1995+), and selected business coverage from Maine Times (1994-2002) and Central Maine Morning Sentinel (1993-1997).

PsycINFO
Date coverage: 1887-current
Index to the professional and academic literature in psychology and related disciplines, including medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, and other areas. Coverage includes references and abstracts to over 1,300 journals in more than 20 languages, and to book chapters and books in the English language. The database includes information from empirical studies, case studies, surveys, bibliographies, literature reviews, discussion articles, conference reports and dissertations.

Sociological Abstracts
Date coverage: 1974-current
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.

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.

The Career Key
"The Career Key is a free service to help you with career choices, career changes, and career planning, job search, and choosing a college major or training program. "

CareerOneStop
"In line with the Department of Labor’s vision for America’s Labor Market Information System, CareerOneStop, is a collection of electronic tools, operating as a federal-state partnership, and funded by grants to states."

Careers-the Basics (Goizueta Business Library, Emory University)
Includes links to company lists, periodicals, associations, salary research, and other related links.

Employment and Unemployment (U. S. Department of Labor)

O'Net Online (Occupational Information Network)
Developed for the Department of Labor, this site provides searching for occupations and skills.

Occupational Outlook Handbook (U. S. Department of Labor)

This category contains information on how to write the paper. In using resources it is imperative that they be used ethically and legally. The sources listed here provide assistance in this process.

Writing Handbooks

St. Martin's Handbook
POR Reference PE1112 .L86 1989
Contains sections on the writing process, sentence construction, punctuation, doing research, and academic writing.

A Writer's Reference, 5th Edition
POR and GOR Reference PE1408 .H2778 2003
Includes sections on composing and revising, design, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, writing, and documentation. The Student Companion web site includes online help.

Citation Style

Citing Sources (MLA) (Indiana University)

MLA (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition
POR Reference LB2369 .G53 2003

Online! A Reference Guide Using Internet Resources

Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format (Purdue University Online Writing Center)

Plagiarism

Avoiding Plagiarism (University of California-Davis)

How to Recognize Plagiarism (Indiana University School of Education)

Created by: Barb Mann
Last update: 10-01-05