HUM 325I - Issues in World History and Geography I

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

For further research assistance, please contact Maureen Perry (mperry@usm.maine.edu; 753-6546), Humanities Liaison at Lewiston-Auburn College Library, University of Southern Maine.

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:

Antiquities prehistoric

History ancient

History ancient economic conditions

History ancient in art

Middle Ages

Prehistoric peoples

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 InfoNet 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.

Atlases

Past worlds : the Times atlas of archaeology
GOR Reference & LEW Atlas Case G1046.E15 P3 1988 

The Times atlas of world history
LEW Atlas Case G1030 T54 1993

Dictionaries

A dictionary of world history
UMS Electronic Resources (e-book)

The Oxford classical dictionary
LEW Reference & POR Stacks DE5 .O9 1970 

World history : a dictionary of important people, places, and events from ancient times to the present
LEW Reference D9 W47 1994

Timelines 

History's timeline : a 40,000-year chronology of world civilization
GOR & LEW Stacks CB69.2 .H57 

The timetables of history : a horizontal linkage of people and events
POR & LEW Reference D11 .G78 1991

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
Coverage varies
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.

Anthrosource
AnthroSource is an online resource developed by the American Anthropological Association containing complete electronic archive of all AAA journals through 2003,access to a core collection of journals in the field of anthropology as well as current issues of eleven critical peer-reviewed publications.

Art Index Retrospective
Coverage: 1929-1984
A bibliographic database that cumulates citations to volumes 1-32 of Wilson's Art Index. International in scope. Covers architecture, archaeology, crafts, design, museology, photography, television and textiles, in addition to all aspects of art including graphic, folk, and decorative. Includes English-language periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins, as well as periodicals published in French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Dutch. Also indexes reproductions of works of art that appear in the indexed periodicals.

Arts and Humanities Search

MLA International Bibliography
Coverage from 1963
Index to scholarly research in literature, language, linguistics, and folklore. Indexes articles from more than 3,500 journals and series. Also includes monographs, working papers, proceedings, and bibliographies. Updated 10 times / year.

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
Coverage: 1975+
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.

Ancient World Mapping Center (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill)

Institute of Egyptian Art & Archaeology

The Israel Museum

Medieval Studies Subject Guide (Stanford University)

National Geographic Society

National Museum of Natural History

The Vatican Museums

World Heritage List (UNESCO)

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.

USM has a site license for Endnote, a personal reference database program. The main functions of this program include maintenance of a database of references, downloading references 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.

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, 3rd Edition
POR Reference PE1408 .H2778 1995
Includes sections on composing and revising, design, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, writing, and documentation.

Citation Styles

APA Documentation (University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center)

APA Style.org

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edition
POR and GOR Reference BF76.7 .P83 2001; LEW Reserve BF76.7 .P83 2001

Online: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources

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

Plagiarism

Plagiarism-The Do's and Don'ts: Guidelines for Avoiding Plagiarism (University of California-Davis)

Plagiarism Examples (Indiana University School of Education)

USM Academic Integrity Policy

Last update: 9.19.05 mp