Introduction | Reference Sources | Indexes & Databases | Internet Resources | Citation Styles

For further research assistance, please contact Evelyn Greenlaw (evelyng@usm.maine.edu; 753-6541) or Maureen Perry (mperry@usm.maine.edu; 753-6546), Librarians 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 Library of Congress provides a breakdown of the call number classification scheme. To find a listing of psychology call numbers click on any of the subcategories to see more detail.

The following is a listing of selected subject headings relating to French North American Studies. Each subject heading is hotlinked directly to URSUS

Acadians

Cajuns

French Canadians

French speaking countries

Metis

North America French Speaking

To obtain materials not located at your USM, but still 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, which begins with 25022....). Your barcode will 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

Cap aux Diamants
LEW Periodicals from Spr. 2000 to the Present

Dictionary of Canadian Biography
LEW REF F1005 D49 (4 vols. + Index to vols. 1-12)

Le FORUM
LEW Periodicals from 1999 to the Present

Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups
LEW REF E184 A1 H35

Québec Studies
LEW Periodicals from 1983 to 1995

Québec Studies: A Selected Annotated Bibliography
LEW REF Z1392 Q3 S4

Because of the lenghty 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 Unversity of Southern Maine community.

Academic Search Premier
Date coverage: Dates vary by publication. Click here to determine coverage
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.
Journal coverage


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.

American Humanities Index
Date coverage: 1975-present
Citations from American and canadian journals

Project MUSE
Coverage from 1993 (varies by journal)
Indexes and provides full-text access to over 220 journals from 37 scholarly publishers. Project MUSE covers the fields of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and many others.

Sociological Abstracts
Date coverage: 1974-present
Citations for articles, books, dissertations, and conference proceedings in sociology and related disciplines

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 Discipline-Based 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.

Cajun Academic Humor

Canadian Directory of First Nations

Early Canadiana Online

Franco-American Collection at USM-L/A

Franco-American Connection

Franco-American Studies Program (UMaine)

Franco-American Studies Program (USM-L/A)

Franco-American Women's Institute

Historical Statistics of Canada

Maine's French Communities/Le Fait Français au Maine

Musée de la Civilisation (Québec)

U.S. Census Bureau

Women in French

In using resources it is imperative that they be used ethically and legally. For more information, please consult the USM Academic Integrity Policy. The following resources will also help you cite resources correctly.

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 and LEW 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 and GOR Reference PE1408 .H2778 1995
Includes sections on composing and revising, design, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, writing, and documentation.

Citation Styles

The Ohio State University Libraries

Citation Styles Online!

Last updated 1/16/07 mp