Drew University Library
Research Guide:
WMST 112: Contemporary Feminist Theory and Methodology
Fall 2006
Encyclopedias, dictionaries and reference sources:
Use these for background information and to identify recommended or key sources.
General sources:
Reference 305.4203 E56e |
Encyclopedia of feminist theories, 2000. |
Reference |
The Routledge critical dictionary of feminism and postfeminism, 2000. |
Reference 305.403 W872w |
Women's studies encyclopedia, 1999. |
Reference |
Historical dictionary of feminism, 2004. |
Reference 305.4201 H925d |
Dictionary of feminist theory, 1995. Although a slightly older source, this work by Maggie Humm has clear and usable definitions. |
Reference 305.4203 W872w |
The women's movement today: an encyclopedia of third-wave feminism, 2006. Significantly less theory-oriented than the sources above, this nonetheless has some useful overviews. |
Research Resources | xreferPlus A collection of general reference works, which can provide brief definitions. |
Focused sources:
Reference 801.95082 E56e |
Encyclopedia of feminist literary theory, 1997. |
Reference 809.89287 W623e |
Encyclopedia of feminist literature, 2004. |
Reference 108.203 G226h |
Historical dictionary of feminist philosophy, 2006. |
Reference 305.4203 W872w |
The women's movement today: an encyclopedia of third-wave feminism, 2006. |
Bibliographies and indexes:
To find magazine or journal articles, you should use an index, which may or may not include the actual articles. On the Research Resources page of the Library's web site, under the heading Resources by Subject , you'll find descriptions of specific indexes, arranged by topic.
Bibliographies:
Bibliographies that are not ongoing generally try to be selective, culling prominent or seminal works, which can help you winnow out more minor sources.
Reference 016.3054 S859w |
Women's studies: a recommended bibliography, 2004. Tries to identify the core works. |
Reference 016.30542 F329f |
Feminist writers, 1996. Bibliographies for the major writers. |
Reference 016.30542 N832fem |
Feminism worldwide: a bibliography, 1996. |
Ongoing bibliographies and indexes:
These bibliographies are more likely to try to be exhaustive and inclusive, not missing relevant items. You will need to check not only the indexes specific to Women's Studies, but also the bibliographies of relevant academic disciplines as well. If you're not certain what other databases to check, consult the Core section of the subject pages found on Research Resources.
Research |
Women's studies international, 1972 - present. The most inclusive in the field. Only one person can use at a time - please remember to log off! There is a user guide available. |
Research |
GenderWatch |
Reference 801.95 Y392y |
The year's work in critical and cultural theory Annual bibliographic essays on feminisms, with about a two-year lag. Very selective. |
Research Resources |
Historical abstracts, 1450- |
Research Resources | MLA International bibliography The core index in literary and film criticism. |
Use the "Search for article" button to see if electronic full text is available. If it isn't, click on "Search the catalog by journal title" under "Additional options" to check for Drew's paper and microform holdings.
A guide to the process of determining if we own a specific magazine or journal is available under Database Guides on the Research Help page.
Locating books:
Drew Catalog (catalog.drew.edu) Unless you're looking for information on a person, always start with "Keyword" search. Look at the complete record of relevant books, and check the specific subject headings to identify the terms. If you're looking for an essay that you think has been published in a book, use "Keyword" to search the "notes" field. |
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Research Resources |
WorldCat. The combined catalog of 20,000 libraries. If we don't hold the book you want, request it through ILL using the link in the complete record. |
Amazon Yes, Amazon. Although WorldCat is much better at identifying relevant title, Amazon has the useful feature of "Search inside the book" for those titles whose publishers have agreed to it. |
Public Websites:
There are some fantastic resources on the web, but there are also a lot of academically sloppy pages. For authoritative sources, check the recommendations on the Library's Women's Studies page, or at Drew's Women's Studies Resources on the Worldwide Web.
Questions?
If you have general questions, call the Reference Counter at x3588. We're available
9-5, Monday-Friday and 6-10, Sunday-Thursday. If you'dlike more specialized or extended assistance, you can set up an appointment with me at 973-408-3481 or jcaldwel@drew.edu.
Jody L. Caldwell 9/21/06
www.users.drew.edu/jcaldwel/Wmst112-F06
Link from http://www.depts.drew.edu/lib/courses/index.html on Research
Resources