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From Womb to Tomb (Carpenter)
Library Research Guide

Amy Stewart-Mailhiot , Sociology Librarian
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Selecting, Narrowing, Exploring Your Topic:

Consulting subject specific encyclopedias can be good way to get a sense of the topics available for research in your area, explore the subelements of your topic and learn some othe terminology that might be useful. Usually these resources contain not only entries by experts in the field, but also have a bibliography of related sources that can use as a jumping off point for your assignment.

Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (Webaccess only)

Encyclopedia of Aging (HQ1061 .E534 2002)

International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family (REF HQ9 .E52 2003)

Locating Books at Vanderbilt & Beyond:

ACORN is the library's catalog -- that means it contains records for all of the books, DVDs, electronic collections, and journal titles that the library owns. What that does not mean is that there are records for individual journal articles...for help with that see Finding journal articles below.

  • Begin with a Words Anywhere search in ACORN
  • Click on the DETAILS button to see more information about the book, including the Library of Congress subjects used to describe it. Subject headings are a way of bringing all the books on the same subject together and are a good way to focus your searching.

    truncation symbol: $
    Tip: To search phrases, use single quotation marks (ex. 'birth rate')

What if we don't have the book you need at Vanderbilt? Use Kudzu or Worldcat to request through our InterLibrary Loan service. This can take between 3 days to 2 weeks to deliver requested materials -- a good reason to get an early start.

Where's the ANNEX? The Annex is the library's off-site storage facility. If the item you find in Acorn indicates that it is at the Annex just click the 'ANNEX Request' button. Delieveries are made twice a day on weekdays - so you shouldn't need to wait long.

Finding Journal articles:

Journals, particularly peer-reviewed journals, are a strong resource to use for your research papers. For this particular assignment, you may find that the articles not only fill in some of the gaps on your topic, but also provide more current information. To access the journal articles consider using one of the databases listed below.

To access the databases start at the VU Libraries Homepage --> Click on 'Find Articles & Databases' --> Chose a subject from the 'Find Databases by Subject' menu --> Click Go

  • America: History and Life (US and Canada) and Historical Abstracts (all areas except US and Canada)
    The primary databases for the History, both America History & Life and Historical Abstracts cover topics including marriage, employment, education, and any number of other 'life events'. These articles may help provide the background needed for the comparison portion of your research.
    • truncation symbol: *
    • Index only, not full-text so look for the button .
  • ATLA Religion Database
    This database may be useful as a tool for both the cultural and historical comparison portion of your research, especially for those life events with a religious element (weddings, funerals, bar/bat mitzvah, etc.)
    • truncation symbol: *
    • Contains a large number of full-text articles. For others, use the Find it at VU button button .
  • Gender Studies
    This key database for Women's and Gender Studies also covers topics including sexuality, child and adolescent development, and marriage and family.
    • truncation symbol: *
    • Index only, not full-text so look for the Find it at VU button button .
  • JSTOR
    JSTOR provides complete electronic backfiles of core journals in a variety of subjects, including Sociology. One great feature is that the full text coverage begins at the first issue of each journal. A downside is that it usually does not contain the most recent 3-5 years of content, meaning that recently published issues are not available.
    • truncation symbol: *
    • Full-text database
  • ProQuest
    A general, multidisciplinary database including a wide range of magazines and journals. It includes general interest and news publications as well as selected scholarly journals.
    • truncation symbol: *
    • Contains a large number of full-text articles. For others, use the Find it at VU button button .
  • Sociological Abstracts
    This is the database to use for research in Sociology. It indexes over 2000 journals in Sociology and related fields.
    • truncation symbol: *
    • Index only, not full-text so look fo rthe button .

General searching tips for the ACORN and article databases

Narrowing your search :
  • Connect different concepts with the word and. Example: mortality and race
  • Use the subject headings or descriptors to focus your searching.. Example: Mortality and race--United States.

Broaden your search :

  • Use the truncation symbol to pick up variants of those terms. Example: birth* will retrieve items with the terms birth, birthing, birthrate, etc.
  • Connect similar concepts with the word or:  (fertility or birth) and rate. The parentheses ensure that the similar concepts are looked at first. Tip: It may be necessary to try several searches, varying your key terms and combinations each time, in order to produce a manageable list of relevant items.

Citing Sources

See Style Guides for Writing and the citing sources FAQ.

Stuck? Need help? Ask a reference librarian! Feel free to stop by the reference desk, call 322-2407 or contact us through our services.

Last updated: Feb. 25, 2008