Fall 2004 Anthropology 193: African Woman
Dr. Cheryl Ajirotutu
Suggested Search Strategies and Research Resources
Searching PantherCat (the online catalog for the UWM Libraries)
Keyword searching: Example: "african women"
Remember that phrases need to be in quotation marks.
Other examples: "african women" + work
africa +women +politics
"african women" and feminism [use search type keyword (and, or, not) ]
Also, subject headings within a catalog record of an item that is appropriate for your topic can be useful in locating additional items on the subject you are researching.
Reference Material
The following reference works may be helpful to you for locating information and statistics on African women:
| Africana (REF) DT14 .A37435 1999 | Countries and their Cultures (REF) GN307 .C68 2001 | Encyclopedia of World Cultures (REF) GN307 E53 1991 |
International Encyclopedia of Women's Suffrage (REF) JF851 H28 2000 |
Reader's Guide to Women's Studies (REF)HQ1180 .R43x 1998 | Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women (REF) HQ1115 .R69 2000 |
| Sisterhood is Global (REF) HQ1154 .S54 1996 | Statistical Record of Women Worldwide (REF) HQ1150 .S73 1995 |
Women in the Third World (REF) HQ1870.9 .W6548 1998 |
All of these items can be located in the Reference Room, located on the first floor, west wing of the Library building.
Finding Articles in Indexes/Databases
While the online catalog can help you find books and other materials that the Libraries own, if you need to find articles on a subject, you need to use an article index or article database. An index or database allows you to keyword search the contents of journals that cover a subject, enabling you to identify specific articles on your subject. Below are some recommended article databases for this class.
Late 19th century-present (updated quarterly); indexes over 2,000 journals and monographic series in physical, cultural, and linguistic anthropology as well as archaeology, ethnohistory, ehtnomusicology, and folklore.Instructions
Women's Resources International
1974-present (dates vary by database); composite of ten contributing databases including Women's Studies Abstracts, Popline's subset on women, and publications from the UW System Women's Studies Librarian. Indexes journal articles, books, book reviews, and audiovisual materials relating to women's studies, women's issues, and gender-focused scholarship. Instructions
1963-present; provides citations and abstracts to journal articles, conference papers, books and dissertations in the field of sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. It is updated monthly. Instructions
Using the Internet as a Resource
(click here for guide to locating Internet resources)
Remember that there is lots and lots of information on the Internet, but it is not all created equal. Click here for methods to use in evaluating information you may find on the Internet, as it is crucial that the information be evaluated for accuracy, content, etc.
Take the time to become fairly familiar with at least two different search engines, as not all search engines will retrieve all information on any given subject. Be sure to utilize help screens and search tips in order to maximize your results.
For Further Assistance
You can contact Michelle Harrell Washington by email at: Ask the Multicultural Services Librarian
I am available by appointment in the evenings and on the weekend.