Tools of the Trade: Companions, Handbooks . . .

Subject Specific Companion or Handbook

Handbooks, companions, histories, and guides ideally seek to provide an intellectual structure that orients a researcher to the most important sources for a given subject. These resources are single volume quick references and often deal with individual persons and their intellectual/creative output. They may be organized around periods of history, events, intellectual movements, and specific topics within a discipline. They often contain excellent references, bibliographies, and related topics.

Here is a sample subject companion that covers __________________________________________

Title of the companion or handbook ___________________________________________________

Call number and location____________________________________________________________

Part I

Find the entry for the issue, concept, person, organism, technology, or event__________________________________________________________________

1. Give the page numbers for the entry. _______________________

2. Basic information: Overview, key events, concepts, issues and arguments.

List the section headings if present;

List the related entries, subjects, or terms

3. List two (2) sources from the bibliography in the space below:

Part II Tools of the Trade: Finding Articles in Scholarly Journals and Popular Magazines

The section on companions and handbooks was designed to give you an overview of the topic.

Use the key concepts, issues, persons, events, etc. as the basis for continuing your research process. You should now have a better idea of how to approach your preliminary search and an initial set of search terms to use in electronic resources.

Periodical Indexes organize and give access to scholarly journal and popular magazine articles.

1. Using Academic Index or Academic Elite from the SHC Library Website "Online Databases and Journals"

Find an article in a scholarly journal about the issue, concept, person, organism, technology, or event

______________________________________________________________________________

 

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE

 

 

 

2. Using Academic Index or Academic Elite from the SHC Library Website "Online Databases and Journals"

Find an article in a popular magazine about the issue, concept, person, organism, technology, or event

_______________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE

Differing perspectives and points of view, as well as goals and motives, can be reflected in the sources you find. Many issues that concern the United States concern other countries as well. It is helpful to hear differing voices.

1. Using Lexis-Nexis "General News" from the SHC Library Website "Online Databases and Journals"

Find an article in a non-U.S. newspaper about the issue, concept, person, organism, technology, or event

_________________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE/PERSPECTIVE

2. Find an article in a United States newspaper about the issue, concept, person, organism, technology, or event
____________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE/PERSPECTIVE