Research Guide for Mark My Words: Language in Action
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Prepared by Elinor Appel NSCC Library (this will open in a new window)
Image source: Flickr. ( More about British grafitti artist Banksy.) |
Books
Reference Books - use these books for background information or to look up specific topics. Reference books vary in their approach and content, so consider which angles are appropriate to your research. Some examples:
- The Encyclopedia of Censorship [Z 657.G73 1990]
- The Encyclopedia of Communication and Information [P 87.5 E53 2002]
- The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Vol. 3: The United States and Canada [ML 100.G16 1998]
Circulating Books - use these books to find more in-depth information on your topic.
Refer to Finding Books for tips on searching the catalog using keywords and subjects. Begin with a Keyword Relevance search:
Then find a title that looks good:
Click on the title to open the record. Check location, call number, and availability.
Locate the subjects in the record . . .
These subject links will lead to more on the same topic. (Consider these subject links tags, which will group related material for you.)
Once you find a title or two in the catalog, locate them in the circulating collection upstairs and then browse the shelves in that area for more books on your topic. Some titles (these will be on the cart when you visit the library):
- Campaigning for Hearts and Minds: How Emotional Appeals in Political Ads Work [JA 74.5 B69 2006]
- The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African-American Culture [E 185.86 K58 2002]
- Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement [ML3531.W38 2005]
- Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes: A Cultural History of American Advertising [HF 5813.U6 S55]
- The Signs of Language [HV 2474 K53]
- Unbearable Weight: Feministm, Western Culture, and the Body [HQ 1220.U5 B67 1995]
- Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media [P 94.5.W65 D68 1995]
A few final points:
- Books on the same topic may be shelved in different areas. For instance, hip hop may be in music (ML) or United States history (E).
- Can't find a book on your topic? Consider searching more broadly, then check the index of the book for information related to your topic. (Just because your topic isn't in the title doesn't mean it isn't in the book!)
- For some topics you will find more information in books, for others it will be more useful to search periodical databases for articles. This is especially true of newer information.
Refer to Finding Articles for tips on how to search ProQuest using keywords and Topics. Think about your keywords. Experiment with related terms, for instance: text messaging, instant messaging, emoticons.
- and – for combining concepts/keywords, will narrow the search: advertising and language
- or – when you are using related terms, will broaden the search: lingo or jargon
- “ ” – when you are using a phrase: “instant messaging”
- * – when the terms have related stems: advertis* for advertisements, advertisers, advertise
Other periodical databases:
- Academic Search Premier - another general database with a range of articles
- eLibrary Academic - an articles database that includes images, transcripts
- Ethnic NewsWatch - articles from ethnic and minority publications
- Britannica Online - includes links to articles and websites
To access these databases from off campus, log in with your SID and last name.
Refer to Searching the Internet for tips on searching the Internet effectively using Google. Simply limiting your search by domain (site:edu or site:gov) is often a good way to start. Some selected sites:
- Do You Speak American? - PBS site accompanying DVD by the same name [DVD 182 at North]. Includes articles on related topics.
- From the Fringe: The Hip Hop Culture and Ethnic Relations - conference paper presented in 1998
- Hip Hop Webliography - links from Simmons College Library
- IM-vasion: Is Instant Messaging Destroying Our Language? - online article in Technologies of Writing (2005)
- "Politics and the English Language," by George Orwell - seminal 1946 essay on how language is used by politicians to sway opinions
- Smiley Lore :-) - older online article by one of the inventors of the emoticon; links to other articles
- Urban Dictionary - online dictionary of slang, entries written by the general public (not an academic resource)
- PubMed -the National Library of Medicine's website; find authoritative articles here, many full text (select full text boxes on limits page)
Note: I will post additional sites once I have a better idea of your topics.
Your instructor has given you citation information for your bibliography. Here are some additional resources:
- Citation Style Guides, North Seattle Community College
- Guide to MLA Style for Citations, George Mason University
- KnightCite citation creator, Calvin College Library
- MLA Citation Style (Cornell University Library); includes how to cite an article retrieved from a periodical database
- MLA Formatting and Style Guide (Owl Writing Center at Purdue University); see Works Cited: Electronic Resources
- Annotated Bibliographies, Owl Writing Center at Purdue University
- How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography, Cornell University
Still need help? Email me, come to the library reference desk, or chat online with a reference librarian.
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