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Background Sources

Subject encyclopedias can be a quick way to get an overview of a topic, how it has been researched and who has done that research. Encyclopedia articles often include a bibliography of resources that can jump start your search for secondary materials. Search the UW Libraries Catalog to find encyclopedias on your topic or talk with a reference librarian!

Examples: Subject Encyclopedias

	Immigration and asylum : from 1900 to the present. Suzzallo Reference JV6012 .I56 2002		Encyclopedia of crime and punishment. Suzzallo Reference HV6017 .E524 2002 see Drug Traffickng pp569-576 with full page bibliography
	Encyclopedia of global change : environmental change and human society (ebook)		The Encyclopedia of Housing (ebook)

Finding Academic Analysis & Scholarly Articles

Academic books and journal articles will often examine an issue on a larger, theoretical level. Thus, you may not find an article talking about economic restructuring in Lynnwood, Washington; but you will find plenty of books and articles about the growth of American suburbia in the last half of the 20th century. To find articles that are applicable to the type of geography you are studying stay away from the very concrete (Lynnwood, Washington) and focus on broader issues and themes (suburbs; post-industrialism; a particular industry).

Books, Videos/DVDs, etc.

• UW Libraries Catalog
  Search for books, videos, documents, and journal subscriptions at all of the UW Libraries at once.
• Summit Catalog
  A combined catalog for libraries at universities & colleges in Washington and Oregon. Books unavailable at the UW can be requested and are delivered to the library of your choice in 3-5 business days

Article Databases

Useful for ALL subfields of Geography (cultural, urban, political, economic, population)

• Expanded Academic Index
  Academic and popular articles in many disciplines; about 60% of the articles are in full text. Limit to scholarly material by checking the box next to "Refereed publications".
• Research Library Complete
  Academic and popular articles in many disciplines; about 60% of the articles are in full text. Limit to scholarly material by checking the box next to "Scholarly journals".
• GeoBase
  Citations and abstracts for scholarly articles in Geography, including urban, political and economic geography.
• Web of Science
  This database includes the Social Science Citation Index of citations and abstracts in the social science fields.

Cultural Geography

• GeoBase
  Citations and abstracts for scholarly articles in Geography, including urban, political and economic geography.
• Anthropological Literature
  Journal articles, book chapters, and essays on anthropology and archaeology.
• Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management
  Multidisciplinary database providing comprehensive coverage of the environmental sciences.
  
• MLA International Bibliography
  Journal articles, dissertations, book chapters, etc. on literature, language, linguistics, and folklore.
• America: History & Life
  Journal articles about the history of the United States & Canada, prehistory to present. Use Historical Abstracts if your topic deals with areas of the world outside of North America, 1450 to present.
• PsycINFO
  Covers academic, research, and practice literature in psychology including relevant materials from related disciplines such as medicine, psychiatry, education, social work, law, criminology, social science, and organizational behavior; provides indexes to journals, dissertations, book chapters, books, technical reports, and other documents from 1872 to the present.

Economic Geography

• GeoBase
  Citations and abstracts for scholarly articles in Geography, including urban, political and economic geography.
• CAB Abstracts
  Provides access to citations and abstracts of the international agricultural literature, including plant protection, forestry engineering, animal husbandry, animal and plant breeding, genetics, veterinary medicine, nutrition, rural development, economics, and leisure and tourism. CAB Abstracts indexes articles, books, conferences, reports and other kinds of literature
  
• EconLIT
  Main source for finding scholarly articles, books, conference proceedings and working papers in economics

Political Geography

• GeoBase
  Citations and abstracts for scholarly articles in Geography, including urban, political and economic geography.
• PAIS
  Articles and documents in the fields of public policy, political science, and international relations.
  

Population Geography

• GeoBase
  Citations and abstracts for scholarly articles in Geography, including urban, political and economic geography.
• CINAHL
  Bibliographic coverage of the literature in nursing and 17 allied health fields.
• POPLINE
  Reproductive health database; provides citations with abstracts of the worldwide literature in the field of population, family planning, and related health issues.
• ProQuest Medical Library
  Medical topics covered in newspapers, popular, trade, and scholarly publications.

Urban Geography

• GeoBase
  Citations and abstracts for scholarly articles in Geography, including urban, political and economic geography.
• PAIS
  Articles and documents in the fields of public policy, political science, and international relations.
• Sociological Abstracts
  Journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, and dissertations in all areas of Sociology

Maps & Statistical Data - Visualize and Analyze

International Maps

• UC Atlas of Global Inequality
  This online atlas explores the interaction between global integration (globalization) and inequality, and provides maps, graphics and data.
• The Penguin State of the World Atlas. A BOOK
  Odegaard Atlas Case and Maps Atlases G1021 .S56 2003  (2003 is latest edition, but several earlier editions also available)
• Poverty Mapping Project
  The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University provides this online mapping and data resource.

United States & Washington State Maps

• SimplyMap
  Create maps to illustrate a range of economic, social, and demographic factors.
• City of Seattle Census 2000 Data & Maps
  Data for Census Bureau geographies and Locally Defined Areas.
• King County Census Viewer
  View maps and tables for more than 100 community census data indicators for 77 defined places throughout King County. Data displayed at census tract or blockgroup level within each place.
• Pierce County Census View 2000
  V iew 2000 Census data for Pierce County by census tract and block group - definitions of census geography also available on pp 10-13 of Census 2000 Basics[pdf].
• MapStats: United States
  V iew a statistical profile of your state, county, city, congressional district, or Federal judicial district
• Thematic Maps from American FactFinder
  The Census Bureau provides several maps online as well as an interactive tool for creating customized thematic maps from demographic and economic census data.

Statistical Data - United States & Washington State

• Statistical Abstract of the United States
  Suzzallo Reference, GovPubsRef, OUGL Ref HA 202.U56 2007 - annual editions online 1879-2007
• County and City Data Book
  GovPubsRef HA202 .A36 - 2000 is most recent edition (pdf version)
• State and Metropolitan Area Data Book
  GovPubsRef, Suzzallo Ref, OUGL Ref HA202 .S84 2006 is most recent edition (pdf version)
  
• Northwest Area Foundation Indicators Website
  "The Indicators Website is a convenient source of information on states and counties, selected communities, reservations, and tribes in the Northwest Area Foundation's eight-state region. Use this site to find the most recent indicators on local population characteristics, economic well-being, health, and more."
• Historical statistics of the United States, colonial times to 1970. (also links to the annual publication Statistical Abstract of the U.S. 1878-2007)
  Suzzallo Stacks HA202 .H57 1989  AND HA202 .A385 1975
• FedStats
  Portal to online statistical resources from all federal agencies, e.g. Justice Dept, Health Care, Labor, Transportation, Agriculture, Education, Commerce, etc.
• OFFStats
  Subject guide to official international statistical sources.

Statistical Data - International & Foreign National

• World Development Indicators (UW Restricted)
  Supplies excellent worldwide statistics as compiled by the World Bank. The print version of World development indicators 1997- HC59.15 .W656 can be found in many UW Libraries' locations. =
• United Nations Common Database (UW Restricted)
  Statistical time series data available to view, download, and print for a wide range of countries.
• UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade) (UW Restricted)
  The most comphrehensive source for world trade data.
• World Health Organization Statistical Information System (WHOSIS)
  The WHO Statistical Information System is the guide to health and health-related epidemiological and statistical information available from the World Health Organization.
• Additional Statistical Resources from International Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)
  A more complete listing of statistical resources from the United Nations, OECD, WHO, World Bank, and many other agencies.

Statistical Data Repositories

Center for Social Science Computation & Research (CSSCR)
Savery Hall, UW Campus. Provide extensive data archive, consultants for a variety of statistical analysis programs (GIS, SASS, SPSS, etc.) and can request data from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) since UW is a member.

Finding Cultural & Historical Resources

Artifacts: Pacific Northwest Region and Washington State

• The Pacific Northwest Collection, UW Libraries
  The Pacific Northwest collection contains materials documenting the historic and contemporary life and culture of the region. The collection includes materials from the prehistoric period for Northwest Coast Indians, and from the mid-nineteenth century to the present for other subjects.
• Digital Collections, UW Libraries
  Photographs, documents, and audio/video resources selected from the PNW Collection available online.
• Manuscript Collections, UW Libraries
  The Manuscript Collections contain unique, unpublished records created by organizations and individuals in the conduct of their activities. Letters, speeches, minutes, reports, writings, and other types of records document the history and culture of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Manuscripts represent such diverse sources as members of Congress; pioneers and settlers; citizen activists and civic leaders; the forest products industry; labor unions; natural resource conservation groups; members of local Japanese, Jewish, Scandinavian, and other communities; and major cultural figures.
• National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections
  This online catalog will identify what libraries/archives hold manuscripts of individuals and organizations. Papers are NOT online.
  
• Early Washington Maps: A Digital Collection
  Images of historic maps of places in Washington state.

Artifacts: National & International

• American Memory Project
  Digital materials drawn from the collections of the Library of Congress including written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience.
• Map Collections, Geography & Map Division, Library of Congress
  Digital images selected from the more than 5 million maps held by the Library of Congress.
• History on the Web
  A starting point to find historical images, texts, repositories, and archival materials organized by region of the world.
• Historical Photographs and Images
  Selected image repositories online containing art, advertising, cartoons, film, photos, posters, etc.

Newspapers in Washington State:

• Washington State Newstand
  Fulltext of newspapers from Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Vancouver, Bellevue, Spokane, Wenatchee, Yakima, etc. Dates included are 1990s to present, although the Seattle Times is included 1984-present (list of papers and dates of text covered by the WA State Newstand database). Additional Washington State newspapers are available in Microforms/Newspapers, Suzzallo Library, ground floor.
• Pacific Northwest Regional Newspaper and Periodical Index
  Contains citations from hundreds of newspapers and periodicals as well as monographs, theses, dissertations, scrapbooks, pamphlets and other ephemera dealing with all aspects of life in Seattle, Washington state and the Pacific Northwest from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Online version a good starting point but not yet complete. Original card file of the index is located in Special Collections, Allen Library South, basement.
  

Newspapers Nationwide:

• Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe - Articles in newspapers published in cities across the United States and around the world, most articles available in English.
• NewsBank Retrospective - Back issues of U.S. newspapers, 1970-1991, including various regional papers. Check here for a state-by-state list of newspapers covered.
• Alt-Press Watch - Full text newspaper, magazine and journal articles from alternative and independent presses.
• Ethnic Newswatch - Full text articles from newspapers and periodicals published by the ethnic and minority press in America. Generally articles from the 1990s to present (see newspaper list).
• Additional historical newspapers available in Microforms/Newspapers, Suzzallo Library, ground floor.
  This includes major urban, ethnic, and non-mainstream papers, e.g. Chicago Defender, Catholic Worker, etc. Some online, many on microfilm.

Historic Newspapers Online:

• New York Times - 1851-2003
• The Times (of London) - 1785-1985
• African American Newspapers - Full text of seven 19th century newspapers.
• Chicago Defender - Full text 1905-1975.
• Wall Street Journal - Full text 1889-1989.
• Newspaper Digitization Projects - local and international projects to preserve newspapers and provide online access.

 

Writing Assistance & Help with Citation Style

Citation & Writing Style

• RefWorks, web based software that can help you keep track of citations and format them for bibliographies.
  Tips for importing citations into RefWorks from databases used frequently by geographers.
• EndNote Web is another software option for collecting and managing citations.
• Citation & Writing Guides, MLA, APA, and other style guides, including how to cite maps

Writing Assistance

• Anthropology & Geography Writing Center
• Writing Centers which serve students from ALL departments
  • Odegaard Writing & Research Center - writing and research assistance.
  • English Dept Writing Center - also able to assist ESL students
  • CLUE Evening Writing Center - also able to assist ESL students

Page maintained by: Anne Zald zald@u.washington.edu
Last modified: Thursday June 19 2008