St. Olaf College Libraries | Northfield, Minnesota, USA

Encyclopedias and other reference works provide background reading on your topic and related issues, bibliographies, names of authorities and important works in the field, and occasionally related websites.

The following list of references is arranged according to Library of Congress Classification.

World education encyclopedia: a survey of educational systems worldwide 3v.[RR LB15 .W87 2001]

Encyclopedia of educational leadership and administration 2v. [RR LB2805 .E527 2006]

Youth, education, and sexualities: an international encyclopedia 2v. [RR LC192.6 .Y68 2005]

Standards and schooling in the United States: an encyclopedia 3v. [RRLB2822.82 .S82 2001]

Handbook of research on the education of young children [RR LB1119 .H25 2006]

American jurisprudence; a modern comprehensive text statement of American law, State and Federal 83v. [RR KF382 .A5]

CQ Researcher [RR H35 .E35 1991-] Monthly reports by Congressional Quarterly on vast array of topics concerning social or policy issues. Use index in the most recent volume for guidance if you use the paper edition. Also available on-line through library subscription at CQ Researcher.

CQ Weekly Covers Congress and "all the forces that shape legislation—the White House, federal agencies, business and industry, states and courts." Access goes back to 1983.

Bridge catalogs resources available at St. Olaf and Carleton libraries. Use Bridge to search for books and periodicals, but not chapters within books or articles within periodicals.

You may request materials housed at Carleton directly from Bridge by clicking on the "Request" button.

Government Documents

The St. Olaf Libraries are a United States Federal Depository Library and have a large collection of federal publications in paper, microfiche, CD-ROM, and on-line, most of which are cataloged in Bridge. The paper editions of government publications are located on the 3rd floor of Rolvaag Library in a separate Government Documents section.

See The Government Documents Webpage for a list of paper and electronic resources, as well as recommended government websites.

Indexes and Databases

Unlike our on-line catalog, which searches for journal titles and book titles, indexes and databases allow you to search for articles within journals, essays within books, or conference papers within proceedings. Some indexes and databases are interdisciplinary, i.e. they include sources from many different disciplines or fields, some are disciplinary, i.e. specialized in a particular discipline. Information on all of the indexes is available from the Libraries' Home Page, under " Electronic Research Tools. ..."

Academic Search Premier
A multidisciplinary database with access to over 8040 scholarly and popular publications, many in full-text. Covers 1975 to present.

MasterFILE Premier
A general multidisciplinary database to mostly popular publications. Includes biographies, reference books, primary source documents, maps and photos. Covers 1975 to present

Project Muse -- An index to and full text of journals published by Johns Hopkins University Press and other scholarly publishers.

LexisNexis Academic
Excellent source for full-text articles in national and international newspapers. Provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, and reference information.

ProQuest Newsstand Complete
Full-text and abstracted newspapers, including New York Times (1999-) and Wall Street Journal (1984- ).

New York Times (1851 - 2003) -- Offers "full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue."

Education:
ERIC -- An index to education journals, plus curricular material and reports gathered by the US Department of Education.

Education Index -- An index to approximately 400 English-language education periodicals and yearbooks, as well as selected series, supplements, and book reviews. Print only [ RR L11 .E24; 1929-present.]

History:
America: History & Life -- An index to approximately 2,800 journals, plus dissertations and books in North American History. Indexes literature published from 1964 to the present.

Sociology:
PAIS: Public Affairs Information Service-- An index to public policy and public affairs articles, books, conference proceedings, government documents, book chapters, and statistical directories. Covers 1972 to the present.

Sociological Abstracts -- An index to 2600 sociology journals plus book abstracts and review citations. Covers 1963-present.

Law:
Index to Legal Periodicals -- An index to 620 legal journals, yearbooks, institute publications, bar association organs, law reviews, and government publications. Covers 1981 to the present. Paper ed. only.

LexisNexis Congressional -- Provides access to full text of Congressional documents, bills, and hearings, as well as information on committees and members of Congress. Includes public laws and legislative histories. See also LexisNexis Academic for legal research.

Remember to evaluate each site critically for authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage.

Based on "Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask." UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops. 7Jan. 2005. 14 Feb. 2005. <http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html>, and "Evaluating Web Sites." The Ohio State Univeristy Libraries. 14 Feb. 2005. <http://gateway.lib.ohio-state.edu/tutor/>

Librarians' Index to the Internet -- "A searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 14,000 Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians for their usefulness to users of public libraries."

The Scout Report Archives -- "A searchable and browseable database containing critical annotations of carefully selected Internet sites and mailing lists."

Use alexa.com service to glean more information about a Web site, including traffic ranking, statistics, and other pages that link to it.

Yahoo! Education -- A directory of sites related to education. Topics include bilingual education, distance learning, financial aid, history, literacy, statistics, and teaching. Searchable and browsable.

Condition of Education -- " This annual report of the US DOE's National Center for Education Statistics reviews 65 indicators on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education. There are tables, charts, and graphs about topics such as popular subject areas for education and student performance. Data from reports back to 1989 are available as well."

Education Week on the Web -- " The site for public issues in K-12 education. Provides access to recent and past Education Week and Teacher Magazine articles. Supplies background information for educational issues, such as homeschooling, vouchers, and uniforms. Links to state education sites, statistics, and report cards, and gathers education related articles from various media sources across the country. Searchable."

International Comparisons in Education -- "The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), through the International Activities Program and the Annual Reports Program, collects, analyzes, and disseminates 'statistics and other data related to education in the United States and other nations.' The site includes education indicators and trends in mathematics and science, reading, civic education, and adult literacy. Data also available relating to primary, secondary, and higher education."

FirstGov.gov -- This is the official gateway to U.S. government information on the web. It is very extensive but only includes links to official U.S. government sites. Organizes information by topic, branch of government or task. A great way to find census information.

Any item not owned by St. Olaf or Carleton may be ordered through Interlibrary Loan(ILL) provided you allow enough time (a week on average).

Citation Guides

Citation Guide from Purdue University by Jennifer Liethen Kunka and Joe Barbato. Provides examples and explanations of in-text citations and works cited in MLA format.

Assembling a List of Works Cited in Your Paper. This source offers citation examples from five major style manuals for a variety of resources.