This guide is designed to list basic sources and approaches for research in women's studies. For help in researching your particular topic, consult a reference librarian.
SEARCH STRATEGY
Library research in Women's Studies is challenging because materials of interest in the study of women and women's issues are scattered throughout the library collection. Before you begin your library research it is wise to develop a "search strategy", an organized plan for identifying and obtaining the information you will need. Susan Searing, in her Introduction to Library Research in Women's Studies (REF HQ 1206 Z999 S43x 1985), includes a chapter on Research Strategy which lays out in detail the steps for a systematic approach to library research. Consult this chapter for a thorough explanation of effective methods of conducting library research. Listed below is an abbreviated search strategy for Women's Studies.
A. Choose and refine your topic using overviews of the sub ject, dictionaries, encyclopedias, annotated bibliographies.What types of material do we have in the library to support your research?B. Use the online catalog, indexes and abstracts in print and on CD-ROM, bibliographies and browsing to identify and locate articles and other materials on your subject, both from the University at Albany and other libraries (using Interlibrary Loan).
C. Follow up by locating relevant articles cited in the materials found in step B above.
D. Fill in the gaps by repeating B and C using other subject headings and author's names, etc., listed in your sources.
E. Evaluate and synthesize the literature. Prepare to write.
A. Printed Materials:How do you identify material relevant for your topic?
B. Microforms: Most are in Microforms Room in Basement. Some in Government Publications area. They have prefixes, such as: Fic, Film, and others.
- Books: Monographs, collections, serials in the stacks. Most of these circulate.
- Reference books: In the Reference Area. These do not circulate.
- Periodicals: (serials that are issued more than once a year) In Periodicals Room and some on Microform. These do not circulate.
- United States Government Documents: In Government Publications area across the lobby from the Reference Area. Most of these circulate.
C. Manuscripts and archival materials: In Special Collections Room in Basement. These do not circulate.
D. Other Nonprint materials, such as sound recordings, filmstrips, kits, etc. In the Interactive Media Center. Check the Directory Board in the lobby for the prefixes associated with each media.
A. The library catalogs: for books, serials, microforms, manuscripts, and periodicals.
1. The online catalog: available through terminals in the Reference Area, GP Area, Reserve Room and on the second and third floors and at the Dewey Library downtown. Also available through the University's local area network. A brochure on remote access to the online catalog is available at the Reference Desk. Contains records for everything in the library that is cataloged.B. Periodicals2. Subject headings: a controlled vocabulary which brings everything about a topic under a common term. The library uses Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), which are listed in big red books on stands in the Reference Area near the online catalog terminals on the wall. Copies of LCSH are also available at the Dewey Library.
Some headings of interest to Women's Studies are:
- Headings beginning with the word WOMEN, such as WOMEN ATHLETES or WOMEN'S RIGHTS, or (for older materials) WOMAN.
- For ethnic groups, look under the names of the group, e.g. AFRO-AMERICAN WOMEN; WOMEN, MUSLIM; INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA -- WOMEN.
- Also, other topical headings, such as: ABORTION; ADOLESCENT MOTHERS; EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORTH; FEMINISM; SURROGATE MOTHERS.
3. Classification: Library of Congress Classification System. HQ1101-HQ2030 are the classification numbers for Women. A typical number is:
HQ class letterMaterials of interest are also scattered through the classification, e.g.
1236 class number
C35x book number
1987 year of publication
Women in philosophy B 105.W6
Afro-American women E 185.85
Women in sport GV 709
German literature -- Women authors PT 167.W66
Women in science Q 141
1. Indexes and abstracts list articles in periodicals by subject and often by author too. On shelves and tables to the right as you face the Reference Desk. Some indexes and abstracts are also available at the Dewey Library.C. U.S. Government Documents: Shelved in Government Publications (GP) Area. Arranged by U.S. Superintendent of Documents Classification number, with prefix J 85. Access to these materials is available through the following indexes and abstracting services. Ask at the Reference Desk for assistance in using them.
Some indexes and abstracts of interest to Women's Studies are:1.Feminist Periodicals REF HQ1101 Z999 F45
2.Studies on Women Abstracts REF INDEX HQ1180 S78x
3.Women's Studies Abstracts REF HQ1101 W64x
Index Dissertation Abstracts International. Library has V.1, 1938+ Z Available on CD-ROM. 5055 Abstracts of doctoral dissertations from over 400 American and Canadian U5 institutions. Arranged by broad subject area. Contains author index and keyword A53 title index. Also in EXT. Index Essay and General Literature Index. Library has V.1, 1900/33+ AI Available online 1986+ 3 Indexes essays and articles in collections, offering author and subject E572 access. WOMEN is a subject heading, with various sub-divisions. Other headings of interest are WOMEN IN LITERATURE, FEMINISM and SEX ROLES. Index Women Studies. Library has V. 1, 1983+ HQ Bimonthly. Abstracts of articles and books in English. Major focus is on 1180 the social sciences. Author and subject indexes provide access to the articles. S78x Table 4 Index Women's Studies Index. Library has V. 1, 1990+ HQ Indexes American journals of interest to women's studies. 1101 W68x Table 42. Online databases: Many indexes and abstracts are available online as well as in the library. Others, including full-text databases, are available only online. Examples include:
You can arrange for a online database search at the Reference Desk or at the Dewey Library.
- Public Opinion Online (POLL), a full-text collection of public opinion surveys conducted in the U.S.
- National Newspaper Index, an index of the Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post
- U. S. Political Science Documents, which indexes approximately 150 political science journals in the U.S.
- and Magazine Database, a full-text database of over 400 popular magazines.
3. Electronic Resources: The number of electronic resources available through the Internet is growing at a rapid pace. These resources include electronic discussion groups, home pages and gophers that lead to primary as well as secondary sources of information. A Women's Studies Homepage is in process and will be available through the University Libraries Homepage (https://www.albany.edu/library/) when completed. A number of books which list Women's Studies resources on the Internet are available in the reference collection. Terminals that can be used to access the Internet are available to the public. Ask at the Reference Desk for further information about using them.
REF Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. Library has 1895+.
J Also available on CD-ROM and through Computer Search Services from 1976+
85 Entries arranged by Superintendent of Documents number, with author, title,
GP3.8 subject, and other indexes. Serves as a catalog and indicator of shelf locations
for materials in the GP Area. Shelved on GP Index Table.
REF CIS/Index. Library has 1970+ Available online from 1970+
Z Abstracts U.S. Congressional committee publications. Includes subject, name
1223 and other supplementary indexes. Shelved on GP Index Table.
A25x
REF American Statistics Index. Library has 1974+. Also available online from
Z 1973+.
7554 Indexes statistical publications of the U.S. government including some 800
U5 periodicals. Non-depository documents cited are available on microfiche in GP
A46 Microforms Area. Shelved on GP Index Table. Also in EXT.
D. Reference books
1. Guides to research.
HQ Carter, Sarah. Women's Studies: A Guide to Information Sources. Mansell, 1206 1990. Z999 A bibliography of international resources on women. Includes international C37 government publications. 1990 REF Searing, Susan E. Introduction to Library Research in Women's Studies. HQ Westview Press, 1985. 1206 Includes a section on using the library for research in women's studies and Z999 listings of bibliographic and other types of library resources. Arranged by S43x discipline with author, title and subject indexes. 19852. Bibliographies.
REF Ballou, Patricia K. Women: A Bibliography of Bibliographies. G.K. Hall, 1986. HQ An annotated listing of bibliographies and similar works issued between 1970 1121 and 1985. Z999 B34x 1986 REF Loeb, Catherine R., Susan E. Searing and Esther F. Stineman. Women's Studies: HQ A Recommended Core Bibliography, 1980-1985. Libraries Unlimited, 1987. 1180 A continuation of Stineman (see below) through 1985. Z999 L64x 1987 REF Stineman, Esther F. Women's Studies: A Recommended Core Bibliography. HQ Libraries Unlimited, 1979. 1180 An excellent starting place for research or background reading on almost any Z999 topic in women's studies. Lists almost 1,800 books in English of interest in S85x women's studies. REF Watson, G. Llewellyn. Feminism and Women's Issues: An Annotated HQ Bibliography and Research Guide. Garland Publishing, 1990. 1206 Predominantly items from the 1960s and 1970s arranged by subject and Z999 subheading, includes journal articles and books. W38 1990 REF We Shall Be Heard: An Index to Speeches by American Women, 1978 to PS 1985. Scarecrow, 1988. 408 Indexes proceedings, anthologies, government documents and periodicals. Z999 Arranged by subject, author, title, and list of books indexed. M36x 19903. Biographical information
EXT Continuum Dictionary of Women's Biography. Continuum: Macmillian, 1989. REF Entries for 1,500 women of achievement include references to published CT biographies and autobiographies. Scope is international but women of North 3202 America and Western Europe predominate. C66 1989 REF World Who's Who of Women. International Biographical Centre, 1973+. CT Offers over 5,000 biographies of women living at the time of publication. 3202 W67x REF Jackson, Guida. Women Who Ruled. ABC-CLIO, 1990. D Biographical sketches of all women rulers since the beginning of history. 107 Includes rulers of islands, empires and nations. J33 19904. Encyclopedias and dictionaries
HQ Tuttle, Lisa. Encyclopedia of Feminism. Longman, 1986. 1115 Contains brief topical and biographical entries relating to feminism and a T87 bibliography. International in scope. 1986B REF Women's Studies Encyclopedia. Greenwood, 1989- . Library has Vol. 1-3. HQ Information about women/s roles in various fields. Vol. 1 Views from the 1115 Sciences. Vol. 2 Literature, Arts and Learning. Vol. 3 History, Philosophy and W645 Religion. 19895. Statistical Sources
REF Index to International Statistics. Library has 1983+. HA Abstracts of the statistical publications of international bodies. Arranged by 154 organization with several indexes including subject, name, and category index. I53x Search under relevant headings in the subject index and in the Index by categories under SEX. Shelved on GP Index Table. Index Statistical Reference Index. HA Indexes statistical sources published by associations and states. The source 195 materials are available at the Main Library in microfiche. Z999 S78x REF Statistical Record of Women Worldwide. Gale Research, 1991. HQ Contains statistics on a variety of topics including religion, sexual preference 1150 women in public life, vital statistics and sports. Half of the data is on women S73 in the US and half is international in scope. 1991 REF Statistical Handbook on Women in America. Oryx Press, 1991. HQ 437 charts and tables of statistics reproduced from Federal Government 1420 Documents. Statistics are provided in historical context where possible. T34 19916. Atlases
E Tinling, Marion. Women Remembered: A Guide to Landmarks of Women's 159 History in the United States. Greenwood Press, 1986. T56 Describes landmarks commemorating women who contributed to society, 1986 performed acts of heroism or participated in historic events. Arranged geographically with index of personal and organization names and classified listing of women.7. Directories
GV The National Directory of College Athletics. Latest issue shelved in REF. 561 The women's edition provides a summary of past years events and a list of N345x college athletic directors and coaches. REF Directory of Women's Studies Programs & Library Resources. Oryx Press, HQ 1990. 1181 Lists courses offered, teaching faculty, library resources, etc., for 413 women's U5 studies programs throughout the US. This volume is indexed by discipline, D57 orientation, credentials, and institution. 1990 REF Women's Information Directory. Gale, 1993- . Library retains latest 2 editions HQ only. 1402 Lists associations, awards and honors, government agencies, scholarships, W85x libraries, videos, directories, and newsletters dealing with women. EXT Directory of Women's Media. Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press, P 1972- . Annual. 94.5 Combines an index to the bimonthly Media Report to Women with directories W65 of individuals and women's media groups. An up-to-date source for names, I53x addresses and telephone numbers. Library keeps latest 2 editions. Also in Dewey.8. Guides and handbooks
HQ W.I.S.H.: The International Handbook of Women's Studies. Harvester 1180 Wheatsheaf, 1993. W57x An international listing of women's studies courses and research centers. 1993 HQ Franck, Irene M. The Women's Desk Reference. Viking, 1993. 1236.5 A dictionary type compilation of information about women and their issues. U6 F73 1993 REF Brennan, Shawn. Resourceful Woman. Visible Ink, 1994. HV 15 Chapters arranged by broad topic which list information, associations, 1443 publications, consultants, government agencies, etc. which are useful to women. B74x 1994 REF Costello, Cynthia. The American Woman. Women's Research and Education HQ Institute, 1994. 1421 The Institute publishes a volume every other year as part of a series of reports A43x on the status of women in the U.S. This volume deals with women and health and contains a statistical portrait of women in the U.S. REF Miller, Casey. Handbook of Nonsexist Writing: For Writers, Editors and PN Speakers. Harper & Row, 1988. 218 A collection of suggestions for nonsexist terminology with applied examples. M5 1988 REF The Quotable Woman, 1800-1981. Facts on File, 1983. PN Arranged chronologically with name and subject indexes. Coverage is international; 6081.5 quotations are given in English. Q6 REF A Women's Thesaurus: An Index of Language Used to Describe and Locate Z Information by and about Women. Harper and Row, 1987. 695.1 Lists 5,000+ terms for use as a controlled vocabulary of language relating Z999 primarily to women. Includes alphabetical, permuted, hierarchical, and subject W66x group arrangements. 19879. Book Reviews
PER Women's Review of Books. 1983+ . Monthly. Z Reviews books with a feminist perspective. Each issue also includes an 1035 unannotated listing of books received. A1 W64x
II. VISUAL ARTS
D. Biographical Material
III. PERFORMING ARTS
Search under WOMEN--LANGUAGE, LANGUAGE--SEX DIFFERENCES, AND SEXISM IN LANGUAGE
for books on women and language. Additional material may be listed under SOCIOLINGUISTICS, and under
phrases such as ENGLISH LANGUAGE--SEX DIFFERENCES or SPANISH LANGUAGE--SOCIAL ASPECTS.
B. Indexes
HUMANITIES
I. INDEXES AND ABSTRACTS
Index Arts and Humanities Citation Index. Library has V. 1, 1977+.
AI Available online as Arts and Humanities Search from 1980+. Annual.
3 Lists citations to periodical articles and books in the arts and humanities.
A28x Includes source index, citation index, permuted subject word index and an index
Table 10 of organizations.
Index Humanities Index. (Formerly International Index, 1907-1916 and Social
AI Sciences and Humanities Index, 1916-1974. On Index Table 5. Library has
3 1907+. Available online from 1984+.
H86x Cites periodical articles, poems, short stories and other fiction. Film and book reviews indexed
Table 10 separately. Search under FEMINISM, GENDER, LESBIANISM, MOTHERS, SEX DISCRIMINATION,
WOMEN and other headings of interest. Also in EXT.
A. Subject Headings:
For books on the representation of women in works of art, search the catalog under WOMEN IN ART. For information about women working in the arts search under WOMEN ARTISTS, WOMEN SCULPTORS, etc.
B. Indexes:
C. Bibliographies
Index Art Bibliographies Modern. Library has V.1, 1969+. Available online from
N 1974+. Semi-annual.
1 Focused on the 19th and 20th centuries. Abstracts articles, books, exhibit
Z999 catalogs and theses. Arranged by broad subject area. Search under FEMINISM
A78 AND ART, WOMEN AND ART and under the names of individual artists.
Index Art Index. Library has 1929+. Available on CD-ROM. Quarterly.
N Cites articles on all phases of art. Especially useful for locating information
1 about individual women artists, reviews of their shows and reproductions of their
Z999 works. Search under DISCRIMINATION, FEMINISM, FEMINIST ART and
A79 headings beginning with the word WOMEN.
Table 10
Index RILA: Repertoire International de la Litterature de l'Art. Library has 1975+.
N Also available online from 1973+.
1 Abstracts works on post-classical European and post-Columbian American art.
Z999 Arranged chronologically with author and subject index. Search under
R15x FEMINISM, WOMEN and other key terms.
NA Doumato, Lamia. Architecture and Women. Garland, 1988.
2543 A bibliography of books, articles, dissertations, exhibition catalogs, conference
W65 proceedings, archival material etc. on U.S. women architects, landscape architects,
Z991 architectural critics and writers.
1988
Z Langer, Cassandra L. Feminist Art Criticism. G.K. Hall, 1993.
5956 Covering the last 100 years with an emphasis on English language publications.
F44 This bibliography focuses on feminist interpretations of visual arts. It is arranged
L36 by material type e.g. book, exhibition catalog, article, etc.
1993
REF Petteys, Chris. Dictionary of Women Artists: An International Dictionary of
N Women Artists Born Before 1900. G.K. Hall, 1985.
43 Lists brief biological data for over 21,000 artists. Includes an extensive
P47 bibliography of sources.
1985
NB Watson-Jones, Virginia. Contemporary American Women Sculptors. Oryx,
212 1986.
W37 Illustrated listings arranged by author contain biographical data, selected
1986 exhibitions, public collections and short bibliographies. Includes geographical and media indexes.
A. Subject Headings
IV. LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS
Books on women in the performing arts can be found in the catalog under WOMEN COMPOSERS,
WOMEN DANCERS, WOMEN AUTHORS, WOMEN IN THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY, ACTORS
AND ACTRESSES, etc. For recent works with a feminist perspective or about feminism in the performing
arts, search under FEMINISM AND MUSIC, FEMINISM AND MOTION PICTURES, FEMINIST THEATER.
Works about the representation of women in the performing arts may be found under WOMEN--SONGS
AND MUSIC, WOMEN IN MOTION PICTURES, WOMEN IN TELEVISION, WOMEN IN LITERATURE.
B. Indexes
C. Bibliographies and Biobibliographies
Index Film Literature Index. Library has V. 1, 1974+. Quarterly.
PN Indexes periodical articles on film and, in a separate section, articles on
1993 television. Search under FEMINIST ANALYSIS OF FILM, FEMINIST
Z999 MOVEMENT, headings beginning with WOMEN, the names of individuals and
F55 the titles for films or TV shows.
Index Music Index. Library has V. 1, 1949+. Monthly.
ML Indexes journal articles, book reviews, reviews of performances. Search under
118 WOMEN IN MUSIC and names of individuals or performing groups.
M84
Index RILM Abstracts of Music Literature. Library has 1976+.
ML Indexes books, articles, reviews, dissertations, catalogs and other materials in a
118 classified subject arrangement. Search under WOMEN IN MUSIC or names of individual
R19x composers.
REF Grattan, Virginia L. American Women Songwriters. Greenwood, 1993.
ML A biographical dictionary arranged by type of music. Each entry provides a brief
106 biographical sketch and a list of sources.
U3
G73
1993
REF Cohen, Aaron I. International Encyclopedia of Women Composers. Books &
ML Music USA, Bowker, 1987.
105 Entries include biographical data, a list of musical works and other publications
C7 by and about the composer.
1987
ML Leder, Jan. Women in Jazz: A Discography of Instrumentalists, 1913-1968.
156.4 Greenwood, 1985.
J3 Contains listings by individual players and a collective section of recordings by
L44 two or more women players. Includes an index of names.
1985
REF Women in Music. Scarecrow Press, 1993.
ML Each entry contains the woman's name, field of musical activity, place and date
105 of birth, and sources for more information.
H6
1993
PN Women Writers: From Page to Screen. Garland, 1990.
1997.85 A bibliography of British and American feature films and television movies based
W58 on women's writings covering the years 1913-1988. Major literary figures and lesser
1990 known writers are included.
PS Davis, Gwenn. Drama By Women to 1900: A Bibliography of American and
147 British Writers. University of Toronto Press, 1992.
Z999 Arranged by author, this bibliography provides the author's name, nationality, birth
D38 and death dates, pseudonyms, husband's name and a list of writings. Writings are
1992 listed with brief notes and dates of first production of plays. Also contains a
chronology, subject index, and an index of adaptations or translations.
PS Bzowski, Frances Diodato. American Women Playwrights, 1900-1930: A
338 Checklist. Greenwood Press, 1992.
W6 A check list of all types of drama including plays, pageants, musical comedies,
Z991 operas, dialogues, etc. Each entry includes authors.
1992
A. Subject headings:
Index LLBA: Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts. Library has V. 1, 1967+.
P Also available online from 1973+.
105 Uses a classified subject arrangement. Citations on women and language fall
Z999 into the category "Sociolinguistics". Subject index is of little help identifying
L58 entries relevant to women's studies.
Index MLA International Bibliography of Books and Articles on the Modern
Z Languages and Literatures. Library has V. 1, 1921+. Also available on
7006 CD-ROM.
M64 Volume III covers Linguistics. Entries arranged by topic and language group.
Table 4 Citations on women and language generally fall into "Sociolinguistics". Search
the subject index under WOMEN'S SPEECH and WOMEN--LANGUAGE.
C. Other
P The Feminist Critique of Language: A Reader. Routledge, 1990.
120 A collection of essays which are generally unavailable or difficult to find by
S48 women such as Virginia Woolf, Muriel R. Schulz, and Tillie Olsen, providing
F46 feminist views on the use of language.
1990
P The Women and Language Debate: A Sourcebook. Rutgers University Press,
120 1994.
W66 A collection of essays which provide a history of the study of language and gender.
W63 Also contains an overview of the issues of the debate and their history. Authors
1993 selected include Freud, Spivak, and Lacan.