Finding Books
Don't forget, you don't need to use the whole book. Want to use just a chapter? Let us scan it for you. Fill out this form and bring it and the book up to the front (circulation) desk and we'll scan it and email it to you.
Need help reading a call number? Check out this guide.
Suggested Databases
- Academic Search PremierA general catch-all database for all topics. A good place to start, but don't forget it has a lot of non-scholarly stuff in it.
- JSTORAnother general database. This doesn't have subject headings and only searches full-text. The more words you search the fewer results you'll get.
- LexisNexisA database of news, business, and legal information. To search news only, click "search the news."
- ERICAn education-specific database. Make sure you take a close look at publication dates and source type--ERIC has some dated material and source types that may not be helpful in your assignment.
- SPORTDiscusA sport-specific database. This is a great database to find articles for your assignment as you'll most likely find articles with a physical education and health, wellness, and sport focus. Don't get freaked out that most of it isn't full-text. Just use the Find It button to request a copy and we'll email it to you in about 2 days.
- PsycINFOThis one is all about psychology. Remember, there is a lot of overlap between sociology and psychology topics.
- SocINDEXA sociology specific database, it contains just the scholarly articles about sociology and criminal justice topics.
- Sports Litigation AlertThis database tracks legal developments as they occur in amateur and professional athletics as well as legislative issues that impact sports law professionals.
Other Helpful Links
IN CLASS
Click the link below to open the online worksheet. We will use this in class to get started on your research for your paper.
Keywords and Subjects aren't the same thing?
Keywords are simply those words you type into the search box to get the results you want. Just like in Google, you don't type your whole question, just the important words or terms that will help you get the answers. Remember to consider synonyms when you create your keyword list.
So what are subjects then? Subjects are a specific word or phrase some librarian has assigned to a particular topic. Basically it's a tag we attach to articles or books. Why would we do that? Because that way when you search for that specific word or phrase you get EVERYTHING that has been tagged with that term. You can find these subjects (or subject headings) in the library catalog and most databases (except JSTOR). Usually they live along the left side bar or in the middle of the record (when you click on a specific book or article).
Finding an article full-text from a citation
- Determine what kind of source it is. Is it a book chapter? A journal article? (Easiest way to do this is to look for a volume or issue number. Then you know it's a journal article!)
- If it is a book, look in the catalog to see if we own it. If we don't, you need to Interlibrary Loan it. Do so by checking the "Libraries Worldwide" link on the left, and clicking "Request Copy."
- If it is an article, use the Journal List to search for the journal title to see which database it is in. If we don't own it, use Find It to request the title. If it's not in a database, use Interlibrary Loan to request the article.
Searching within a Specific Journal Title
If there is a specific journal title you'd like to search within, here are the steps:
- Determine the name of the journal you want to find full-text
- Use the Journal List to see which database the full-text is in
- Click on the title of the journal you searched (do not click on the title of the database--the search won't work!)
- Choose "Search Within this Publication"
- After choosing this, your searches will only find articles published within the specifc journal you searched
Suggested Journals
We've linked the full text to search within these journals, but if you find a title that isn't linked below, the steps to find it are in the box above. If you're accessing the journals off campus, you may be prompted to log in with your UD network login.
Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance