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Women's studies encompasses a diverse range of topics in all academic fields that relate to women and their experiences. Any topic about women or any endeavors pursued by women could be considered part of women's studies: sex roles, job discrimination by sex, implications of socio-biological theories, equal rights, women mathematicians, images of women in the media, feminist novels, etc. The key unifying concept is "woman-centeredness." That is, women's studies attempts to reconstruct all fields of study so that the legitimate concerns of women will receive their proper attention. In the past, academic fields of study have been male-centered and male-dominated, slighting the perspective of women. Despite the advances in women's studies during the past thirty years, integrated change in traditional male-centered fields of study remains slow.

The sources listed in this guide should provide an excellent start for research on any women's studies topic. included are reference books, subject headings to use for searching the library catalog, periodicals currently received, electronic databass and Internet resources. Many more sources can be located by searching the Library Catalog using appropriate subject headings. Remember to consult a librarian at the Reference Desk any time you have questions.

Reference Books

Encyclyopedias & Dictionaries

African Americans, Native Americans & Latinas

Arts & Literature

Education

Feminism

Health

History

International

Law

Science & Technology

Sexuality and Gender

Social Issues

Sports

Statistics

Periodicals Currently Received

Periodical Databases

Periodicals provide current information and a record of the past. Articles can be found by searching the online databases that cover periodicals in the fields you are investigating. Most databases will cover some aspect of women's studies. The nature of your topic will determine the appropriate resource. You may access these databases from the Memorial Library Homepage (http://library.cortland.edu), where they are organized by subject, title or by format (full text). If in doubt, consult a Reference Librarian. However, the following are of particular value:

Contemporary Women's Issues. 1992-Present
Provides full-text access to global information on women. Journals, newsletters, research reports from non-profit groups, government and international agencies, along with fact sheets are easily accessed through CWI. Information on women in over 150 countries is compiled in a single collection bringing together such disciplines as sociology, psychology, health, education and human rights.
Expanded Academic ASAP. 1980 - Present
Full text articles in arts, humanities, social sciences, science & technology
Health Reference Center. 1988-Present
Comprehensive index to consumer health literature and health-related articles from 130 periodicals; includes full-text and abstracts of major publications.
MLA International Bibliography. 1981-Present
Index to approximately 3000 journals, books, collections, and reference works covering literature, language, linguistics, and folklore.
PsycINFO. 1887-Present
Abstracts journal articles, book chapters, books, dissertations, & technical reports on all aspects of psychology. Comprehensive coverage. Produced by the American Psychological Association. Updated monthly.
ScienceDirect.
Provides access to over 700 full-text Elsevier journals in the sciences, social sciences, and psychology.
Social Sciences Abstracts. 1983-Present (Indexing); Abstracting begins in 1994.
Indexes international, English-language periodicals in sociology, anthropology, geography, economics, political science, psychology, health and law.
Sociological Abstracts. 1963-Present (Indexing); Abstracting begins in 1974.
Records covering sociology, social work, and applied social sciences (SOPODA). Updated bimonthly.
WilsonSelectPlus.
Full text articles in sciences, social sciences, humanities, education and business.

Internet Resources

For additional women's studies links see Academic Subjects - Women's Studies (http://library.cortland.edu/subjects/womens_studies.html) on the library's homepage.

American Women's History: A Research Guide (http://frank.mtsu.edu/~kmiddlet/history/women.html)
Comprehensive annotated subject guide provides citations to print and Internet reference sources, as well as to selected large primary source collections.
Feminist Majority Online (http://www.feminist.org/)
Includes news, events, Internet gateway, publications, research, university network, 911 for women, and a Take Action section.
Women's Studies Database (http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Topic/WomensStudies/)
University of Maryland site contains documents, syllabi, film reviews, bibliographies, reference sources, organizations, conferences, and much more related to Women's Studies.
WSSLINKS: Women and Gender Studies Web Sites (http://libraries.mit.edu/humanities/WomensStudies/wscd.html)
Developed and maintained by the Women's Studies Section Collection Development Commit-tee of the Association of College and Research Libraries.

Library Catalog

Materials related to women's studies can be found in the Library Catalog. Use the Library of Congress Subject Headings to find appropriate subject headings. The list of subject headings related to women's studies is exceedingly long, so only some of the major headings or types of headings are listed here:



Interlibrary Loan

Books and articles in journals not owned by Memorial Library can be borrowed from other libraries through interlibrary loan. Forms for interlibrary loan are available at Reference or on the Library's Web Site. (http://library.cortland.edu/ill.html). Please remember you must indicate your source of information (that is, the index, accession number and database, bibliography, book, etc.) citing the book, article, or document you want.

Created by: Gretchen Herrmann
Memorial Library
Revised by Gretchen Herrmann and Margaret Anderson, January 2003

SUNY Cortland Memorial Library (607) 753-2526
Copyright 2008. Page last updated: 10/12/2005 11:22:13 AM