Databases: How to choose?
For this course, the gender and women's studies databases may be a good place to research your topic. However, if you want to address your topic from a particular discipline, because of your major or just general interest, other databases may serve you better.
Try your searches in various databases and compare your results--some may overlap while others may not at all. Think about what kind of database you're working in: a gender studies database may not require inclusion of gender-specific terms, whereas you'd certainly want to include them in a social science database. When using a science database like PubMed, you may want to consider what kind of sciences are relevant: biology, bioethics, or neuroscience may be a few examples.
Best Bets: Gender and Women's Studies Databases
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GenderWatchOffers full-text access to scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, books, conference proceedings, government and non-governmental organization reports. Materials focus on how gender impacts a broad spectrum of subject areas. Provides a historical perspective on the evolution of the women's movement and changes in gender roles. Covers 1970-present.
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Women's Studies InternationalProvides citations and abstracts of journal articles, books, book chapters, newspapers, dissertations and bulletins, in the core areas of women's studies. Subjects include, feminism, women of color, science, health and technology. Includes different women's studies resources. Covers 1972-present.
Interdisciplinary Databases
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JSTORProvides full-text and page images from many of the top journals in most academic disciplines. Coverage is from the inception of the journal through three to five years ago.
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ProQuest Social Science DatabaseThis database, formerly known as "ProQuest Social Science Journals" provides citations and abstracts to articles from about 450 social sciences periodicals. Full-text/images are available for over 200 of the periodicals indexed. Coverage from 1994 to present.
Disciplinary Searches: The Sciences, Social Sciences, and Literature
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AnthroSourceProvides full text articles from American Anthropological Association journals, newsletters, and bulletins. Covers 1888-present. The search box will obey Wiley Online Library's advanced syntax, including codes to limit searches to specific fields.
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MLA International BibliographyProvides citations to journal articles, books, working papers, conference proceedings, bibliographies, and other materials. Areas covered include literature, language, linguistics, film, theatre and folklore. Covers 1926-present.
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ProQuest Sociology DatabaseProvides access to the full-text of more than 240 journals in sociology and social work. This collection provides full-text coverage of many core titles included in Sociological Abstracts and Social Services Abstracts, with coverage from 1985 to the present. ProQuest Sociology covers the international literature of sociology and social work, including culture and social structure, history and theory of sociology, social psychology, substance abuse and addiction, and more.
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PubMedIncludes over 15 million citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950's. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. Includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources.
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ScienceDirectProvides full-text,online access to journal articles in the life, physical, medical, technical, and social sciences. Full-text is available only for journals to which the TriColleges subscribe. Full-text access for most journals goes back to 1993. Abstracts are available for non-subscribed journals.