Core 110 (Pierson)  Sex and Culture: Stereotypes

research guide

Fall 2006
Librarian: Diane Prorak
E-mail: prorak@uidaho.edu

UI Library Website: www.lib.uidaho.edu

If you need additional help with your research, try:
Search terms
Search term tips: 
  • Brainstorm words, phrases, synonyms to describe your subject
  • Use "keywords" (the most important terms, for the main concepts) rather than whole sentences or questions

If your results aren't what you hoped, 

  • Keep trying different searches or even change the database you are looking in.
  • Try different combinations of terms and even different endings.
  • Look for additional or better terms in the information you find.  "Subject headings" or "descriptors" are carefully chosen terms that are often found in information about books and articles and can help you search more efficiently.

Below are some common subject/keyword terms and phrases to give you some ideas.  You might try some of these terms, perhaps in different combinations. Some of these are formal subject heading phrases.

  • archetype
  • bigotry
  • Labeling (sociology)
  • mass media
  • [name of your group] in motion pictures (use "motion pictures" in the library catalog for books)
  • [name of your group] in literature
  • [name of your group] in popular culture
  • Obesity (or another concept) Social aspects
  • portrayal
  • Prejudices 
  • Prejudice United States
  • Public Opinion United States
  • Sex role in literature
  • Sex Roles
  • Social stereotype
  • Social stigma or stigmatization
  • Stereotype in mass media
  • Stereotype psychology
  • Stereotypes social psychology
  • Stereotyping
  • Tolerance

Various terms describing the prejudice against groups end in "-ism": ageism, anti-semitism,  racism, sexism, etc.
Books and DVDs
How To Find Books and DVDs

To search for books or DVDs in our library, type your search terms in the box below.  If you type DVD in the box, you will mostly see DVDs in your result list.

Books listed may be located at the UI Library, the UI Women's Center (in Memorial Gym) the UI Law Library, NIC (North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene), and LCSC (Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston).  Books from libraries not on the Moscow campus can be ordered using the "request" button.  

Books are shelved using the Library of Congress classification scheme. 

The location name for UI DVDs is UI Library Audiovisual Collection.  Write down the call number and request them at the Library's Reserve Desk. 
Articles
Articles are found in periodicals.  Examples of periodicals are magazines, journals, and newspapers. Scholarly (also called peer-reviewed or refereed) journals are one of the primary means of disseminating ideas in academic scholarship. 

What are the differences: scholarly journals, popular magazines and trade journals?  
How To Find Current Articles
Articles are located by searching for your topic in an article database (sometimes called an article index). First, select an appropriate database from the Library Find Articles page or choosing one of those listed below. After selecting a database to search, type in search terms. Articles are generally more specific than books and may require a narrower search.

IMPORTANT SEARCH TIP:  If you are not getting the results you want from your search:

  • Try different search terms or different combinations of terms
  • Try a different database

Example of an efficient search:

  • (stereotype* or portrayal): the parentheses and OR allow you to include more terms in one search
  • The * is a wildcard, so you will find librarian or librarians
  • AND requires that the concepts of librarians AND stereotype/portrayal are BOTH present in the resulting articles. 
  • Quotes can be used to require that the words are found as a phrase
  • Article Linker
    If the article in a database is not available in full text, click on the link or symbol for “Article Linker” to find out if the library has the journal and/or article available either in print or online or to request a copy of the article by Interlibrary Loan.
  • In the Ebsco databases, you can check a limit box to limit to scholarly journals. It reduces your results, but won't eliminate the news or editorial articles that may appear in journals.

Selected Article Indexes for Sex and Culture: Stereotypes

Recommended Article Database Titles and Descriptions
EbscoSearch  A good general database of both scholarly and popular articles in almost all subject areas, many full text or with links to full text.  An excellent starting place. You can limit your search to scholarly journals by checking a box under "Limit your results" called "Peer Reviewed (Scholarly Journals)".
Lexis Nexis A full text database with many newspaper articles and radio transcripts included (as well as legal and business information).  You can also search campus newspapers by choosing the tab "Guided News Search" then the pulldown "University News."
More subject specific databases
Humanities International Index A database of mostly scholarly articles, many full text, in  literature, history and the arts.
CQ Researcher  An excellent and reliable source for overviews of many social and ethical topics.  Each week the publication explores a topic in depth.  Broaden your topic to see what is available.  Full text.
Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition Articles focusing on medical and health issues. Use this to explore medical aspects of your topic.  Some are full text.
Health Source: Consumer Edition Use this to get more popular articles focusing on health or medical aspects.  Some are full text.
Lewiston Morning Tribune Archives Find full text of local news articles back to 1990. To access articles, enter the username "UIL" and password "1011738".
Polling the Nations Gives questions and results of polls on various topics.  You may want to browse the list of topics and choose a broader aspect of your topic. 
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection  For mostly scholarly sources that deal with the psychology of gender issues.  Many full text articles.
Religion and Philosophy Collection A database of mostly scholarly articles, many full text,  covering topics related to religious studies and philosophy.
Other Databases
Google Scholar:  Searches a wide variety of scholarly sources.  Less focused and systematic than the databases above, but quite useful.
Government Information
Government publications come from state, federal, and foreign governments, as well as intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations. Government documents are a great place to look for statistical information.
Selected Government Resources for Sex and Culture

Title/Description

Call #
American Factfinder: a wealth of population, housing, economic, and geographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
Bureau of Justice Statistics http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs
Crime in Idaho http://www.isp.state.id.us/identification/ucr/crime_idaho.html
Thomas (For searching U.S. laws and legislation) http://thomas.loc.gov/
Uniform Crime Reports (See especially hate crime section) http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm#cius
Internet Resources
Information on the Internet ranges from the free web to electronic books, journals, etc. that the library pays for. The Internet is a wonderful source for many different types of information. It is important to remember that anyone can publish something on the web and it is critical to evaluate your source carefully. The library's Website Evaluation Criteria  or Applying the CRAAP Test can help you choose reliable information.

Besides doing searches on www.google.com (or Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com)or other search engines, you can use subject lists that have evaluated web sites before inclusion: Librarians' Index to the Internet, lii.org , the Internet Public Library at www.ipl.org, and Infomine (scholarly sources) at http://infomine.ucr.edu/
Selected Internet Resources for Sex and Culture: Stereotypes 

Title/Description

URL
Tolerance.org from the Southern Poverty Law Center http://www.tolerance.org
Understanding Prejudice Includes tests and surveys on prejudice.  Many links to other web sites that deal with prejudice against certain groups. http://www.understandingprejudice.org
Question Stereotypes (part of a web site on conflict resolution and communication) http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/treatment/fixstereo.htm
Wikipedia: Stereotype
I would use Wikipedia carefully for academic research, but for popular culture it can be very good.		 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stereotype&oldid=80603603
The Image of Librarians in the Media http://www.slais.ubc.ca/courses/libr500/03-04-wt1/assignments/www/K_Mulhern/index.htm
Evaluating Sources

While web sites require the most scrutiny, you should evaluate every source you use for your research. See Critically Analyzing Information Sources for tips.
Citing Sources

You will need to properly cite your sources.  This page may be helpful:

UI Library's page of Electronic Style Guides

Research and Documentation Online  Diana Hacker's guide covering citation of both print and electronic sources using APA, MLA, Chicago, or CBE. Includes sample paper in each style.

 

Other Core 110/160 Research Guides

Other Core 110/160 Sex and Culture Library Research guides may be useful to you because they include some different topics and resources.  They are all available at

http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/instruction/CoreDiscovery/