• Starting Your Research  -- Search Statement
   
• Reference Sources (Print & Electronic statistics, gdp, maps)
  
  
• Full-text Articles (Print & Electronic Journals and Newspapers)  - click for off campus access
  
  
• Online Catalogs (Books, Journal Holdings, Maps, Videos, Software, Other materials)
  

• Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
  
  
• Scholarly Journals
  
  
• Evaluating Sources      ---- example website to evaluate ------
   
• In-Class Research on your topics
   

Start by identifying your search terms in the statement above and break them down into narrower, synonymic and broader terms.  You will use these terms for searches in journal article databases.  Can you think of others?

For Example - Nigeria

• General

Business Source Premier   how to -->country report1.pdf
In depth Country Reports are available from this database (in addition to journal articles).  The Country Reports come from Business Monitor International, a major publisher of economic data and analysis

Europa World    Info
Contains valuable information about international organizations as well as individual countries.  Data comes from the United Nations as well as many other international sources.

Global Road Warrior   -- Cover status of women well.  Choose your country, then Society & Culture, then Women in Culture

*Country Studies
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html 
This website contains the on-line versions of books previously published in hard copy by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Army.

CIA World Fact Book
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html 

Credo Reference: Use to set up population charts based on the CIA World Factbook 

 

World Development Indicators
Query database contains over 550 time-series indicators for 208 countries and 18 country groups, covering 1960 to 2007, and offers mapping, charting and data export formats

LexisNexis Statistical
Statistical information available as indexed tables from federal, state, and international intergovernmental (IGO) publications.

U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/
Census Bureau Mission: "... to be the preeminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States."

• Article Databases @ http://www.smcvt.edu/library/subject/default.asp
  All of the databases and indexes below may be reached from this page and are listed by SUBJECT.

  You may search individual databases OR use the MetaSearch engine that covers the specific subject area

  
  Academic Search Premier
  Excellent source for full text journals and scholarly articles

  Example search:  Nigeria And Environmental degradation

   

• Newspapers Databases @ http://www.smcvt.edu/library/databases/newspapers.asp
  
  Use the individual databases or the Newspaper MetaSearch

ProQuest National Newspapers Premier

Wall Street Journal Current

Example Search  NIGERIA AND PETROLEUM INDUSTRY

LexisNexis Academic
The LEXIS-NEXIS Academic database offers full text coverage for news, business, legal and medical information. Sources include newspapers, magazines, wire service news, newsletters, journals, company and industry reports, broadcast transcripts and reference databases.  International sources included from publications published in country of origin.

CQ Researcher

• Economics
  
  Business Source Premier  -- very good source.  Includes in-depth Country Profiles
  
   
• Politics and Culture
  
  CIAO: Columbia International Affairs Online
  
  SocINDEX with Full Text 

Saint Michael's College Online Catalog
 

University of Vermont's Online Catalog

WorldCat 
Through OCLC FirstSearch. The world's most comprehensive bibliography, with 42 million bibliographic records representing 400 languages and covering information from 4,000 years of knowledge, and holdings information from the world's libraries.
*-you may ILL documents that SMC does not own electronically from this database

• Students may request materials (journal articles, books) not available in the SMC library (or full text) through ILL.   Most library databases now have a link to ILL for non full-text materials

• Note: You may now take books out of the UVM Library using your SMC ID

Consider journal articles from Scholarly sources.  These sources are often the result of original research included references and bibliographies of sources consulted.  These journals are also often refereed or peer reviewed.  Consult with your professor or stop by the library.  More information @ http://academics.smcvt.edu/sburks/scholarly_journals.htm

You should evaluate all your sources (particularly the Internet) for 

• Authority
• Accuracy
• Objectivity
• Currency 
• Coverage

See http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html  for a thorough review of evaluating sources

Start by identifying your search terms in the statement above and break them down into narrower, synonymic and broader terms.  Add to the following list as you find new terms to use for searches in journal article databases

Country :

Good luck with your projects.  Let me or the other librarians know of any way we can assist you.  sburks@smcvt.edu   ext - 2354