Course research guide
human rights issues
This guide provides titles of and links to library resources that can help you with your research. See: Search Sheet (Word doc)
NOTE: If the inspiration for your research is Elie Wiesel's Night, you might like to find biographical or critical information about him and his work in the Literature Resource Center database or other literary criticism databases.
Have fun with your search, and let me know if you have questions or need help at any time!
| I. Define Topic | II. Devise Strategy | III. Search: Reference, Books, Articles, Web | IV. Evaluate & Cite |
I. Define Topic - reference sources in section III. below can help you with this part!
What topic are you researching?
List what you know about your topic -- who, what, when, where, why, and how:
What would you like to find out about your topic? What questions do you have? What are your learning issues?
II. Devise Strategy - create a flexible search plan, list key words/names
If you're researching a particular topic, such as "human suffering", then you need to list as many synonyms and related key words as possible. Use the list of words to create multiple combinations with the word AND in order to have a successful search:
- human rights, human suffering, individual rights, women's rights
- genocide, ethnic cleansing, hate, "the other"
- Darfur, Sudan, Africa, Rwanda, Hutus, Tutsis, Congo
- holocaust denial, holocaust denier, holocaust, hate speech laws, Jewish
- minutemen, Minuteman, civilian volunteer border patrol, U.S., Mexico, immigration, illegal immigrants
- war crimes, International Criminal Court, tribunals, restitution, reparations
- academic purge, academic freedom, academics, political purge, dissident, dissent, higher education
| human rights |
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bosnia |
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genocid* |
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| civil rights |
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cambodia |
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ethnic cleansing |
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| individual freedom |
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darfur |
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hate |
So...what's the difference between KEYWORD v. SUBJECT searching?
Keyword
search = to combine key words or for more specific search; finds items that
contain your keywords
Subject
search = for broad search or when you know terminology; finds items that
are about that topic
TIPS:
- Use symbols such as the * at the end of key words to pick up alternate endings. (genocid* = genocide, genocidal)
- Use keyword and subject searching together: start with a keyword
search, find an item that's relevant, then look for subject headings within item descriptions and
work those subject words into your search strategy.
| I. Define Topic | II. Devise Strategy | III. Search: Reference, Books, Articles, Web | IV. Evaluate & Cite |
III. Search Sources
A. REFERENCE sources - Looking for background information or facts?
Online databases require a login from off-campus.You can get login info HERE. (What does the login page look like?)
| 2nd fl., Reference | Title of Reference Source |
| Ref BL65.H78 H8595 2004 | Human rights and the world's major religions (5 v.) |
| Ref BL65 .V55 D47 2004 | The destructive power of religion : violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (4 v.) |
| Ref BM50 .E63 1999 | The encyclopedia of Judaism (3 v.) |
| Ref DS135.E8 E45 2001 | The encyclopedia of Jewish life before and during the Holocaust (3 v., forward by Elie Wiesel) |
| Ref DS822.5 .E516 2002 | Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture (entry on Ainu) |
| Ref GN307 .E53 | Encyclopedia of World Cultures (10 v.) |
| Ref GN333 .W67 1998 | Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life |
| Ref GN496 .N37 1994 |
Nationalism and
Ethnic Conflict Contents: Is nationalism beneficial? -- Is ethnic violence ever justified? -- What are the causes of ethnic conflict? -- Should nations intervene in ethnic conflicts? -- How can ethnic conflict be prevented? |
| Ref HD6231 .C455 2006 | Child labor and sweatshops |
| Ref HT861 .M24 1998 | Macmillan encyclopedia of world slavery (2 v.) |
| Ref HV6322.7 .E532 2005 | Encyclopedia of genocide and crimes against humanity (3 v.) |
| Ref JC571 .L523 2001 | The human rights encyclopedia (3 v.) |
| Online databases | Screen captures - clickable! |
| CQ Researcher Provides in-depth reports on social and political issues! |
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Opposing
Viewpoints Search by broad subject, specific keyword, or look in the entire document for your words. |
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| Facts.com Contains a tab for Issues & Controversies, Today's Science, World Almanac, and more. |
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Gale Virtual Reference Library Provides background information in several areas, including religion. Sources include: Encyclopedia of Religion, Middle East Conflict Reference Library. |
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| I. Define Topic | II. Devise Strategy | III. Search: Reference, Books, Articles, Web | IV. Evaluate & Cite |
B. BOOKS, VIDEOS, other items - Looking for in-depth information?
- Remember the old timey Card Catalog? There were 3 ways you could search it: Author, Title, SUBJECT
- With the online Catalog, start with a Keyword, then look for Subject headings.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945), in literature
- Human rights
- Children's rights
- Civil rights
- Women's rights
- Holocaust
- Same-sex marriage
- Human smuggling
- Radicalism
- Genocide
| I. Define Topic | II. Devise Strategy | III. Search: Reference, Books, Articles, Web | IV. Evaluate & Cite |
C. ARTICLES - Looking for current information or need to highlight a specific issue?
Online databases require a login from off-campus.You can get login info HERE. (What does the login page look like?)
- Academic Search Complete - articles on all topics from magazines, journals,
newspapers.
- NewsBank
- search the Express-News, Texas Newspapers, or World newspapers for regional
info on human rights issues
- JSTOR
- Covers history, anthropology, sociology, etc. Search for places, names
of indigenous people, or a specific human rights issue to get a wide selection
of articles. Be sure to click on Advanced Search!
- More databases... consider looking in the Biography & History databases for your country or names of people.
NOTE: If the full-text of the article isn't available online use the Journal Locator. Just type in the periodical title to see if SAC Library owns a paper copy or if another database offers full-text.
| I. Define Topic | II. Devise Strategy | III. Search: Reference, Books, Articles, Web | IV. Evaluate & Cite |
D. FREE WEB SITES
- United Nations: Human Rights
- Human Rights Watch
- Amnesty International
- U.S. Department of State
- CIA World Factbook
- The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
- Hot Topics Web Guide - by John Deosdade, SAC Librarian
IV. Evaluate and Cite your sources
