Selected Sources for GEOG 243: Regional Geography of Africa

• Research & Computing Help
• Reference Resources
• Maps and Atlases
• Statistical Resources
• Finding Books: Catalogs
• Books at Macalester

• Finding Articles: Indexes
• Journals at Macalester
• Interlibrary Loan
• Web Research
• Citing Your Sources

For Research Help:

• Visit the Reference Desk in the Library, just inside the main doors to your right. (Librarians are available Mon.-Thurs. 8am-9pm, Fri. 8am-4:30pm, Sat. 12:30-4:30pm, Sun. 1pm-9pm).
• Sign Up for a Reference Consultation Session with a Librarian using the Library's Ask Us service.
• Call the Reference Desk at x6618 [Off Campus (651) 696-6618].
• Send an Email Reference Question using the Library's Ask Us service.
• Contact your Library Instruction Session Librarians.

For Computing Help:

• Visit the Computing Help Desk Office in the Humanities Building, Room 310. (Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8am-10pm, Fri. 8am-4pm, Sun. 4pm-10pm)
• Find Information about the Computing Help Desk on their Web page.
• Call the CIT (Computing & Information Technology) Computing Help Desk at x6525 [Off Campus (651) 696-6525] to speak directly to a consultant or leave a message.
• Email the Computing Help Desk to report a problem or ask a question.
• Use CIT Documentation, instructional handouts explaining systems and software, for help with computer, application, program, and network questions.

When starting a research project, it is often a good idea to check the Reference Collection to find background information on your topic area. Resources typically found in the Reference Collection include dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, and statistical materials. The Reference Collection is located on the First Level of the DeWitt Wallace Library near the Reference Desk. Books are shelved under LC Call Numbers based on their subject matter. Find Reference materials by browsing the shelves or by using the CLICnet catalog. The materials listed below represent a sample of Reference resources that relate to your class.

Check the Reference Collection for additional resources that may relate more directly to your specific project.

General Reference Sources

Oxford Reference Online (Current)
[Oxford] : Oxford University Press, c2002-
MAC Online Reference Resource

Xreferplus (Current)
xrefer Ltd., c2004-
MAC Online Reference Resource

Geography and Environment

Dictionary of geography (in Oxford Reference Online)
Susan Mayhew. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
MAC Online Reference Resource

Columbia gazetteer of the world
Edited by Saul B. Cohen. New York : Columbia University Press, 1998.
MAC Ref G103.5 .C645 1998

Companion encyclopedia of geography : the environment and humankind
Edited by Ian Douglas, Richard Huggett, and Mike Robinson. London ; New York : Routledge, 1996.
MAC Ref G116 .C645 1996

Concise Oxford dictionary of geography
Susan Mayhew and Anne Penny. Oxford, UK : Oxford University Pr., 1992.
MAC Ref G63 M39 1992

Dictionary of human geography
Edited by R.J. Johnston, Derek Gregory, & David M. Smith. Oxford, UK ; Cambridge, Mass., USA : Blackwell Reference, 1994.
MAC Ref GF4 .D52 1994

Encyclopaedic dictionary of environmental change
John A. Matthews (ed), New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
MAC Ref GE10 .E534 2001

Encyclopeda of global change: environmental change and human society
Andrew S. Goudie (ed) Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. 2 vols.
MAC Ref GE149 .E47 2002

Encyclopedia of world environmental history
Shepard Krech III, J.R. McNeill, Carolyn Merchant, editors. Pub info New York : Routledge, 2004.
MAC Ref GF10 .E63 2004

Human environments : a cross-cultural encyclopedia
David Levinson. Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, c1995.
MAC Ref GF4 .L49 1995

Philip's World Geo-Factbook (in Xreferplus)
Keith Lye. Philip's, Octopus Publishing Group, 2001.
MAC Online Reference Resource

World resources : a report by the World Resources Institute and the International Institute for Environment and Development
New York : Basic Books, c1986-
MAC Ref HC 10 .W827

Africa

African states and rulers
John Stewart. Pub info Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., c1999.
MAC Ref DT31 .S7859 1999

Encyclopedia of Africa south of the sahara
John Middleton, editor in chief. New York : C. Scribner's Sons, 1997.
MAC Ref DT351 .E53 1997

Encyclopedia of precolonial Africa : archaeology, history, languages, cultures, and environments
Joseph O. Vogel, editor ; Jean Vogel, editorial manager. Pub info Walnut Creek, Calif. : AltaMira Press, c1997.
MAC Ref DT2 .E53 1997

World bibliographical series
Santa Barbara, CA: CLIO Press
Location Varies, in MAC Ref DT Area, by African Country Name

Economics, World Development, and Politics

Atlas of world development
Edited by Tim Unwin. New York : John Wiley & Sons, 1994.
MAC Ref G1046.E1 U5 1994

Encyclopedia of politics and religion
Robert Wuthnow, editor in chief. Pub info Washington, D.C. : Congressional Quarterly, c1998.
MAC Ref BL65.P7 E53 1998

Oxford companion to politics of the world
Editor in Chief, Joel Krieger. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2001
MAC Ref JA61 .O95 2001

Worldmark encyclopedia of national economies
Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast, editors. Detroit : Gale Group/Thomson Learning, c2002.
MAC Ref HC15 .W675 2002

Countries, Cities and Culture

Background notes series
Washington : U.S. Dept. of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, Office of Public Communication, Editorial Division : For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O.
Web Resource and MAC Ref G1 .B126

Cities of the world : a compilation of current information on cultural, geographical, and political conditions in the countries and cities of six continents, based on the Department of State's "Post reports"
Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., c1982-
MAC Ref G153.4 .C56 1999

Countries and their cultures
Melvin Ember and Carol R. Ember, editors. New York : Macmillan Reference USA, 2001.
MAC Ref GN307 .C68 2001

Encyclopedia of world cultures
David Levinson, editor in chief. Boston, Mass. : G.K. Hall, 1991-1996.
MAC Ref GN307 .E53 1991 - Africa vol. 9

Europa world year book
London, England : Europa Publications Limited, c1989-
MAC Ref REF JN1 .E85

World Factbook (in Xreferplus, and also on the Web at World factbook)
Washington, D.C. : Central Intelligence Agency : Supt. of Docs., U.S. G.P.O. [distributor], 1981-
Web Resource, MAC Online Reference Resource, and MAC Ref G122 .U56a

Worldmark encyclopedia of cultures and daily life
Timothy L. Gall, Editor. Detroit : Gale, c1998.
MAC Ref GN333 .W67 1997

Additional Course Related Resources

Encyclopedia of religion
Editor in chief, Mircea Eliade. New York : Macmillan, c1987.
MAC Ref BL31 .E46 1987

Human rights encyclopedia
Editors James R. Lewis, Carl Skutsch. Armonk, N.Y. : Sharpe Reference, c2001.
MAC Ref JC571 .L523 2001

International conflict : a chronological encyclopedia of conflicts and their management, 1945-1995
Jacob Bercovitch and Richard Jackson. Washington, D.C. : Congressional Quarterly, c1997.
MAC Ref D842 .B46 1997

World conflicts
Patrick Brogan. Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, c1998.
MAC Ref D842 .B69 1998b

World education encyclopedia : a survey of educational systems worldwide
Rebecca Marlow-Ferguson, Editor. Detroit, MI : Gale Group, 2002
MAC Ref LB15 .W87 2002

Geographical atlases generally have LC Call Numbers between G1000 - G3100. Use CLICnet to locate atlases within the Library Collections. Atlases are located in four different places in the DeWitt Wallace Library:

• Reference Collection (First Level)
• Reference Area Atlas Case (First Level)
• General Stacks (Second, Third, and Fourth Levels)
• Oversize Books (Second Level)

General Statistical Resources

Demographic yearbook. Annuaire demographique
New York [etc.] Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistical Office, United Nations.
MAC Ref HA17 .D45 & MAC 2nd-level Oversize HA17 .D45 for earlier years

Illustrated book of world rankings
Edited by George Thomas Kurian. Armonk, NY : Sharpe Reference, c2001.
MAC Ref HA155 .K87 2001

International Data Base
U.S. Census Bureau
Web Resource

Statistical yearbook. Annuaire statistique
Department of Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis, Statistical Division. New York : United Nations, 1993-
MAC Ref HA12.5 .U63 & MAC 2nd-level Oversize HA12.5 .U63 for earlier editions

Statistical yearbook. Annuaire statistique
Unesco. [Paris : Unesco], 1964-
MAC Ref AZ361 .U45 & MAC 2nd-level Oversize AZ361 .U45 for earlier years

UNESCO Institute for Statistics
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Web Resource

United Nations Statistics Division
United Nations
Web Resource

WHO Statistical Information System (WHOSIS)
World Health Organization
Web Resource

Course Related Statistical Resources

African development indicators
New York, N.Y. : United Nations Development Programme ; Washington, D.C. : World Bank, c1992-
MAC Ref HC800.A1 A356

CDC - Diseases and Conditions
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Deparment of Health and Human Services, U.S. Government
Web Resource

Encyclopedia of global population and demographics
Immanuel Ness. Armonk, NY : Sharpe Reference, c1999.
MAC Ref HB871 .N43 1999

FAOSTAT
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
Web Resource

Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Statistics Division
United Nations
Web Resource

HIV/AIDS Surveillance
U.S. Census Bureau
Web Resource

International Historical Statistics : Africa, Asia & Oceania, 1750-1993
B.R. Mitchell. London : Macmillan Reference ; New York : Stockton Press, 1998.
MAC Ref HA4675 .M552 1998

International trade statistics yearbook
Department of International Economic and Social Affairs, Statistical Office = Annuaire statistique du commerce international / Departement des affaires economiques et sociales internationales, Bureau de statistique. New York : United Nations, c1985-
MAC Ref HF91 .U473

Statistical handbook on poverty in the developing world
Edited by Chandrika Kaul and Valerie Tomaselli-Moschovitis. Phoenix, AZ : Oryx Press, 1999.
MAC Ref HC59.72.P6 S73 1999

Wellbeing of nations: a country-by-country index of quality of life and the environment
Robert Prescott-Allen ; in cooperation with International Development Research Centre ... [et. al.]. Washington D.C. : Island Press, c2001.
MAC Ref GE140 .P74 2001

United Nations Population Information Network
United Nations Population Division - Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Web Resource

Use online catalogs to locate books in local libraries. Here at Macalester, our online catalog is called CLICnet. It is often helpful to start with a "Superkeyword" search in the CLICnet catalog where you combine topics that relate to your research project. For example:

• africa and religion
• africa and AIDS
• africa and education and zaire
• africa and (agriculture or farming)

Be sure to check the Subject headings listed in the records you retrieve so that you will find other useful and more specific terms and phrases to search. CLICnet uses the Subject Headings found in the Library of Congress Subject Headings books kept near the Reference Desk in the Library.

• CLICnet (Macalester's Library Catalog)
• MNCAT (the University of Minnesota's Library Catalog)

For More Information:

• See the Library's Catalogs Web page.

In the DeWitt Wallace Library, as in other libraries, books are grouped together on the shelves by subject area. The Library uses the Library of Congress (or LC) Classification System to assign call numbers, using both letters and numbers, to books based on their subject matter. Use the CLICnet Library Catalog to find books in DeWitt Wallace Library. Keep in mind, it is often useful to browse the books on the shelf in a particular subject area to find additional materials that might relate to your research. Listed below are the collection locations for books here in the Library.

Finding Books at Macalester:

• MAC Reference Collection (First Level)
• MAC Stacks A - HB (Fourth Level)
• MAC Stacks HC - PQ (Third Level)
• MAC Stacks PR - Z (Second Level)
• MAC 2nd Level-Oversize A-Z (Second Level, South End of the Stacks)
• MAC SuperOversize Level 2 A-Z (Second Level, SW Study Room, In Library Use Only)
• MAC Greats Book Coll A-Z (First Level, North Study Room)
• MAC Wood Collection-Lev 2 A-Z (Second Level, North Room)
• MAC Harmon Current Read A-Z (First Level, SW Corner, Harmon Room)
• Archives & Rare Books (Second Level, East, Access By Appointment Only)
• CLIC Online (netLibrary Ebook Available Online)

Indexes allow you to access information about articles on your topic which have appeared in periodicals such as journals or magazines. Some indexes also provide information about books, newspaper articles, conference proceedings, government documents and a variety of other publication types. Subject-specific indexes focus on specific disciplines; interdisciplinary indexes survey many disciplines. Many of our indexes are available in electronic form, however print indexes are still the norm for certain disciplines.

For More Information:

• See the Library's Online Indexes by Title Web page.
• See the Library's Online Indexes & Reference Resources by Discipline Web page.

Geography Indexes

GEOBASE (GEOBASE)
(1980 -) Elsevier Science Publishing Company, OCLC FirstSearch
MAC Online Index

This is an international index to the literature of geology, geography and ecology. Coverage includes journals, books, monographs, conference proceedings, and reports. [FirstSearch description] FirstSearch.

Geographical Abstracts. Human Geography
(1989 - ) Elsevier Science Publishing Company, Geographical Abstracts
MAC Ref G1 .G474

Indexes articles and books covering research published in economic geography, social geography, and planning studies. Includes a subject and author indexes. Earlier editions of Geographical Abstracts are divided into 6 subject areas and can be found in the Reference Collection under REF G1 .G47 (Date Coverage Varies). For Physical Geography, see Geographical Abstracts. Physical Geography at REF G1 .G478.

GeoRef
(1785-North American; 1933-International) American Geological Institute (AGI), Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
MAC Online Index

This indexes journals, book, maps, reports, theses in the fields of geology and earth sciences. Cambridge Scientific Abstracts.

Online Geographical Bibliography (GEOBIB)
(1985 - ) American Geographical Society Library
MAC Online Index

Online geography index for the print publication, Current Geographical Publications. Searching is available for issues back to 1985 and users can browse the most current issue of the print publication.

Additional Discipline-Specific Indexes

ATLA Religion Database + ATLAS
(1949 -) American Theological Library Association (ATLA), Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
MAC Online Index

Premier index to journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all scholarly fields of religion. Covers articles written in 36 languages. ATLAS, included within the ATLA database, is an online collection of major religion and theology journals selected by leading religion scholars and theologians.

CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online)
(1991 -) Columbia International Affairs
MAC Online Index

Indexes articles, books, conference proceedings, policy briefs, working papers and other materials in the field of public policy and international affairs.

Contemporary Women's Issues (CWI)
(1992 -) Gale, OCLC FirstSearch
MAC Online Index

Provides access to global information on women. Indexed are journals, newsletters, research reports from non-profit groups,government and international agencies, along with fact sheets.

Econlit
(1969 -) American Economic Association, Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
MAC Online Index

Published by the American Economic Association, this index covers a wide range of literature including economic theory and application. Includes journals, books, dissertations, collective volumes, and working papers in the field of economics.

Environment Abstracts Annual
(1988 - ) EIC Intelligence Inc.
MAC Ref QH540 .E583

Index to articles, papers, and reports relating to all aspects of the impact of humankind and technology on the environment. Consists of two volumes issued yearly, an Index volume pointing to citations and summaries in the Abstract volume. Includes author, subject, title, and source indexes. Previous title was the Environment Index.

Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management
(1981 - ) Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
MAC Online Index

This indexes articles from multidisciplinary journals that cover environmental issues.

ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center)
(1966 -) U.S. Department of Education, Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
MAC Online Index

Index to journal articles, educational research reports, curricula, dissertations, conference papers, etc. in the field of education.

Health and Wellness Resource Center
(1980 -) Gale/InfoTrac
MAC Online Index

Use this Resource Center to find magazines, journals, newspapers, definitions, directories, and information on: Fitness, Pregnancy, Medicine, Nutrition, Diseases, Public Health, Occupational Health and Safety, Alcohol and Drug abuse, Prescription Drugs, etc. Included are links to diet, cancer, and health assessment sites as well as government databases. Gale/InfoTrac.

Historical Abstracts
(1954 -) ABC-CLIO
MAC Online Index

Index to journal articles in the area of world history. Covers topics from 1450-present and currently includes over 2,000 journals published throughout the world. The U.S. and Canada are excluded from coverage, but are included in the America History and Life database.

HRAF (eHRAF / Human Relations Area Files) / Collection of Ethnography
(Date varies) Human Relations Area Files.
MAC Online Index

This is an index to ethnographic materials from studies of world cultures.

IIBP (International Index to Black Periodicals)
(Date varies) ProQuest/Chadwyck-Healey
MAC Online Index

Includes current and retrospective citations and abstracts from over 150 scholarly and popular journals, newspapers and newsletters from the United States, Africa and the Caribbean--and full-text coverage of 40 core Black Studies periodicals from 1998 to the present.

PAIS International (PAIS / Public Affairs Information Service International)
(1972 -) OCLC Public Affairs Information Service, Inc., OCLC FirstSearch
MAC Online Index

This is an index to journals, books, government and international publications covering global public policy and social issues.

PubMed
(1966 - ) National Library of Medicine
MAC Online Index

Free government Web database of citations and abstracts to over 3900 journals in the field of medicine and related areas. Includes access to Medline. There are links to fulltext for some citations.

Sage Race Relations Abstracts
(1988 - ) Sage Publications
MAC Ref HT 1501 .S23

Indexes articles covering subjects including race relations, social psychology, sociology, and ethnopsychology. Published on behalf of the Institute of Race Relations. Includes author and subject indexes.

World Development Indicators (World Development Indicators Online)
(1960-2001) The World Bank Group
MAC Online Index

Data source on the global economy containing statistical data for over 550 development indicators and time series data for over 200 countries and 18 country groups. Data includes social, economic, financial, natural resources, and environmental indicators which can be scaled, indexed against a particular year, viewed by percentage change, and charted. Exporting options are available.

Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
(1975 -) Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
MAC Online Index

This database covers over 1000 journals that cover political science related fields including law, public administration/policy, and international relations.

Interdisciplinary Indexes

Expanded Academic ASAP
(1980- ) Gale/InfoTrac
MAC Online Index

Interdisciplinary index of articles from scholarly and popular journals. A good starting point for any research project that will provide a variety of viewpoints from a wide range of publications.

JSTOR
(Date varies) JSTOR
MAC Online Index

This is a collection of core scholarly journals in the arts and humanities, with a few science journals, fulltext back to their date of first publication to within the current 2-5 years.

Lexis-Nexis Academic
(Date varies) Lexis-Nexis
MAC Online Index

Fulltext articles from newspapers, trade magazines, legal resources, medical resources, and several reference sources.

Project MUSE
(Date varies) Johns Hopkins University Press, Project MUSE
MAC Online Index

This is a searchable collection of fulltext journals in the humanities, social sciences and mathematics.

Sciences Citation Index
(1985 -) ISI Web of Science/Web of Knowledge
MAC Online Index

Multidisciplinary database with searchable author abstracts, covering the journal literature of the sciences. It indexes more than 5,700 major journals across 164 scientific disciplines. A feature of this index is the inclusion of all cited references.

Social Sciences Citation Index
(1985 -) ISI Web of Science/Web of Knowledge
MAC Online Index

Multidisciplinary database with searchable author abstracts, covering the journal literature of the social sciences. It indexes more than 1,725 journals spanning 50 disciplines, as well as covering individually selected, relevant items from over 3,300 of the world's leading scientific and technical journals. A feature of this index is the inclusion of all cited references.

Finding Journals at Macalester:

• Ejournal Finder - Access to full-text content in over 10,000 electronic publications available at Macalester. Includes publications within subscription indexes and full-content Ejournals.
• Journal Finder - Access to print and microform journals, as well as selected Ejournals, available at Macalester via the CLICnet Library Catalog.

Journal Formats

• Print Journals - Paper journals shelved alphabetically by title. Current periodicals (typically the most recent year of volumes for each journal title) are located on the First Level of the Library and Bound Periodicals (older years for a journal title) are located on the Lower Level.
• Microform Journals - Journals available on microfiche or microfilm. Microform journals are located on the Lower Level of the Library in a room near the Periodicals and Computer Lab Desk. Microform viewing and printing equipment is available in this room.
• Full-Text EJournals - Journals within online indexes that provide full-text articles from these journals online. May not include pictures, images, tables, and graphs. Check each individual Online Index to determine if full-text articles are available.
• Full-Content Ejournals - Electronic equivalent to a print journal, offering the full-content of the print journal online including pictures, images, tables, and graphs. The Library purchases access to individual Ejournal titles as well as Ejournal Collections like JSTOR and Project MUSE.

For More Information:

• See the Library's Journals Web page.

• See the Library's Interlibrary Loan Web page.

The Web is a extremely vast resource of information. While it is important to use critical thinking skills when looking at any information source, the Web can provide particular challenges. Always be aware of things like the authority, scope, source, currency, intended audience, etc. when visting a Web site; especially when relying on a site as a source for a paper.

Searching the Web can be a daunting experience. Search engines change on a regular basis. Google is the most effective search engine. However, it is important to note that no single search engine can claim to even come close to searching the entire Web. For best results, you should try searches in multiple engines.

For More Information:

• See the Library's Evaluating Web Resources Guide Web page.
• See the Library's Internet Search Engines Guide Web page.

RefWorks is a web-based program that allows you to download, organize, annotate, and search citations (references) for your papers and to create bibliographies. When you create bibliographies, choose from a variety of style formats (MLA, APA, Turabian, etc.). With an additional plug-in program, you can use Refworks to create references and bibliographies automatically while writing papers in Microsoft Word. (Please note: the Write-N-Cite plug-in is currently not available for Macintosh computers.)

For More Information:

• See the Library's RefWorks Web page.
• See the Library's Citing Resources Guide Web page.

Commonly Used Style Manuals

Chicago Manual of Style
Chicago : The Press, 1982-
MAC Ref Z253 .U69 2003

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
Joseph Gibaldi. New York : Modern Language Association of America, 2003.
MAC Ref LB2369 .G53 2003

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, c2001.
MAC Ref BF76.7 .P83 2001