INDV 102 - LGBT Studies
Spring 2008
Finding academic resources
Popular vs. Scholarly Articles Tutorial
This page will teach you about the differences between popular articles and scholarly articles, to help you identify scholarly, or academic, resources for your research project.
Background Sources
Reference sources are useful for finding background information and for overviews of topics. They are often a good way to help you get started with your research. Here are some reference sources you may want to consult:
Current social, political and economic issues of the day with complete summaries, pros and cons and bibliographies.
Completely Queer: The Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia - HQ75 .H63 1998 Main Reference
Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History in America
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Encyclopedia
LGBT: Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America - HQ76.3 U5 E53 Main Reference
Long road to freedom: The Advocate History of the Gay and Lesbian Movement - HQ 76.8 .U5 1994 Main Reference
Using the Library Catalog
Search the Library Catalog using Subject Headings to find what the library owns (books, videos, etc.). Some useful subject headings to search under include:
| Bisexuality OR Bisexuals | Gay Adoption | Gay Community |
| Gay Liberation Movement | Gay Men | Gay Rights |
| Gays | Gays in the military | Homosexuality |
| Lesbian OR Lesbians OR Lesbianism | Same Sex Marriage | Sexual Orientation |
| Transgender People | Transsexuals OR Transsexualism |
For some of these subject headings, there will be several subheadings to choose from. For example:
- Gays-Employment
- Gays-Legal status, laws
- Gays-Family relationships
Finding Articles
Academic Search Complete
Covers a broad range of disciplines including general academic, business, social sciences, humanities, general sciences, education, and multi-cultural topics. Offers full text coverage for thousands of journals. Includes scholarly and popular sources.
Full-text articles from national, regional, and local newspapers (including archives of the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Citizen, and Arizona Republic).
Index with some links to full text which combines Women's Studies International, Men's Studies and sexual diversity studies. Includes professional journals, conference papers, books, book chapters, government reports, and more.
A full text database of information from journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, special reports.
Other Resources
Depending on each of your topics, you may want to consult other resources, like Web sites of government agencies or local organizations. For any information you find on the Internet, be sure to evaluate it carefully for accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage.
Citing Sources
It is very important to cite your sources of information to acknowledge and give credit to someone else's words or ideas, and to allow a reader to consult the sources you used in your research. The UA Library's Citation Guide provides examples of how to cite books, articles, Web sites, and other sources using different citation styles like MLA & APA.
Research Assistance
If you have questions or need assistance with your research:
- Go to the Information Commons Reference Desk in the Information Commons of the Main Library. The reference desk is staffed all hours that the Main Library is open!
- Call the Information Commons Reference Desk at 520-621-6442.
- Use Ask-a-Librarian Chat Reference service online
If you need more in-depth research assistance, make an appointment with Mary Feeney, the Librarian for Women's Studies.