REPORTS IN PLANNING
 Plan: Growth Modules, Savannah, Georgia, USA, 1856, © CAPLA, The University of Arizona |
PLN 624 Chris Kollen Planning Librarian Main - A209
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General Research Information
Background Information
Encyclopedia Britannica Online is another place to find overview information. When you enter this database, simply type in your topic and the first few entries will get you started.
Information Please is a great online source for locating background information. Use subject headings listed below to help you find your topic.
Finding Articles
Use Indexes to find articles in journals, magazines and newspapers. For articles related to planning, the indexes listed below are good places to start:
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
This specialized index includes abstracts and citations to articles related to architecture, urban planning, design, historic preservation, and landscape architecture. Click on "Article Linker" next to the record for the article you are interested in to see if UA Libraries subscribe to that journal. Be sure to use the online help if you need it.
GeoBase
This geography index includes articles to city planning and other related subjects in planning. Click on "Article Linker" next to the record for the article you are interested in to see if UA Libraries subscribe to that journal.
LexisNexis Statistical Universe:
This database gives you access to spreadsheets and data for everything from income statistics to agriculture and fisheries. Look here for economic indicators and social and demographic statistics.
For additional help, be sure to check out the LexisNexis Statistical Help.
ABI/INFORM:
About 50% full-text, ABI/Inform indexes many of the Planning journals.
LexisNexis Academic Universe:
Mostly full-text, this database includes newspaper articles, transcripts, and a variety of other sources. Click on the News icon. Then click on the link to General News or Transcripts. Use the Guided Search feature, rather than Basic; Guided Search allows more flexibility and control of your search.
Dissertation Abstracts
Provides full-text of dissertations and theses from institutions in North America and Europe from 1996 on. If you want to obtain a dissertation published before 1996, you will need to request it through InterLibrary Loan. You will need to keep in mind that any item requested via InterLibrary Loan may take some time to obtain. Dissertations and theses are excellent sources for bibliographies that will lead you to other sources.
Newspapers
For the most current information about a topic, or if you are focusing on a topic that is of more local significance than it is of national significance, newspapers should be your first stop. There are many databases and resources to search newspapers, and it is often useful to go to the hometown paper. For access to local papers worldwide, try OnlineNewspapers. Remember that the length of time a story might be archived at the paper's Web site varies from paper to paper.
JSTOR
JSTOR is an electronic archive of scholarly journals. It has both search and browse functions. Be sure to use help, if you need assistance.
Additional Help for using Articles
Provides examples how to cite major types of sources, such as book and journal articles in APA, MLA, and Chicago Manual of Style.
Critically Analyzing Information Sources
How to evaluate book and journal resources
Differences between Scholarly and Popular Articles
Guide to how to tell the difference between scholarly and popular articles.
RefWorks
Web-based bibliography and database manager for creating personal databases by importing references from text files or online databases. Users can automatically format papers and bibliographies in seconds.
ONLINE JOURNALS
The following planning journals are available online:
The Annals of Regional Science
Arid Lands Newsletter
Cities
Computers, Environment & Urban Systems
Critical Planning
High Country News
JAPA
Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Journal of Planning Education and Research
Landscape and Urban Planning
National Capital Planning Commission Quarterly
Progress in Planning
Papers in Regional Science
Urban Studies
Finding Books
Use the Catalog to find books related to your topic. Try searching by KEYWORD for your main topic AND any other keywords (e.g., zoos and habitats, etc.) related to your topic. If you look at the results of your search, you may be able to find other keywords to use. A subject search will provide you with an alphabetical listing of topics for this subject.
Web Searching
There are hundred of search engines available on the Web. Here are four that I recommend. If you find information on the web, make sure you EVALUATE the site before relying on it as a reputable source!
I have created a Planning Subject Guide, which will lead you to useful planning sites on the World Wide Web.
General Tips about Finding Information for your Research
The Library will not own every journal or book that you find in the indexes that you use. To see if we own a book or journal, you will need to search the title of the book or journal in the Library's catalog.
When you find a citation (short description) of a journal article that you want to pursue (for example, from searching in Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals), and that article is not full-text, click on Article Linker to find out if we have an subscription (online or print) to that journal.
When you are doing keyword searches in indexes, if the first words you think of don't retrieve enough articles or the right kind of articles, think of other words you could substitute. You will need to play around with your search terms to find the ones that work best.
You can access any of these indexes or databases from home, but you will need to have your Catcard number on hand. Some people have trouble accessing databases from home, depending on the Internet Provider and the browser that they are using. If you are trying to access this from home and are having trouble, click here 
for instructions on how to connect.
You may also connect from off-campus by using VPN to connect via the campus network. Download VPN software.
You can access these databases from any computer on campus, including the ones in the Main,Science, Music, CCP and Architecture Libraries.
Finding information is just one part of the research process. The other half is writing a paper that accurately expresses your views and demonstrates that you understood both the research process and the information you found. If you need help with this part of the process, you can get help from the UA Writing Center. The Purdue University's Online Writing Lab can help you get started.
If you are having trouble locating materials related to your topic, contact: Chris Kollen kollenc@u.library.arizona.edu
© 2004, 2008 Arizona Board of Regents. All rights reserved.