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Family Life

This guide suggests resources and strategies for research on topics relating to family life.

Contents of this research guide

Background Information  |  Facts & Figures  |  Find Articles  |  Find Books  |  Organizations  |  Web Resources  |  Additional Resources 


 
Background Information (Overview Sources)

Encyclopedias and other reference works are an excellent place to start a research project or simply learn more about a particular topic.  They provide topic summaries, context, and bibliographies for further reading.

International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family    R 306.803 En19 2003
Infancy in America:  An Encyclopedia                      R 305.2320973 In293
Parenthood in America:  An Encyclopedia                R 306.85 P2156
Encyclopedia of Family Life                                    R 309.8509703 En194
 

 

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Facts & Figures (Fact Sources)

Use dictionaries, statistical works, atlases, handbooks and similar works to find and check facts about topics, people, or events.

Handbook of World Families                                R 306.8 H19179
Handbook of Family Diversity                              R 306.85 H19156
Statistical Abstract of the United States                R 317 Un3 [latest at Reference Desk]
Statistical Abstract for Missouri                            Online resource linked from library
                                                                          catalog

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Find Articles

Search indexes, abstracts, and databases to find journal, magazine, and newspaper articles.  For a complete list of Kent Library's online indexes and databases, see the Find: articles page (http://library.semo.edu/find/articles.html).

To find historical/source materials, use the following print sources:

International Index
Social Sciences and Humanities Index
Social Sciences Index


To find recent articles and scholarly/peer-reviewed articles use the following online databases:

Academic Search Premier
JStor
Project Muse
ProQuest Research Library
PsycINFO
Social Sciences Full-text
Wilson Omnifile

 

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Find General Collection Books

Use the Kent Library Catalog (http://library.semo.edu/find/books.html) to find books, periodicals (journals, magazines, & newspapers), videos, government documents and other materials.

Keyword searches allow you to use your own words as search terms.
Subject heading searches use Library of Congress subject headings. Printed volumes of these headings are located near the Reference Desk on the main floor.

Possible Subject Headings include:

Family
Domestic relations
Home
Households
Kinship
Marriage
Family life education
 

Browse the shelves by call number.  Use the Dewey Decimal chart (http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/fi_books_dd_list.htm) to get you in the right subject areas or try the following:

Subject area Discipline Sub-discipline Call #
Family life      306.85
  applied psychology   158.24
  customs   392.3
  elementary education   372.82
  home economics   646.78
  psychological influence   155.924
  religion     291.441
    Buddhism 294.34441
    Christianity 248.4
    Hinduism 294.5441
    Islam 297.577
    Judaism 296.74
Family living     646.7

  

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Organizations

Professional organizations and/or societies often provide very useful topic related information.

List resources here.
 

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Web Resources

The Factbook:  Eye-opening Memos on Everything Family
    http://www.pobronson.com/factbook/

Child & Family WebGuide
    http://www.cfw.tufts.edu/

Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
    http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/

Child Welfare Information Gateway
    http://www.childwelfare.gov/

 

For a list of Web searching tools, see the Find: web resources page (http://library.semo.edu/find/webpages.html).

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Additional Resources


The Orphan Train Collection
    http://www.orphantrainriders.com/

 

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page developed by Information Services/ PW
last updated: 10/18/06