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

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

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
 

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

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

 

Use the Kent Library Catalog (http://library.semo.edu/find/books.shtml) 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.  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

  

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

American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
http://www.aafcs.org/
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
http://www.aamft.org/families/index_nm.asp
Child Life Council
http://www.childlife.org/
National Council on Family Relations
http://www.ncfr.org/ 

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 searching tools page (http://library.semo.edu/find/webpages.shtml).