Librarian
Librarian
Start Your Research with The Basics
- Virgo: UVa Libraries Catalog This link opens in a new windowVirgo lists books, journals, videos, audio, manuscripts, and Internet resources owned or licensed by the University Library (Main, Brown, Clemons, etc.), Health Sciences Library, Law Library, and Darden School Library.
- Sociology Research GuideIf you get lost, you can also search the Sociology Subject Guide for good places to start your research.
Take Advantage of Library Help & Tools
Librarians love to meet with students! Feel free to contact me directly for a one-on-one research consultation. My contact info is on this page.
- ZoteroZotero is free software that helps you
collect, cite, and share research. It is extremely helpful when you are writing your paper and need to construct a bibliography. - SourceDorks Peer-to-Peer Research HelpUndergrads helping undergrads!
"Need help finding credible sources for your upcoming paper? Has your teacher banned Wikipedia? Meet with one of the SourceDorks! The SourceDorks will help you find sources relevant to your paper, narrow down a big topic, get peer-reviewed sources, and use sources your teacher will love!" - Ask a LibrarianWe are always available to help with your research. You can chat, email, phone, text, or come visit a library in person!
Focus on Peer Reviewed Articles
Databases are really great when you want to find something specific to your discipline, or you want to be sure that you are getting the best resources available! These are your best bets for development studies.
Here are tips for using databases:
- Remember that if you are off-grounds when you want to access these databases, be sure to go through a library website so you are prompted for your NetBadge computing ID. You will then be able to view the articles without having to pay for them.
- Use the the "Find @ UVA" button to get the full text.
- Limit your search results to "peer-reviewed" articles to get articles evaluated by experts.
- SocINDEX with Full Text This link opens in a new windowSocINDEX with Full Text offers comprehensive coverage of sociology, encompassing all sub-disciplines and closely related areas of study. These include abortion, criminology and criminal justice, demography, ethnic and racial studies, gender studies, marriage and family, political sociology, religion, rural and urban sociology, social development, social psychology, social structure, social work, socio-cultural anthropology, sociological history, sociological research, sociological theory, substance abuse and other addictions, violence and many others.
- Women's Studies International This link opens in a new windowFind journal articles, books, conference proceedings, reports, theses & dissertations, documents and other materials on all aspects of women's studies.
- OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new windowFull text (in PDF format) of all books, reports, periodicals, and statistical databases published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
API available, more information here: APIs for Scholarly Research - UN iLibrary This link opens in a new windowThe United Nations iLibrary is the first comprehensive global search, discovery, and viewing source for digital content created by the United Nations. It provides a single digital destination for seamlessly accessing publications, journals, data, and series published by the United Nations Secretariat, and its funds and programs. Every year around 500 new titles are planned to be added to United Nations iLibrary, approximately 70% of which are in English.
- Think Tank Search at Harvard Kennedy SchoolVery useful custom search for Think Tank resources
Get Development Data
These sources are a great place to get data and information about major indicators of inequality.
- Millennium Development Goals (UN)The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions.
- Millennium Development Goals Indicators (UN)"This site presents the official data, definitions, methodologies and sources for more than 60 indicators to measure progress towards the Millennium Development Goals."
- Gender, Institutions and Development DatabaseFrom OECD. Covers a total of 160 countries and comprises an array of 60 indicators on gender discrimination. Includes the Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI).
Consider these journals
These journals are directly related to the social sciences and women/gender. You can search inside these journals. Look for a link or a search box that says something like "search within this journal" to search only that journal (not the full database). You can get really nice results this way!
- Gender and Development"Since 1993, Gender and Development has aimed to promote, inspire, and support development policy and practice, which furthers the goal of equality between women and men."
- Gender, Technology and Development"Gender, Technology and Development is an international, multi-disciplinary, refereed journal serving as a forum for exploring the linkages among changing gender relations, technological change and developing societies."
- World Bank Research Observer"The World Bank Research Observer seeks to inform nonspecialist readers about research being undertaken within the Bank and outside the Bank in areas of economics relevant for development policy."
- Annual Review of SociologyThis journal is dedicated to publishing extensive literature reviews on a subject (rather than publishing original research). This is a great place to find the important citations for a particular sub-field in Sociology.