STS 4600 Library Portal: Welcome
Welcome
Welcome to the STS 4600 library support guide. This guide provides quick links to the resources you need to succeed in your research in STS4600. Whether you are online or on-Grounds, UVA Library services and support are available to all students.
Your Librarian
Your Librarian is Maggie Nunley
Each school/department at UVA is assigned a research librarian. 
Connect with Maggie for help with your assignments. This service is available to all SEAS students, and meeting with a librarian early in your research process can help you save time and get a better grade.
Maggie can help with any step in the research process and can meet with you in-person or online via Zoom.
Search Virgo
- Getting Started with VirgoUse the link above to open a full-screen version of the PDF below.
- Navigating VirgoInteractive guide to Virgo navigation.
Watch library tutorials
- Navigating the Library websiteLearn how to locate information on the UVA Libraries webpage.
- Finding a library locationMaps, walking directions, and more.
- Help with researchSubject help, tutorials, and common questions... we're here to help!
- Searching for articles and using databasesNot everything is available directly in Virgo — learn how to access academic articles using databases.
- Off-grounds accessYou may need a VPN or other tool when you're not directly on UVA's network.
- Policies about using the LibraryLibrary policies about access, circulation, privacy, and much more.
- Finding a book in the LibraryLearn about the process of locating a book at the UVA Libraries.
- How to use InterLibrary LoanA quick guide to Interlibrary loan and how to request material through UVA Library.
Help with APA citations
For most courses in STS our preferred citation style is APA.
Ask a Librarian
Uploading to Libra
To submit the SEAS undergraduate thesis portfolio, all students will be submitting their PDFs to the Library's repository Libra.
- SEAS Undergraduate Libra Upload InstructionsThis outlines each step of uploading to Libra with recommended points for saving to ensure an easy upload process.
- Learn about LibraLibra provides stable, central, open access to publicly available content such as journal articles, monographs, conference proceedings, presentations, posters, reports, pre-prints. It also contains data and other products of research, as well as UVA theses and dissertations.
Libra is made up of three repositories: LibraOpen, LibraETD, and LibraData (or UVA Dataverse). - SEAS Undergraduate Thesis Portfolio GuideIncludes the full Library guide for the SEAS undergraduate thesis portfolio including submitting to Libra.
- Libra Upload -a-thonHave questions, need help, or just want to submit to Libra with one of the librarians right there to help?! Join us for the Libra Upload sessions for the SEAS Undergrad Thesis Portfolios in Thornton A238.
Search for academic articles
Academic databases contain peer-reviewed articles, scientific papers, reports, and more.
In STS4600, you're going to be focusing more on your specific research question and that's going to challenge you to really consider what disciplines and scholars are creating the information and research that you're interested in. Since all your topics are vastly different, I've added the entire list of all the online resources we have available through the Library. If you ever need recommendations, feel free to reach out - Maggie
- Guide to Learning ZoteroA quick guide for learning how to set-up and use Zotero.
- Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics This link opens in a new windowThe articles consider both the professional ethics of science and technology and the ethical and political issues raised by science and technology in an increasingly complex and global society.
- Sage Research Methods Online This link opens in a new window
Sage Research Methods is a methods library with more than 1000 books, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos by world-leading academics from across the social sciences, including the largest collection of qualitative methods books available online from any scholarly publisher.
Access SEAS undergraduate thesis portfolios
The SEAS thesis portfolios are made up of:
- STS Prospecus (written in STS4500)
- Major Capstone/Technical (however your major defines this - they're each unique)
- STS Research Paper (written in STS4600)
- Executive Summary (also written in STS4600)
2020-2023 are available online through the UVA Library's repository, Libra.
2019 and earlier are only available in print. They're located in the Library's off-grounds storage but can be access by delivery to the library of your choice by request. If you've never requested something from Ivy before this guide will walk you through how to do it.
- Hughes Award STS PapersIn 2024, the Engineering and Society department began nominating and awarding the best STS papers for the Hughes Award.
The following link includes the finalists and the award winners. - Online SEAS undergrad thesis portfoliosAll SEAS undergraduate thesis portfolios have been submitted online through Libra from 2020-2023.
From there, you can keyword search or use the toolbar on the left-hand side of the page to limit by advisor (under Author) or by Subject. - Print SEAS undergrad thesis portfoliosThe Library's entire collection of SEAS undergraduate theses. The list is sorted from newest (2019) to oldest (~1940s).
All print portfolios are storage at Ivy Stacks and can be accessed via request.
Explore ways to make research easier
- Is it peer-reviewed?A quick tutorial to help you determine if a resource is peer-reviewed or not (and what peer-review means and why we care about it!).
- Research Plan ExerciseFeeling stuck with your topic? Use this exercise to go from what you you want to research to the information you need and where you can find it.
- Research Set-upFive tools, tips, and tricks that will help make your entire research process much easier. Make it easy to get access to article, create citations, and find the information you need!