What if I can't find the material I need from the Lee College Library? You can always access the resources of other Libraries via Interlibrary Loan. The Library can borrow library resources for you from other libraries. Please note, it can take up to 2 weeks for books and articles to arrive, so it's best to start your literature search early in the semester.
What if I think the Interlibrary loan process is too slow? Use a TexShare card which allows you to go to the following libraries and check out their material as well as many other libraries across Texas. You must obtain a card from the Lee College Library though, so plan ahead.
* These libraries are part of the TexShare Database program, but not part of the TexShare card program.
What if I can't find any resources in the Houston Area?
Before you begin searching for information, you must identify keywords related to your topic. Find keywords:
When brainstorming keywords remember to ask yourself the who, what, when, where, and why of your topic.
Who is involved?
A specific age group, occupation, ethnic group, gender, etc.
What is the problem?
What is the issue facing the "who" in your topic? Health concerns, job and economic trends, contaminated drinking water?
Where is it happening?
A specific country, region, city, physical environment, rural vs. urban, etc.
When is this happening?
Is this a current issue or an historical event? Will you discuss the historical development of a current problem?
Why is it happening / Why is this a problem?
You may want to focus on causes or argue the importance of this problem by outlining historical or current ramifications. Or you may decide to persuade your instructor and class why they should care about the issue.
The following publications can be found in the library databases with the exception of Internet Sites. They each have strengths and weaknesses depending on the type of information you are seeking.
Searching for a phrase?
Putting it in quotation marks tells the search that you want that exact phrase, not just any of the words contained within it.
Ex: "film adaptation"
What is the difference between a journal and an article?
Scholarly Periodicals – Journals
Popular Periodicals – Magazines
Applied Ethnography by
This comprehensive, engaging guide to applied research distills the expertise of the distinguished ethnographer and methodologist Pertti Pelto over his acclaimed 50-year career. Having written the first major text promoting mixed qualitative and quantitative methods in applied ethnography in the 1970s, Pelto now synthesizes decades of innovation, including examples from around the world that illustrate how specific methods yield immediate results for addressing social problems. Ideal for researchers, students, training programs, and technical assistance projects, this thorough text covers the key topics and skills required: gaining entry, recording and organizing field data, a host of specialized techniques, integrating qualitative and quantitative methods, building and training research teams, rapid assessment and focused ethnographic studies, short- and long-term ethnography, writing up results, non-Western perspectives on research, and more.
Reflexive Ethnography by
Ethnographic research is fundamental to the discipline of anthropology. However, contemporary debate on themes such as modernism/postmodernism, subjectivity/objectivity and self/other put the value of fieldwork into question. Reflexive Ethnography provides a practical and comprehensive guide to ethnographic research methods which fully engages with these significant issues. Reflexive Ethnography tackles all the relevant research questions, including chapters on selection of topics and methods, data collection, analysis, and ethics and politics. Charlotte Aull Davies stresses that the researcher's own subjectivity need not have a negative effect on their methodology. Reflexive ethnography can create a unique form of material which is not accessible through native texts, but which is neither simply the product of the individual anthropologist's psyche. Instead it generates knowledge which in essence reflects social reality.
Encyclopedia of Local History by
The Encyclopedia of Local History addresses nearly every aspect of local history, including everyday issues, theoretical approaches, and trends in the field. This encyclopedia provides both the casual browser and the dedicated historian with adept commentary by bringing the voices of over one hundred experts together in one place. Authoritative yet accessible, comprehensive yet charming, Carol Kammen & Amy H. Wilson's volume is a deep resource for historical organizations of any size. The second edition features new essays about doing local history in each U.S. state and Canadian province and addresses problems, process, and technological changes in the field. Kammen and Wilson incorporate both technology and international perspectives to show how the field has grown in the 21st century. This book remains a handy reference tool that no local historian's desk should be without
On Doing Local History by 