Choosing a topic and finding background information

Reference books, including encyclopedias and dictionaries, are a good place to look for potential paper topics and/or to find background information on a topic. The following titles are available in the Bierce Library reference collection:

• Delson, Eric et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Human Evolution and Prehistory. 2nd ed. New York: Garland, 2000. Reference GN281.E53
• Ellis, Linda, ed. Archaeological Method and Theory: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland, 2000. Reference CC75.A654
• Lee, Richard B., and Richard Daly, eds. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Reference GN388.C35
• Murray, Tim, ed. Encyclopedia of Archaeology: History and Discoveries. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC CLIO, 2001. Reference CC100.E54
• Murray, Tim, ed. Encyclopedia of Archaeology: The Great Archaeologists. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC CLIO, 1999. Reference CC110.E54
• Shaw, Ian, and Robert Jameson, eds. A Dictionary of Archaeology. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 1999. Reference CC70.D53

Another good source for potential paper topics is Texas A&M University’s Anthropology in the News website (http://www.tamu.edu/anthropology/news.html). This site brings together news stories on a variety of anthropological topics.

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Library catalogs

Use the UA Libraries Catalog, the University of Akron's library catalog, to find books, journal titles and audio-visual materials. The University of Akron is a member of OhioLINK, a consortium of the libraries of 78 Ohio colleges and universities and the State Library of Ohio. Use the OhioLINK central catalog to find and request additional materials on your topic.

When searching by subject in the UA Libraries Catalog or OhioLINK catalogs, it is necessary to use Library of Congress Subject Headings--official words used to describe particular topics. If you don't find books on your topic with a subject search, try using a keyword search, instead.

Some examples of Library of Congress Subject Headings are:

• Excavations Archaeology - China
• Excavations Archaeology - Computer Simulation
• Ohio - Antiquities
• Forensic Anthropology
• Archaeology - Methodology
• Archaeological Dating
• Archaeologists
• Archaeology
• Archaeology - Remote Sensing
• Environmental Archaeology
• Social Archaeology
• Cities and Towns Ancient
• Tools Prehistoric

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Indexes and databases

Anthropologists often publish the results of their research in scholarly journals, rather than in books. To find journal articles, it is necessary to use indexes and databases. The following electronic indexes and databases are useful for finding journal articles on your topic:

• Academic Search Premier.
  Citations to articles in scholarly journals and some popular magazines. Lots of full-text.
  http://www.uakron.edu/library/gateway/look-for-articles/general.html
• America: History and Life.
  http://www3.uakron.edu/library/gateway/look-for-articles/arts.html
• Annual Review of Anthropology.
  Full-text 1984 - present in Annual Reviews; Full text 1972 - 1997 in JSTOR.
  Do a title search in UA Libraries Catalog for Annual Review of Anthropology; choose Annual Reviews or JSTOR to access.
• Anthropological Literature.
  Citations to articles in scholarly journals and edited books in anthropology.
  http://www.uakron.edu/library/gateway/look-for-articles/social.html
• eHRAF Collection of Ethnography.
  Full-text database of books, journal articles and dissertations, focusing on pre-industrial cultures and North American immigrant groups.
  For help using this resource, please consult the Guide to Accessing the HRAF Collection of Ethnography
• Historical Abstracts.
  http://www3.uakron.edu/library/gateway/look-for-articles/arts.html
• Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, and Science Citation Indexes.
  http://www3.uakron.edu/ul/e-resources/alphalist.html

For information on accessing these databases from off-campus, see the guide to Connecting to Online Library Resources from Off-Campus (http://www.uakron.edu/library/gateway/connect/).

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Web resources

Web resources can be used to supplement information found in books and journal articles. Good Web directories for anthropology and archaeology are:

• Anthropology Resources on the Internet
  http://www.anthropologie.net/
• Anthro.Net
  http://www.anthro.net
• WWW Virtual Library for Archaeology ArchNet
  http://archnet.asu.edu/archnet/

Some good Web sites are:

• Minnesota State University Mankato EMuseum Archaeology Exhibits
  http://www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/archaeology/
• National Park Service Archeology and Ethnography Program
  http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/
• National Archeological Database
  http://www.cast.uark.edu/other/nps/nadb/

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Evaluating websites

It is a good idea to evaluate Web sites before using information from these sources in your paper. Ask yourself some questions:

• Who is responsible for the Web site? Was it built by an anthropologist? A museum? A government agency? Look for something that indicates a certain level of expertise on the topic.
• What is the purpose of the site? Is the author trying to provide objective, in-depth information on your topic?
• After consulting books and journal articles, you will have developed some understanding of your topic. How does the site's presentation of the topic compare with your own understanding? Does it seem accurate?

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Citing sources

The American Anthropological Association's Style Guide (http://www.aaanet.org/pubs/style_guide.htm) is one way to format text citations and a list of references cited.

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