Research Guides: LATS 409: Transnationalism and Difference: Finding Sources

Need Help?

Emery Shriver
WGSS Librarian

mes4@williams.edu
413-597-4716

Pronouns: he/him/his or they/them/theirs

Research Tip: Borrow It

Borrow It!

If we don't own a book, or if our copy is checked out, you can borrow a copy from another library. Just search for the book in Williams WorldCat, and then choose "Request Item" to borrow it.

If you need help, just ask!

Where should I look?

Most research is interdisciplinary, but many library research tools are subject- or discipline-specific. So how do you know which one to use? Here are some questions that can help:

Who might have something to say on this topic? Political Scientists? Feminist Scholars? Crip Theorists?
Identifying which disciplines are concerned with your topic can help you choose a research tool.
Whose voices do I want to hear?
A given subject can be examined through a variety of critical frameworks, or lenses. Deciding which "lens" you want to use can help you decide where to look for sources.
What time period am I interested in?
Is your research question focused on the past, present, or future? Some research tools are better for finding historical sources, and others are better for contemporary topics.
Do I have to choose a discipline?
If you're not sure, there are research tools that are multidisciplinary. You can start there and then narrow your search if necessary.

Choosing a Research Tool

If you know what type of source or which "lens" you want to use to frame your research, browse the library list of research tools by subject or source type:

A-Z List of Online Resources
Use the drop-down menu to see this list by subject or source type.

If you're not sure where to start, try starting your research in a multidisciplinary research tool. You'll get all types of sources from a variety of disciplines, and can narrow your search from there. Recommended multidisciplinary research tools:

Academic OneFile Select (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Publication Dates: 1980-Present
Includes articles from magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals. Multidisciplinary coverage. Good place to start a research project.
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Provides access to scholarly articles, books, conference papers, and more. Modify your Google Scholar settings to access library-provided full text.
ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Searches across a wide variety of types of sources including scholarly journals, magazines, historical and current newspapers, dissertations, and more. Coverage is multidisciplinary. Great place to start a research project.

Search the Library Catalog:

Research Tip: Find Text Button

The Find Text Button

Many of our databases have this button, which searches for the full-text of the article in our collections. If we don't have it electronically, look for the "Request article scan" link in the "Get It" section.

Research Tip: Proxy Server

Researching Off Campus

Many of the resources on the A-Z Databases page are accessible anywhere you have an Internet connection. However, you will need to authenticate yourself as a Williams user.

If you need help, just ask!