AFR AM 4B: Africa: History & Culture

Proxy server

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:33:47 -0800

To use library databases from off campus you have to set up the proxy server: this changes your browser settings.

Different browsers [Firefox, Chrome, Safari...] have different instructions- they are all here.
You can set it up on multiple devices
You log in with your CalNet ID
There's an alternative: the VPN

Campus Library Map

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:38:06 -0800

Click on the image below to see a larger interactive version of the campus library map.

You can also view/download a PDF map of library locations. For library contact information and building addresses, visit our directory.

Library Hours

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:40:00 -0800

Hours on:
Enter as mm/dd/yy

For:

To select individual libraries/units, hold down the Ctrl key while clicking.

ebrary = ebooks

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:31:36 -0800

ebrary is our largest collection of full text ebooks, with 40,000 titles on a wide range of subjects. Find them in the UCB catalog, OskiCat (keyword: ebrary or limit to "Available Online"), or search the ebrary site directly:

Library Catalogs

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 10:04:24 -0800

Use OskiCat to locate materials related to your topic, including books, government publications, and audio and video recordings, in the libraries of UC Berkeley (excluding Law, some institutions and department libraries). OskiCat will show you the location and availability of the items that we own.

Use Melvyl to locate materials related to your topic located at other campuses in the UC system. Melvyl also allows you to expand your search to libraries worldwide. Clicking on the REQUEST button in the detailed view of a catalog record prompt you to fill out a form to request the item through our Interlibrary Loan office, 133 Doe Library.

Articles

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:36:25 -0800

Databases containing most relevant research for African history are below. Search the African Studies research guide for a longer list of article and primary source databases.

Reference Materials

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:37:02 -0800

Selected reference books are located in the Doe Reference or online. Click on linked title to access its OskiCat record.

General History of Africa volumes below also available online.

Citation Help

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:26:03 -0700

"Ethics, copyright laws, and courtesy to readers require authors to identify the sources of direct quotations and of any facts or opinions not generally known or easily checked."--

Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition (Chicago: Chicago Univ. Press), p. 594

Why cite sources?
Whenever you quote or base your ideas on another person's work, you must document the source you used. Even when you do not quote directly from another work, if reading that source contributed to the ideas presented in your paper, you must give the authors proper credit.

Citations allow readers to locate and further explore the sources you consulted, show the depth and scope of your research, and give credit to authors for their ideas. Citations provide evidence for your arguments and add credibility to your work by demonstrating that you have sought out and considered a variety of resources. In written academic work, citing sources is standard practice and shows that you are responding to this person, agreeing with that person, and adding something of your own. Think of documenting your sources as providing a trail for your reader to follow to see the research you performed and discover what led you to your original contribution.

Citation Management Tools

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:17:44 -0800

Citation management tools help you manage your research, collect and cite sources, and create bibliographies in a variety of citation styles. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses, but any are easier than doing it by hand!

Zotero: A free plug-in that works exclusively with the Firefox browser: keeps copies of what you find on the web, permits tagging, notation, full text searching of your library of resources, works with Word, and has a free web backup service. A guide is available.
RefWorks - free for UC Berkeley users. It allows you to create your own database by importing references and using them for footnotes and bibliographies. Use the RefWorks New User Form to sign up. A guide is available.
EndNote: may be purchased from UC Berkeley's Software Central.

It's always good to double check the formatting -- sometimes the software doesn't get it quite right.

Ask a Librarian 24/7 Chat

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:24:55 -0800

You can type your question directly into this chat window to chat with a librarian. Your question may be answered by a reference librarian from Berkeley, from another UC campus, or another academic library elsewhere in the US. We share information about our libraries to make sure you get good answers.

If the librarian can't answer you well enough, your question will be referred to a Berkeley librarian for follow-up.

Have fun chatting!

What is Peer Review?

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 12:52:53 -0800

Your instructor may want you to use "peer reviewed" articles as sources for your paper. Or you may be asked to find "academic," "scholarly," or "refereed" articles. What do these terms mean?

Let's start with the terms academic and scholarly, which are synonyms. An academic or scholarly journal is one intended for a specialized or expert audience. Journals like this exist in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Examples include Nature, Journal of Sociology, and Journal of American Studies. Scholarly/academic journals exist to help scholars communicate their latest research and ideas to each other; they are written "by experts for experts."

Most scholarly/academic journals are peer reviewed; another synonym for peer reviewed is refereed. Before an article is published in a peer-reviewed journal, it's evaluated for quality and significance by several specialists in the same field, who are "peers" of the author. The article may go through several revisions before it finally reaches publication.

Magazines like Time or Scientific American, newspapers, (most) books, government documents, and websites are not peer-reviewed, though they may be thoroughly edited and fact-checked. Articles in scholarly journals (in printed format or online) usually ARE peer-reviewed.

How can you tell if an article is both scholarly and peer-reviewed?

Research Advisory Service

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 12:53:27 -0800

Research Advisory Service for Cal Undergraduates

Book a 30-minute appointment with a librarian who will help refine and focus research inquiries, identify useful online and print sources, and develop search strategies for humanities and social sciences topics (examples of research topics).

Schedule, view, edit or cancel your appointment online (CalNetID required)

This service is for Cal undergraduates only. Graduate students and faculty should contact the library liaison to their department or program for specialized reference consultations.

Library Workshop: Research 101

jschultz@library.berkeley.edu (Jason Schultz) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:11:01 -0800

Unsure how to start a paper or research project? Think maybe you could stand to brush up on search strategies?

If this sounds familiar, Library Workshop: Research 101 has you covered. This interactive tutorial explores six stages of the research process. You can view it from start to finish, or focus on specific sections as needed:

1: Begin Your Research

Starting strategies, from choosing a topic to finding the right keywords.

All Libraries/Units
Anthropology Library
Architecture Visual Resources/CED VRC
Art History/Classics Library
Bancroft Library/University Archives
Bioscience & Natural Resources Library
Bookstore (Library)
Business & Economics Library
Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Library
Copy Services
Data Lab
Doe Library
Earth Sciences/Map Collection Library
East Asian Library
Education Psychology Library
Engineering Library
Environmental Design Archives
Environmental Design Library
Ethnic Studies Library
Giannini Foundation of Ag. Econ. Library
Graduate Services
Graduate Theological Union Library
Institute for Research on Labor/Employment
Institute of Governmental Studies
Institute of Transportation Studies
Interlibrary Services
Law Library
Mathematics/Statistics Library
Media Resources Center
Moffitt Library
Morrison Library
Music Library
Newspapers & Microforms
NISEE/PEER (Earthquake Engineering)
Northern Regional Library Facility
Optometry/Health Sciences Library
Pacific Film Archive & Film Study Center
Physics-Astronomy Library
Privileges Desk
Public Health Library
Social Welfare Library
South/Southeast Asia Library
Water Resources Center Archives