A multi-disciplinary database which offers information in many areas of academic study including, but no limited to biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, psychology, religion/theology.
This listing provides access to most of the databases that the University of Utah subscribes to through ProQuest. Many are also listed elsewhere on our list of databases, but this serves as a common access point to all of them. The number of databases listed here may change as the University adds or removes ProQuest content from our collections. For more information about the databases that ProQuest provides access to, open this list and then click on the \Searching <#> Databases\" button near"…
This listing provides access to most of the databases that the University of Utah subscribes to through ProQuest. Many are also listed elsewhere on our list of databases, but this serves as a common access point to all of them. The number of databases listed here may change as the University adds or removes ProQuest content from our collections. For more information about the databases that ProQuest provides access to, open this list and then click on the \Searching <#> Databases\" button near the top left of the screen."
Annual Reviews provides access to a collection of critical reviews written by a group of scientists each year. Annual Reviews volumes are published yearly for 40 focused disciplines within the biomedical, life, physical, and social sciences, including economics.
The CIA World Factbook is a publication of the United States Government that provides data on over 250 countries, including maps and flags, geographic data, population overviews, government data, economic summaries, as well as communication, transportation, military, and transnational issue information. Information on the Factbook's website is updated frequently, and all information contained in the database is in the public domain (as it is a work of the United States Government).
The CQ Researcher publishes reports 44 times a year that offer in-depth single-topic coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Each CQ Researcher report is investigated and written by a seasoned journalist. Editors identify the topic to be investigated, then the writer conceives its content, formulating the key questions that it will seek to answer; reads background mat…
The CQ Researcher publishes reports 44 times a year that offer in-depth single-topic coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Each CQ Researcher report is investigated and written by a seasoned journalist. Editors identify the topic to be investigated, then the writer conceives its content, formulating the key questions that it will seek to answer; reads background material; interviews a range of sources; synthesizes available information; and writes the report. The report's writer quotes a range of sources, including lawmakers, academics, interest group representatives, government officials as well as citizens involved in the issue. The report concludes with a bibliography that contains an annotated list of key sources.
This listing provides access to a collection of language and subject reference works which the Marriott Library has purchased through Oxford University Press. The collection is cross-searchable and can also be browsed by title or entry. Users can retrieve over 2 million short and long subject reference entries (many of which are illustrated), bilingual dictionaries, English dictionaries, quotations, and proverbs. Patrons may also sign up for a (free) personal account which will allow searches…
This listing provides access to a collection of language and subject reference works which the Marriott Library has purchased through Oxford University Press. The collection is cross-searchable and can also be browsed by title or entry. Users can retrieve over 2 million short and long subject reference entries (many of which are illustrated), bilingual dictionaries, English dictionaries, quotations, and proverbs. Patrons may also sign up for a (free) personal account which will allow searches and other research information to be saved between sessions.
This database provides access to a collection of peer-reviewed articles and original papers in the field of philosophy. Over 950 professional philosophers collaboratively write, referee, and maintain this reference work, and the University of Utah is a supporter of the project. The Encyclopedia is updated and revised regularly on a per-article basis.
Features like "citations" or "cited by" in the library catalog and Google Scholar to follow the conversation around a topic
Tricks of interdisciplinary research:
Different disciplines may call same/similar things different things, keep track of terms and definitions
You will likely need to go outside of the databases recommended on the next pages for the best resources about a topic, ie ERIC for education-related research or PubMed for health content, feel free to send me or the librarian specialized in that area an email or schedule a research consultation for more in-depth support around your topic
Current events topics:
Terms may be different than you expect
Quality research takes time
Consider who is writing about your topic and why. Historiographies and review articles can help you understand the different ways people have discussed an issue over time.
It usually takes a while for groups that have done a bad thing to say they did a bad thing and so you often will need to choose and apply definitions and compare to the past and make analogies.
How do I know if a source is peer-reviewed?
In the library catalog and in most databases, you will have the option to limit search results to peer-reviewed journal articles. In some databases you can also limit to peer-reviewed journal articles in the advanced search feature.
Academic books from university presses are almost always peer-reviewed, especially if it is an edited volume where each chapter is written by a different scholar. Exceptions would be some textbooks and local history books written with a non-academic audience in mind. Either the book itself or the press's website will mention a peer-review process.
You can also look up the journal itself on their website and information about their peer-review process will be on a page like "Author Guidelines," for example, see Peer Review Policy from the American Political Science Association's American Political Science Review.
To add to the confusion, some law journals are not peer-reviewed, and they are often also law student-led and law student-written.
Basically, peer review can be a shorthand for expertise, but it is something to look for as part of evaluating a source. You are also for example going to want to see author credentials (which should be easy to find), target audience for the source, and how recently the source was published, etc.
