I am working on a paper for a music course and need to find scholarly sources on African influences in Brazilian music. [try the guide for music]
I'm working on a project on harm reduction for immigrant women who have undergone female genital mutilation. I’ve found sources that argue against the practice, but I would like to find a source from the perspective of a woman who might support it, or can at least explain the cultural reasons behind it. Where can I look? [topics include culture and health care; look at both anthropology and nursing guides; what are alternative terms for “female genital mutilation” that may help your search?]
I have to find a primary science article and decided to look for one on deforestation. How can I tell if an article is primary? [In a case like this ask if the student has an assignment you can look at; it may explain what the teacher is looking for; “primary” in biology means a scholarly report of a research project written by the scientists involved. Look for a biology database and search for research-based articles on deforestation.]
So, we're supposed to find books on trees. I can't find a book on the mountain ash. It's due tomorrow. This teacher is really annoying. [Never get into a discussion that slams teachers; it’s okay to be sympathetic, but blaming teachers is unprofessional. Ask if you can see an assignment. If the student doesn’t have one ask probing questions. Does it have to be an entire book? Chances are it only needs to be information from a book. We have field guides to trees in the reference section and some encyclopedias on gardening and horticulture that have some information on most trees.]
Where are the books on the Hmong? [after probing, you learn the student is working on a presentation on what health care providers should know about traditional healing practices; consider whether articles would also be useful, and which databases would be most helpful.]
The state of Illinois had a commission on capital punishment that put out a report a few years ago. Where can I get a copyof it? [Government reports can often be found on the Web. Think of synonyms for “capital punishment.”]
We're doing a debate on efforts to legalize carrying guns in bars. We have a lot on the "anti" side; where can we find good sources that support the idea? We’re not supposed to use the Web. [Books that cover the second amendment may cover the arguments for a broad interpretation of the right to bear arms that can be applied to a specific instance. Also see if the “Points of View” database helps or if there are editorials in Proquest Newstand.]
I'm working on a paper on cyber bullying and need some scholarly sources. Also, I could really use some statistics on how common it is. [Think of alternative terms for “cyber bullying.” Statistics may be quoted in newspapers and articles. Try also government web sites by limiting an Internet search for by adding site:.gov .]
