WSDB 384 Critical Response:
Library Guide
*Though you can use our Sofia Discovery Search to find both books and articles, DON'T STOP THERE! -- also try any of these databases to identify articles engaging with topics related to your key course themes and ideas:
EBSCO Databases:
- LGBTQ+ Source (Broad coverage of the world's LGBTQ literature; includes both academic & lifestyle publications)
- Gender Studies Database
- Race Relations Abstracts
- Academic Search Complete (large & multidisciplinary)
- SocINDEX (sociology and social sciences)
*TIP:Select "Choose Databases" to several EBSCO databases above simultaneously
- GOOGLE SCHOLAR
TIP: set up Google Scholar to find/access Concordia resources
ADDITIONAL DATABASES:
- Contemporary Women's Issues
- Archives of Sexuality and Gender (primary sources, content from 1600 to the early 21st century)
- The AchQuives - "Canada's LGBTQ2+ Archives"
TIPS
- For Quick Tricks on how to enter search terms in many of these databases, see this one-page CHEAT SHEET.
- Click on the Scholarly/Peer-reviewed journals tab or checkbox in most of the databases above to limit your search to peer-reviewed sources. See also Evaluating Sources.
- You can sort your results by Relevance or by Most Recent Date
- Use the Findit@Concordia button within the databases to try and access the text of the articles. See also Help ACCESSING the texts.
at Concordia:
- Use our Sofia Discovery tool
BEYOND Concordia:
- The Sofia Discovery tool can simultaneously search the catalogues of all Quebec university libraries, and of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide. Under the Library facet on the left, simply select: Bibliothèques universitaires du Québec or Libraries worldwide.
- Google Books. Unlike simple library catalogues, this tool searches inside the pages of books. Once you have identified a useful book here, you can search for the print or ebook at Concodia using our Sofia Discovery tool.
*Warning: Though books (or book chapters/essays) can prove to be useful sources for your literature review, it will take more judgment and evaluation on your part to determine if they qualify as scholarly or peer-reviewed research. See the Help Evaluating section of this page for guidance.
For help formatting bibliography references and in-text citations according to standard citation styles see our Citation & Style Guides, especially the popular format:
ZOTERO is a free and popular bibliographic management tool
To begin:
- DOWNLOAD the appropriate Zotero program for your computer and Connector for your browser
- Register for a free account
- Learn more via our Zotero help page or workshops
IS IT SCHOLARLY/ACADEMIC/PEER-REVIEWED?
Your professor's instructions should always be the first criteria in determining what qualifies as an appropriate academic source. If you feel you need additional guidance in this area, however, you might find some relevant tips in the guides below.
- Our library tutorial on: How do I know if an article is scholarly or peer reviewed?
- A quick tip or quick video from our library guide about peer-reviewed articles
- Scholarly vs. Popular Sources guide from Berkeley (for book chapters as well as journal articles)
- Peer-review in 3 minutes (NCSU Libraries)
When evaluating the quality of a variety of material, the following library guide might provide some help:
- How to evaluate research materials and resources
- ACT UP Evaluation Method (an alternative approach that tries to "push against dominant narratives")
Instead of keyword searches for articles and books, why not explore some of the curated guides and resource lists that might be relevant to your course content?