LibGuides: Social Studies Research Guide: Start Here

Assistant Librarian

Maura O'Donoghue

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Assistant Librarian
Fr. Leonard Alvey Library

270-686-4213 (Office)

Featured Resources

He/She/They by Schuyler Bailar
Call Number: Stacks 306.768 B153 (Room 120, Ground Floor)
Publication Date: 2023-10-17
He/She/They clearly and compassionately addresses fundamental topics, from how being transgender is not a choice and why pronouns are important, to more complex issues including how gender-affirming healthcare can be lifesaving and why allowing trans youth to play sports is good for all kids. With a relatable narrative rooted in facts, science, and history, Schuyler Bailar helps restore common sense and humanity to a discussion that continues to be divisively co-opted and deceptively politicized.
One Quarter of the Nation by Nancy Foner
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2022-02-08
An in-depth look at the many ways immigration has redefined modern America. The impact of immigrants over the past half century has become so much a part of everyday life in the United States that we sometimes fail to see it. This deeply researched book by one of America's leading immigration scholars tells the story of how immigrants are fundamentally changing this country.
Developing Historical Thinkers by Bruce A. Lesh; Wayne Journell (Series edited by)
Call Number: EBSCO eBook
Publication Date: 2023-08-25
This practical book addresses the consistent questions that were posed by secondary social studies teachers during professional learning sessions. In particular, it examines ways to break through the inclination and perception expressed by many teachers that “My kids cannot do that.”
Until Our Lungs Give Out by George Yancy; Tim Wise (Foreword by)
Call Number: Stacks 305.800973 Y21u (Room 120, Ground Floor)
Publication Date: 2023-09-15
Learning how to speak about such topics as white supremacy and global whiteness, xenophobia, anti-BIPOC racism, fear of critical race theory, and the importance of Black feminist and trans perspectives, readers will be better able to join future conversations with their peers, those in power, and those who need to be empowered to change the status quo.
When We Walk By by Kevin F. Adler; Donald W. Burnes; Amanda Banh (As told to); Andrijana Bilbija (As told to)
Call Number: EBSCO eBook
Publication Date: 2023-11-07
When We Walk By takes an urgent look at homelessness in America, showing us what we lose—in ourselves and as a society—when we choose to walk past and ignore our neighbors in shelters, insecure housing, or on the streets. And it brilliantly shows what we stand to gain when we embrace our humanity and move toward evidence-based people-first, community-driven solutions, offering social analysis, economic and political histories, and the real stories of unhoused people.
Crip Authorship by Mara Mills (Editor); Rebecca Sanchez (Editor)
Call Number: Stacks 155.916 C931 (Room 120, Ground Floor
Publication Date: 2023-08-01
An expansive volume presenting crip approaches to writing, research, and publishing Crip Authorship: Disability as Method is a comprehensive volume presenting the multidisciplinary methods brought into being by disability studies and activism. Mara Mills and Rebecca Sanchez have convened leading scholars, artists, and activists to explore how disability shapes authorship, transforming cultural production, aesthetics, and media.
LatinoLand by Marie Arana
Call Number: Stacks 973.0468 A662 (Mezzanine, Top Floor)
Publication Date: 2024-02-20
A sweeping yet personal overview of the latino population of America, drawn from hundreds of interviews and prodigious research that emphasizes the diversity and little-known history of our largest and fastest-growing minority. LatinoLand is an exceptional, all-encompassing overview of Hispanic America based on personal interviews, deep research, and Marie Arana's life experience as a Latina.

Best Bets

Academic Search Complete (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  This database is a leading resource for scholarly research. It supports high-level research in the key areas of academic study by providing journals, periodicals, reports, books and more on a variety of subject areas.
- What's included?
  The database features thousands of full-text articles and citations from scholarly and non-scholarly journals going back as far as the late 1800s, with the majority of full text titles in PDF format.
JSTOR
- Why search here?
  The database includes core journals in economics, history, political science, and sociology, as well as in other key fields in the humanities, social sciences, ecology biology, ecology, mathematics, and statistics.
- What's included?
  JSTOR provides full text and bibliographic access to academic journal articles, books, and primary sources.
MasterFILE Premier & MasterFile Reference eBook Collection (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  MasterFILE Premier and Reference eBook Collection contains full text for general reference magazines and publications covering a wide-range of subject areas including business, health, education, general science and multicultural issues.
- What's included?
  Designed specifically for public libraries, these databases provide full-text magazines, reference books and primary source documents. They also include an extensive image collection containing photos, maps and flags.
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (EBSCO)
- Why search here?
  Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection is an essential full-text database for psychologists, counselors, researchers and students and offers particularly strong coverage in child and adolescent psychology and counseling.
- What's included?
  The collection provides access to hundreds of full-text journals, including many indexed in APA PsycInfo.
PsycINFO (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  This database is the world's largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health. Produced by the American Psychological Association, it is an indispensable tool for the discovery of global scholarly research.
- What's included?
  APA PsycInfo contains citations and summaries of behavioral and social science research, dissertations, and scholarly literature abstracts.
PsycArticles
- Why search here?
  This collection from American Psychological Association (APA) provides access to the full spectrum of study in the field — including cutting-edge research from preeminent scholars, to the historical underpinnings of the behavioral and social sciences.
- What's included?
  APA PsycArticles contains full-text peer-reviewed articles published by the American Psychological Association and affiliated journals.

Need help using our databases? Try a video tutorial listed on the tutorial tab of this guide.

Browse for journals available in the library on:

Journals Available Through the LIbrary

Journal of World History
Official journal of the World History Association. Peer reviewed coverage of comparative and cross-cultural themes which describe forces that work their influences across cultures and civilizations.
Eighteenth-Century Studies
Publication of the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies
Central European History
Articles, review articles, and book reviews dealing with the history of German-speaking Central Europe.
Psychological Inquiry
Publishes articles in the areas of personality, social, developmental, health, and clinical psychology.
Social Analysis
Invites contributions directed towards a critical & theoretical understanding of cultural, political & social process.

Open Access Journals - scholarly research freely available on the web.

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): World History
Over 80 open access journals related to world history.
PsychOpen
Open access journals relating to various fields of psychology.
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): Political Science
Over 100 open access journals related to political science.

Biographies & Encyclopedias

Britannica Online
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  Britannica Academic includes the essentials for conducting thorough research all in one site and delivers fast and easy access to trusted information with balanced, global perspectives and insights that users will not find anywhere else.
- What's included?
  This online encyclopedia includes over 100,000 articles plus an expansive collection of multimedia including images, videos, audio, interactives, and infographics.
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  The Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia has over 25,000 easy-to-read encyclopedia articles for covering an array of topics. The information is updated annually.
- What's included?
  The database contains images, indexes, and brief biographies as well as information in a variety of subject areas.

eBook Collections

eBooks (EBSCO)
- Why search here?
  This multidisciplinary collection includes thousands of e-books covering a large selection of academic subjects and features e-books from leading publishers and university presses.
- What's included?
  EBSCO eBooks provides full text for thousands of up-to-date reference, scholarly, and professional books.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (Gale)
- Why search here?
  Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
- What's included?
  Gale provides full text for reference, scholarly, and professional books.
History (Salem Press)
Covers Milestone Documents in American History and American Leaders, Milestone Documents in World Religiouns, Great Events from History and Great Lives from History.

Additional Databases

ERIC (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) is an authoritative database of indexed and full-text education literature and resources.
- What's included?
  ERIC contains records and links to hundreds of thousands of full-text documents. It includes records for a variety of source types, including journal articles, books, conference papers, curriculum guides, dissertations and policy papers.
Learning Cloud Professional Development & Training Solution
- Why search here?
  Learn advanced skills, prepare for new positions or careers, share concepts and ideas with groups or train your students, teammates or colleagues, and earn CEU credits.
- What's included?
  Dive into more than 80,000 microlearning videos and hundreds of professionally developed courses designed to help you master new skills, practice concepts, share ideas, and assess learning.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  Gale's Opposing Viewpoints In Context is the premier online resource covering today's hottest social issues, from capital punishment to immigration to marijuana. This cross-curricular research database supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes.
- What's included?
  Opposing Viewpoints is a rich resource for debaters and includes viewpoints, reference articles, infographics, news, images, video, audio, and more.
TOPICsearch (EBSCO)
- This link opens in a new window
- Why search here?
  Teachers, librarians and student researchers can use this database to explore current events, social, political and economic issues, scientific discoveries and other popular topics frequently discussed in the classroom.
- What's included?
  TOPICsearch provides biographies, book reviews, government information, periodicals, public opinion polls, and international newspapers.

Brescia University’s library staff are happy to assist you in finding the exact book, article (i.e. journal article or book chapter), or audio/visual you need through our Interlibrary Loan exchange. Use the links at the bottom to get the process started.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service provided By Fr. Leonard Alvey Library for current Brescia faculty, staff, and students.

Submitting Requests

Through our online catalog, or
Through an Ebsco database (articles only), or
Through our Journal Finder service (articles only), or
Through the appropriate link at the bottom, or
Through email: illoan@brescia.edu, or
Through a paper form at the circulation desk

Your current Brescia ID allows you borrowing privileges at area Owensboro libraries (Daviess County Public Library, Kentucky Wesleyan College, and Owensboro Community and Technical College). If the item you need is available at one of these local libraries, you are encouraged to check it out from there.

Arrival/Pickup of Request

Email notification of item's arrival (Brescia email addresses only)
Check out returnable ILL items at the circulation desk with current Brescia ID card
PDFs or photocopied items will be sent via Brescia email only

Disclaimer: Fr. Leonard Alvey Library cannot guarantee that items requested via ILL will arrive in a timely fashion. The late arrival of items is usually due to circumstances out of the Fr. Leonard Alvey Library's control (i.e. courier delay, network failure, lost mail, etc.).

Book Request

Article/Chapter Request

Audio/Visual Request

Renewal Request

Social Studies Research Guide: Start Here

Click here to access current Outstanding Academic Titles for Social Studies

Assistant Librarian

Featured Resources

Submitting Requests

Arrival/Pickup of Request