Library research resources for
Anthropology of Modern Africa
Prepared by Dan Reboussin. Note that content on this page is out of date, often misleading under current circumstances and may be deleted at any time. Please refer to current site at http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/africana/
1. Using the library catalog and website
UF campus libraries' collections include more than 4 million volumes,
including many tens of thousands of online
journals and e-books available from the Databases
link, available from the orange tabbed banner of most UF library web pages (Quick
Links leads to many of the most popular databases at the top of the page,
with many more useful sources--such as JSTOR--
alphabetically below).
More titles are added to the catalog every day (a special project to include all
electronic titles in the catalog is underway--currently the web lists complement
our catalog, so it is worth while to check in both places).
The library catalog and website
will help you locate what you need, with the assistance of the Humanities
and Social Science Reference Department, library
instructors and subject
specialists available when you need us. Handouts
and guides as well as an online
orientation and an FAQ
list have been prepared by librarians and instructors to help you out. An online
catalog searching tutorial in Flash format is also available from the Health
Center Library: http://www.library.health.ufl.edu/help/UFCatalog/home.htm#
The Africana Collection
website includes a syllabus for the graduate Africana
Bibliography course that I teach with Peter Malanchuk each Fall Semester. It
includes more detail on reference resources, journal indexes,
subject guides and other resources. An Anthropology page
is also available on the website.
2. Reference resources
Browse the DT classification (African history and general works) of
the reference area in Smathers Library for overviews of African countries and cultures. These
resources will lead you to more specific academic sources available through the library catalog
(check suggested readings, references cited and bibliography
sections as you peruse books and articles). In the following examples, many articles are signed by recognized experts.
Less authoritative guides generally don't follow this practice (including many
free web sites--although these "ready
reference" websites are recommended). Clear attribution can be one
indication of the highest-quality information both on the web and in print. Also note that annotations in bibliographies can save you time in
shelf browsing (or waiting for book retrieval),
leading you directly to your particular area of interest.
Africa South of the Sahara. London: Europa Publications Ltd.
SMATHERS LIBRARY -- Reference -- DT351 .A37-In-Library Use
(Latest 3 eds. in Reference, earlier editions available for
retrieval/circulation).
Atlas of world cultures: a geographical guide to ethnographic literature. David H. Price. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1989. Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-125) and index.
SMATHERS LIBRARY -- Reference -- G1046.E1 P71 1989-In-Library Use
MAP and IMAGERY LIBRARY -- Atlases -- G1046.E1 P71
1990-In-Library Use
Countries and their cultures. Melvin Ember and Carol R. Ember, eds. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001.
SMATHERS LIBRARY -- Reference -- GN307 .C68 2001-In-Library Use
Available via Gale's Virtual Reference Library; search for this publication by title at http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/eBooks?ste=22&docNum=CX3401799999
Encyclopedia of world cultures. David Levinson, editor in chief. Boston, MA:
G. K. Hall, 1991-1996 & 2002 supplement.
SMATHERS LIBRARY -- Reference -- GN307 .E53 1991-In-Library Use
SMATHERS LIBRARY -- Reference -- GN307 .E53x 1991 suppl.
2002-In-Library Use
Encyclopedia of Africa south of the Sahara. John Middleton, ed. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1997.
SMATHERS LIBRARY -- Reference -- DT351 .E53 1997-In-Library Use
Fieldwork in the library: a guide to research in anthropology and related area studies.
R. C. Westerman. Chicago: American Library Association, 1994.
SMATHERS LIBRARY Reference GN42 .W47 1994-In-Library Use
3. Bibliographies, indexes & abstracts
Use some of these research tools to get more specific, in-depth information:
Africa bibliography. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press, 1985- Frequency: Annual
SMATHERS LIBRARY -- Reference -- Z3501 .A37-In-Library Use
Annual review of anthropology. Palo Alto, CA, Annual Reviews Inc. 1972-
Full text of recent years licensed only for UF students, faculty and staff http://anthro.annualreviews.org/
Full text
1972-1999 licensed only for UF students, faculty and staff http://www.jstor.org/journals/00846570.html
Request Retrieval: -- WEST BOOK -- 301.205 A615-Regular Loan
International development abstracts. Norwich (Norfolk): Geo Abstracts, c1982- Frequency: Six no. a year. Publishing history: 1982/1-
Developing countries--Abstracts--Periodicals.
SMATHERS LIBRARY -- Reference -- HC59.69 .I57-In-Library Use
Historical dictionary of Ghana. David Owusu-Ansah and Daniel Miles McFarland. 2nd ed. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1995. Series:
African historical dictionaries ; no. 63. Includes bibliographical references (p. 257-377).
[Note this is one example among hundreds of similar country-based titles in this series].
SMATHERS LIBRARY -- Reference -- DT510.5 .M38 1995-In-Library Use
Ghana. Robert A. Myers. Santa Barbara, CA: Clio Press, 1991. Series: World bibliographical series; v. 124. [More than 500 titles are available in this series, many of which are available via
Net Library].
SMATHERS LIBRARY -- Reference -- DT510 .M31 1991-In-Library Use
Read this E-book Licensed for UF students, faculty and staff
4. Other electronic resources
The Anthropology
Plus electronic index (part of RLG's Eureka) and the Social Sciences Citation Index
(in Web of Science) are the primary journal research tools for
anthropologists. Ethnic
News Watch is another excellent full-text source for library research in
anthropology (ProQuest also
includes Gender
Watch and several excellent newspaper indexes, as well as the primary database for North American
dissertations). Other useful database suggestions may be found in the library's project
starters feature (see anthropology)
of the database locator.
"The eHRAF Collection of Ethnography is a cross-cultural database that contains over 350,000 pages of information on
all aspects of cultural and social life. The annually-growing eHRAF database is unique in that the information is organized into cultures and ethnic
groups and the full-text sources are subject-indexed at the paragraph level."
5. Subject headings
Look at the FULL view of a catalog record for helpful details. The additional information there (such as clickable subject headings) can provide you with further leads as you
develop your research strategy through keyword searching or subject heading
(including subject keyword) searches.
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