LIBRARY INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Like the humanities, the social and behavioral sciences comprise a vast field of knowledge, spanning—but not limited to—psychology, history and political science. Each of its separate domains all share one common feature: the nature of what it is to be human, and a deep exploration of why it is we do what we do.
Finding Books [using
our online book catalog]:
The Library of Congress (LC) Classification System is used by most college and university libraries to classify and arrange books on the shelves. The following letters from the LC Classification System are useful in researching this topic. NOTE: Because social and behavioral sciences cover such a broad range, only the main classification
letter has been listed in most cases. There are many sub-letters associated with each.
Psychology BF
Auxiliary Sciences of History C
History: General and
History:
Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G
Social Science H
Political Science J
Law K
Go to these sections in Reference or the general stacks to browse these topic areas. For more detailed information, ask the librarian on duty for a handout describing the complete range of the LC Classification System.
Sample Search Terms
[for use in the online book catalog or other databases]:
psychological tests, Sigmund Freud, behaviorist theory, phobias, agoraphobia, psychosis, mental illnesses, numismatics, archaeology, Switzerland, history of France, Albania, Treaty of Versailles, Adolf Hitler, United States history, Colonial America, Boston Tea Party, anthropological digs, Lascaux cavemen, mountains of Costa Rica, paleolithic man, families, marriage, sexual behavior, human sexuality, same-sex marriage, Constitution of the United States, First Amendment, free speech, Supreme Court, capital punishment
Suggested Print
Sources [in the Reference section]:
Magill’s
Encyclopedia of Social Science:
Psychology
Encyclopedia
of Psychology
Encyclopedia
of American Social History
Dictionary
of American History
Dictionary
of the Middle Ages
Encyclopedia
of Political History
Encyclopedia
of World Biography
Encyclopedia
of World Cultures
Civilization
of the Ancient Mediterranean
Encyclopedia
of the Third World
International
Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family
Women
in World History
Use the online book catalog to determine the call numbers for the above items, or ask for help at the Information Desk.
Online Databases [selected]:
Online databases yield important information published in the periodical literature, including magazines, professional journals and newspapers. Some of our most authoritative sources for this type of information are:
EBSCOhost
[Academic Search Complete; MasterFILE Premier; Psychology and Behavioral
Sciences Collection; Religion and Philosophy Collection; World History
Collection; History Reference Center; Legal Collection; Military and Government
Collection]
WilsonWeb
[a broad, general database of considerable depth]
Click on our library home page under “Online Databases” to access these resources. All of them contain full-text capabilities, allowing selected articles to be printed out in their entirety.
Internet Resources
[selected]:
These content-rich websites contain much useful data. However, as with all Net-based resources, students should be discriminating about what they are finding and using. Not all resources on the Internet are equal. These have been found to be reliable.
Political Science
Psychology
www.nimh.nih.gov [mental health]
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/phobias.html
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/start/inres/ss/psych.html
History
Citation Style: MLA
Correct citation form is that which is preferred by your teacher. The MLA form idicated here is almost always the appropriate form for humanities-related subjects. Our web page contains suggestions for MLS style under “Student Resources.” Click there for more information. The most recent edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers is available in the Reference stacks. It is the most authoritative source for all questions about MLA citation form.
Tutorials: [under construction]
For further information, call the general library reference number at
956-721-5274. We are available for
assistance during all hours the library is open. You may also reach us by email at
refdesk@laredo.edu.