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NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS - A GUIDE TO RESEARCH
A Bibliographic Essay
by
Judith Van
Noate, Humanities Librarian Reference Unit J.
Murrey Atkins Library UNC Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina 28223
E-Mail: ali00jev@unccvm.uncc.edu
This document, in a slighlty different format, has been submitted to ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources.
Finding Out About North American Indians: Using Your Library and Your Home Computer to Access Information
There is a vast wealth of printed information dealing with every conceivable topic on Indians. However, if you go to the average bookstore or to a small public library you will only see a few titles on the most popular topics, or, you might have trouble locating anything at all. How do you find the information you need? The purpose of this article is to acquaint you with some basic library sources such as reference books, reference librarians, and periodical indexes that will help you get the specific information you need.
First of all, I'm going to approach you in the same way I do the students who come into the library where I work. I'm going to assume (and my apologies to those who don't fit this picture) that the library may be a little overwhelming. You may know where the non-fiction books are on the shelves, but you may have problems locating "subject specific" fiction. Also, in addition to the usual dictionaries and encyclopedias, there is a vast array of specialized reference books which can help you locate all sorts of information. You may or may not be familiar with the periodical index Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, but you probably don't know about or regularly use Sociological Abstracts.
If you are not a librarian or teacher, you may not aware of the vast amount of material available through ERIC (Resources in Education). If you work at a university or frequent a large public or regional library you may have used one of the electronic indexes such as InfoTrac or Proquest, but you may not be familiar with on-line databases such as Dialog, BRS, CARL. Your library may have an electronic (on-line) "card" catalog, but do you know how to use it to your full advantage?
In this article I have attempted to give specific and complete information about a variety of widely available and helpful reference sources that you can use to find answers about North American Indians. Most of these sources are general information reference materials; you would not need to go to a special or large academic library to find them. With this information you should be able to work with the librarian at just about any library (tiny libraries may be the exception) to get just what you need. Since I can only speak of what I know from my own experience, you may find that your library has other, or even more, resources than are mentioned here. Also, technology is advancing so rapidly in the information field that it is almost impossible to keep up with all of the new databases and systems, but I do want you to be aware that these are out there and that they can give you almost unlimited access to information in nearly every field of interest.
Finding Books Owned by the Library
First, you might just want to ask the librarian where the books on Indians are. The answer will vary, and will depend partly on the helpfulness of the librarian and partly on the size and focus of the library. Most librarians will ask you a series of questions to help them decide how best to help you. You might be directed to the exact shelf, or you might be told to try the card or on-line catalog. My university library has an on-line catalog that allows us to search by "keyword" or "subject." We generally show people how to use it and then let them search on their own. The on-line catalog for the local public library is different from the one at the university but can be searched in a similar way.
Most on-line catalogs show holdings (titles and copies) locations and status (is the book available for check out) If your library has an on-line catalog, and it seems intimidating to you, ask the librarian to show you how to use it. I won't describe these here, because different libraries use different systems. If your library has a card catalog, you can just look up "Indians of North America" as your subject. If you are looking for books about a particular tribe look under the name of the tribe.
Subject Headings
If your library has an on-line catalog, you will obtain the best results by using a preferred or specified term or "subject heading" when you type into the computer. "Indians of North America" is the officially accepted term to use, but there are many subcategories you may also need to know.
Most libraries, at least regional, large public, and all college or university libraries will have a copies of Library of Congress Subject Headings, Washington: Library of Congress, annual since 1975. The current, 16th edition of these large red books is contained in four volumes. Use these to find the "correct" subject heading. If you look under the subject "Indians of North America" you will see
In some way finding books used to be easier when libraries only had card catalogs. You just looked up your subject and got the call number. Computer catalogs are picky-- they want correct spelling. They want a special term for a topic. But, they have major advantages too. With the on-line catalog you can find aspects of a topic you could never locate with the old card catalog. Specifics are really outside the scope of this article, but do ask your librarian to work with you if your library has one of these catalogs. He or she may know a few tricks not apparent to the average user.
Using the Library to Find Books Not Owned by the Library: Books in Print
The books in most libraries are just the tip of the iceberg of what is available. The selection at bookstores is usually even more skimpy. For a complete (well, almost complete) list of what is currently available, you can consult Books in Print- Subject Guide, New York: R. R. Bowker Co., which is available at most libraries (large and small) and at most book stores. Books in Print is a multi-volume reference work that comes out yearly. There are volumes arranged by authors, titles, subjects, and publishers. The latest edition also includes a thesaurus of subject terms for use with the CD-ROM (compact disk read only memory) version of Books in Print, Books in Print Plus. This computerized version is easy to use and frequently updated, but is not widely available. Since it is not kept in a public area in my library, I occasionally look up titles for library patrons on this system if I think it will help.
In the current printed version of Books in Print-Subject Guide, there are fifty-four pages of listings. Warning, the print is very small. If you wear reading glasses, and need to use this, be sure to take them with you to the library. The subject term to look under is "Indians of North America." General works are listed first, then subdivisions by topic (Indians of North America - Children). Categories are arranged using the Library of Congress subject headings described above.
To get an idea of the scope of what is in print, I checked Books in Print Plus. There are currently eleven computer terminal screens of subject headings on Indians of North America. Each heading lists the number of books available on that subject. On the topic "Indians of North America" (in general) there are two hundred twelve entries. On "Indians of North America - Eastern states" there are two hundred eighty nine entries, on "Indians of North America - Juvenile literature," four hundred fifteen. I also searched "indians" as a keyword and as a children's subject. There were over 5,600 entries on "indians" and 939 as a children's subject. Books in Print Plus is not entirely up to date. Some very new titles will not yet be listed. However, Books in Print- Subject Guide (both versions) is generally an excellent source for locating what is currently available for purchase, or borrowing, on a given topic.
The companion volume, Books in Print: Publishers gives addresses and phone numbers (occasionally 800 numbers) where you can purchase books not readily available in bookstores and catalogs. Later, I will describe how you can get your library to borrow them for you from another library.
Finding "out-of-print" books
There are several sources for identifying out-of-print books by topic. Cumulative Book Index: A Word List of Books in English, New York: H. W. Wilson Co., is one of several sources for finding previously published books on a particular topic. Cumulative Book Index is similar to Books in Print but is arranged by author, title and subject in one volume. It has been permanently in print since 1928 (originally entitled The United States Catalog) and has been published annually since 1969. You should be able to find this in large libraries (public and private) in most states.
Electronic (on-line) sources for books in other libraries: OCLC
Many North American and a few European libraries are connected, to OCLC (Online Computer Library Center, Dublin Ohio) Online Union Catalog, a computerized "database containing bibliographic and location information for about 30,000,000 items (books, audio visual material, doctoral dissertations, masters theses, but mostly books).
Through its searching systems Prism, EPIC and First Search, it can be searched by author, title or subject. A library may or may not (depending on policy) provide subject searching to the general public via these systems. Our library provides it primarily for faculty.
Printed Sources for Books in Other Libraries--National Catalogs
Large libraries will have a set of books called Library of Congress Catalog. Books: Subjects, Washington, D. C.: Library of Congress, 1950-1974. Although they contain vast amounts of information, these are rarely used by patrons at my library. A user has to look in several sets of cumulated volumes to see the whole entry on a topic, and, since 1975, this publication, continued with the title U. S. Library of Congress. Subject Catalog has been an annual publication. From 1982 on it is only available in the microfiche format. However, for a patient researcher this source contains a wealth of bibliographic information on books, pamphlets and other materials much of which has not been put into electronic formats such as OCLC. Use the terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings to look for books on your topic. Don't get confused, "LCSH" is the source for the "preferred" terms I discussed at the beginning of this article. These terms are used in most library catalogs regardless of format).
Using Interlibrary Loan to Get Books Not Owned by Your Library
NOTE: This is most important information for Cabrillo and Hartnell Students - Read this VERY CAREFULLY
OK, you have now located the "perfect" book on your topic, but, the library doesn't have it. What do you do? Most libraries provide an inter-library loan service by which they can borrow books (and obtain periodical articles) from other libraries. It can take from 10 days to about a month to get a book this way and there may be some restriction on their use (such as short loan periods or in-library use only).
Some libraries charge you a fee for this service. At my library interlibrary loan is free to students, faculty and staff, but we charge $3.00 to "other" patrons who have purchased a library card for a $15.00 annual fee. My mother pays twenty-five cents at her small town public library.
There may also be a limit on how many books you can borrow in a given time period. Since you can usually keep books borrowed from other libraries for only a couple of weeks, try to limit your requests to as many as you can realistically read. The librarian will give you a form to fill out or explain the procedure used at your library. How much inter-library loan service is available to you will depend on the individual library's policies. Some services are free or relatively cheap for the library to provide. Others may involve a fee. Most libraries will require that you have a borrowers' card at that library. At any rate, don't hesitate to ask about getting a book through interlibrary loan.
Buying Books
If the book is still in print you might want to buy it. The volume Books in Print-Publishers gives the addresses and phone numbers of the publishers listed in that source. You can call or write publishers directly, or, some bookstores will custom order a book for you. Additionally, most libraries subscribe to the New York Times Book Review which also has classified advertisements for out-of-print vendors.
REFERENCE BOOKS - General Reference Books
Note: the call numbers given are used at J. Murrey Atkins Library, UNC-Charlotte, Charlotte, N. C. and may be similar or identical to the call numbers for a given item at academic or other libraries using the Library of Congress Classification system.
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
The general Library of Congress call number range for bibliographies and research guides on North American Indians is Z1209 - Z1210. The following references are just a few of the many bibliographies which may be of help in researching American Indian topics. Check the on-line or card catalog, or ask a librarian for other titles.
GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
A large amount of information on North American Indians can be found in Government Document collections. Documents are usually available at large regional or metropolitan and medium to large academic libraries. J. Murrey Atkins Library, UNC-Charlotte, has been a selective depository for United States government documents since 1964, and currently collects about 67% of the materials available through the depository program. Documents are generally housed in their own section of the library, but many may also be classified as "reference" material. Ask you librarian for assistance in locating relevant documents. The librarian will probably refer you to the following publications: DOC REF Z1223 A18 (Call number will vary depending on library) Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications 1925- The Monthly Catalog has been issued continuously since January 1895. Entries are arranged under governmental agencies and can be approached through author, title, and subject indexes. Suggested Library of Congress subject headings: INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA (with appropriate sub-headings), names of individual tribes. MARCIVE GPO CAT/PAC - Enhanced CD-ROM version of Monthly Catalog of Government Publications. July 1976 - the present. The computer is located across from the Documents Service desk.
HUMAN RELATION AREA FILES (HRAF)
The Human Relations Area Files is a microfiche collection of primary materials (books, articles, manuscripts, dissertations, etc.) on the study of culture and society. Over 330 different cultural, ethnic, religious, and national groups worldwide and more than 700 different subject categories are included. These documents function as an ethnographic encyclopedia designed for research in anthropology and related behavioral sciences. Virtually all cultures, time-periods, and regions are included. Copies of these documents will be found primarily in academic and very large metropolitan or government libraries. J. Murrey Atkins Library at UNC-Charlotte owns all of the HRAF microfiche series published from 1952 through 1982. Series are now purchased on a selective basis only. Additionally, not all of the files have been copied to microfiche.
The HRAF microfiche cards are arranged in the microform cabinets by alphanumeric (letters and numbers) society codes, each of which represents a particular culture or geographic region. In turn, each cultural and regional division is subdivided by category numbers; each number represents a unique subject area, e.g., language, kinship, education. Outline of World Culture (Ref H62 B36) lists all of the cultures and regions. The alphabetic index in the back of the volume gives an alphanumeric society code which directs the user to the appropriate entry in the front of that volume. These entries provide detailed information on the peoples and regions within that classification: NN10. Choctaw. Specific data on Choctaw Indians. NN11. Creek. Specific data on the Creek (Muskogee) Indians, plus the other members of the Creek Confederacy, i.e. the Alabama, Hitchiti, Kosati, and Yamasee. For data on the later Seminole, see NN16. NN12. Cusabo. Specific data on the Cusabo Indians, plus the Ashipoo, Combahee, Edisto, Etiwaw, Stono, Wapoo, and Wimbee, and the neighboring Guale Indians.
SUBJECT AREAS are listed in the back of the volume, Outline of Cultural Materials (Ref H62 B36--Ask a librarian for assistance with this title.) Each subject is followed by one or more two- or three- digit category numbers which refer the user to the corresponding entry in the front of that volume. These entries give information on the topics within each category: Literati, 517 Literature, 538; research in, 814 Litigation, 691 538
LITERATURE--literary styles; poetry (e.g., epic, lyric); verse forms (e.g., couplets, stanzas); poetic techniques (e.g., meter, rhyme, alliteration); prose forms (e.g., tales, sagas, proverbs, fiction, short stories, essays); narrative plot and structure; literary subjects and themes; characters (e.g., animals, men, gods); treatment (e.g., realism, fantasy, allegory, satire); composition; literary conventions; recitation and narration (e.g., occasions, audiences); specialists (e.g., poets, prose authors, story tellers, ghost writers); etc. This category is reserved for generalized descriptions of literature. For literary texts and analyses and commentaries related to specific literary works see 539. See also: Stylistics..................................195 News stories and magazine articles..........204 Books and their publication.................214 Aesthetic Ideals and cannons of taste.......517 Wit and humor...............................522 Riddles.....................................524 Lectures....................................544 Mythology...................................773 Sacred literature...........................779 Humanistic studies814 (Note: the format is slightly different in the original index.)
How to use the Human Relations Area Files
To find information on a certain aspect of a particular cultural group or region, begin by locating that group or region in the Outline of World Cultures, e.g. Nma Iroquois. Next, locate the subject you wish to study in the Outline of Cultural Materials, e.g. literary texts, 539. After you have found the appropriate alphanumeric society code NMA and category code (539), go to the HRAF microform cabinets and locate the file labelled NMA. Once you have found this section you can select all cards with category numbers 539. Category numbers are on the upper left-hand side of the card; do not confuse this number with the "card" number which is used for filing purposes only. Note: In the original a sample microfiche card is reproduced here, this has been omitted from the electronic version. JVN Bibliographic information and brief annotation is given in category 111 of each file. Category 10 contains a summary of the data in each file. Category 116 contains the FULL TEXT of the document arranged in page order. NOTE: Only a portion of the material in the Human Area Relations Files (HRAF) as indexed in Outline of World Cultures has been photocopied to microfiche for distribution/purchase. Material available at Atkins Library has a red dot in front of the index entry and a check mark by the individual entries in the text. Material not owned by Atkins Library is not available via interlibrary loan. Also, I would tell you where the original documents are located but I am not quite sure and it is not explained in either of the indexes--part of them are most likely at the Library of Congress.
FINDING ARTICLES IN PERIODICALS
There is an enormous amount of information about American Indians in magazines and journals (called periodicals by most libraries). This can range from brief anecdotes in popular magazines to scholarly articles in professional and trade journals. Periodical articles can cover all aspects of a topic, but tend to be shorter and more narrow in focus than book length articles. This is usually and advantage, and gives the reader the opportunity of approaching a topic from different points of view. Also, articles are usually the most current source of information.
Locating Indexes. Information about magazine and journal articles is not normally found in on-line or card catalogs. Rather, the most effective way to locate periodical information is by using an *index*. An index tells where an article on a given topic is located. Indexes which have short summaries of the articles are called "abstracts."
Academic and large public libraries will have three types of indexes which will be useful for researching North American Indian topics. These are
The indexes which are most relevant for your research will be described in detail in the following pages. For more specialized research many libraries will have a selection of special or subject indexes.
Printed Indexes
Periodical indexes provide *subject* (and sometimes, but not usually, author) access to articles in magazines and journals. Both Ulrich's International Periodical Directory, New York: Bowker (annual), and The Serials Directory: An International Reference Book, Birmingham, Ala.: EBSCO, annual since 1989, give indexing information on special interest periodicals which are indexed in standard sources. Also, many Native American topics are the subject of articles in general interest magazines such as Smithsonian and National Geographic.
Most indexes are arranged alphabetically by subject; A list of citations follow each subject heading. The citation (sometimes called a "reference") includes:
Wilson Indexes
The first indexes to be described are the indexes published by the H. W. Wilson Company. The most well known of these is Reader's Guide. If you have used this one, the format of the others will be familiar to you. Library of Congress Subject Headings are (generally) used. Medium to large public and academic libraries tend to subscribe to many of the journals indexed here, so you are likely to find that the cited (referenced) journal is actually owned by the library. Start with these. Note: the call numbers given are used in J. Murrey Atkins Library, UNCC and may vary from library to library.
INDEX AI3 R48 Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature 1990-1899, 1990-
Many people will be familiar with the widely available Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, New York [etc.]: H. W. Wilson Company (annual since 1900) which indexes about 150 popular magazines. You should be able to find Reader's Guide at most county and all academic libraries.
Since this index has been in print since 1905, it covers most of the twentieth century. It comes out on a bi-weekly basis and is the most "current" or up- to-date of the printed indexes. It is cumulated on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. In the 1992 annual edition there are about three pages of entries under the heading "Indians of North America." Entries are also included under "Indians (American)." Under each heading there are a number of "see also" references and "subheadings," "art," "culture," "Government relations." This index "is the key to current information in general magazines.
Reader's Guide indexes a wide spectrum of mainstream magazines which people read for news and entertainment." Although it "does not index the learned journals,...it is the index of choice for current news, and as it stretches back through the entire 20th century, it is also the place to check to see how Indian subject matter has been treated over the years...[Reader's Guide] is relatively easy to use with generous "see" and "see also" references." You may search under subject, personal name or author. All magazines indexed here are published in the United States.
Subject Indexes (all published by H. W. Wilson) INDEX Z5937 R492 Art Index v.1- 1929/32-
An author/subject index to journal articles, yearbooks, and museum bulletins. Subject areas include archaeology, architecture, art history, city planning, fine arts, photo- graphy, film, etc. Use for topics on Indian art and Indian artists.
INDEX AI3 R492 Humanities Index v.1- 1974-
This is an index to English language periodicals dealing with humanities topics. Relevant North American Indian topics include archaeology, folklore, American and Canadian studies; linguistics, literature, performing arts, etc. Author and subject entries are in one alphabet. Quarterly with yearly cumulations.
INDEX Z7163 P9 Public Affairs Information Service. Bulletin (P.A.I.S.) v.1- 1915-
A subject index to books, periodicals, government reports (U.S. local, state and national, and foreign), and private and public organizations (including the U.N.), which are published in English. Coverage includes political science, economics, public administration, international law and relations, sociology, business, education and public welfare. "It is a good source for legislative information on Indians over the years and cumulated index covering from 1915 to 1974 makes it easy to search retrospectively. The inclusion of pamphlets is one of its outstanding features." It is available online from 1976 to the present. Ask a librarian if you are interested in an online search in this index.
INDEX AI3 R493 Social Sciences Index v.1- 1974-
An author/subject index to "the scholarly anthropology, geography, political science, sociology, and social work journals. Here you can get the results of research on such present-day concerns as alcoholism, housing, water rights, the urban Indian, family behavior, etc."
INDEX Z5813 E23 Education Index v.1- 1929-
A subject index to English language periodicals in the discipline of education. Selected yearbooks and monographs also are indexed. See also: Current Index to Journals in Education described under abstracts.
ADDITIONAL INDEXES WHICH MAY BE USEFUL
Described in this section are other relevant indexes which are not part of the Wilson Indexes and which may be somewhat more complicated to use. An attempt has been made to describe how they are organized. However, always feel free to ask for help if you need it. Also, you would probably never need to consult all of them, they are listed here just so you will be aware of what is available and to expand your research possibilities. (Note: most of the following indexes will be available only at academic and the larger metropolitan public libraries.)
History INDEX Z1236 L331 Writings on American History 1919-1939/40 1948-
An index to journal articles on American history. Chronological, geographic, and subject indexes. Sections include Racism and Race Relations; Social History; Reform Movements, Social Unrest, Antisocial Behavior, Resistance Movements, and Radicalism; Urban History and Urbanism Immigrant Minority Groups; Black History, Women's History; American Indian History.
Religion/Philosophy INDEX Z7753 A5 Religion Index One: Periodicals v.13- 1977/78-
This "is a prime source for articles on missions and on Indian religion. It also picks up articles on mythology, art, language, history, and current Indian social concerns...[P]reference [is] given to journals published in North America and to English-language journals from other countries. Divided into a subject index (with citations), an author index (with abstracts or summaries), and a book review section (with citations).
Literature and the Arts INDEX Z7006 M64 MLA International Bibliography 1921/25-
This is a major index to books and articles published on modern languages, literature, folklore, and linguistics. Specifically, it in its linguistics section (Look under "American Indian" linguistics.) it will lead you to information on Indian languages. In its General and Miscellaneous section under American Literature I it will help you locate articles on American Indian literature , and it indexes folklore in its folklore section. This folklore section is broken down into topics such as prose narrative; folk poetry; music and dance; folk customs, beliefs and symbolism; material culture; and so on. Look under the geographic heading "North America" and then under the various headings to get at the Indian material. The arrangement of the index looks complicated, but really is not.
The index has been printed in two parts since 1980. Part 1 is arranged by country or type of literature and then by period and author. It is arranged in a series of volumes. Volume I contains citations to British and American literature. For articles relating to American Indian literature, you will only need to work with Volume I. The linguistics and folklore are in Volumes III and V respectively. Part 2 is arranged in alphabetical order by subject and serves as an index to Part 1. NOTE: Prior to 1981 MLA was a one volume index and arranged somewhat like the current Part 1. There was no subject index. From 1891 to within a few months of the present the MLA is available on CD-ROM (available at some libraries).
MLA on CD-ROM The easiest way for you to search for recent journal articles on the works of an author or a literary topic will be to use the computerized version of the MLA International Bibliography. The volumes since 1981 to within a few months of the present are available in CD-ROM (compact disk, read only memory) format . This version of the MLA contains a year or so more information than the printed index. You may search by author, title of work, and by keyword. Two keywords, such as an author's last name and a theme or an identifying word from a title or theory, may be combined using "boolean" commands ("and," "or"). You will not need to search on the word "criticism" because just about everything in the index refers to criticism. You may limit your search by language, by publication type, and by date of publication. There is a handout near the machines which explains how to use the various searching strategies. You are encouraged to make an appointment in advance to use MLA on CD-ROM. If you need assistance a librarian will help you.
Notes and WORD OF WARNING:
1. Both the printed and the computerized versions of the MLA International Bibliography contain references to books and doctoral dissertations as well as to articles. Atkins library does not have any of the dissertations. These will be listed as DAI in the printed version and Dissertations Abstracts International in the computerized version of the index.
You can limit a search in the computer to find references by a specific publication type, for example, periodical articles and books, but not dissertations. (You enter the phrase pt=journal article and combine the result with the "set number" for your search.). The books listed are books of essays. Check for them in ALADDIN by the title of the book (not the book chapter) or by the editor's name (This comes after the word "IN" in the CD version). Also, there are many foreign language articles in the index.
You can also limit your search by language when using the CD (For example: enter the phrase la=english. Combine this with your results from you search.). The library does not own all of the items referenced in the MLA. If we do not have the source you need, you may try to get it via interlibrary loan (this takes 2 to 4 weeks).
2. Finally, do not depend on either version of the MLA for all of your research. In many if not most cases, there will be better and easier-to-locate sources of information in books and reference books. The MLA is important for recent information. However, the MLA (both printed and CD-ROM versions) is not the best source for authors who have themselves recently (the time will vary) started publishing. If you do not find much about a new author in this source try InfoTrac, or, try Book Review Index or Book Review Digest.
Sociology INDEX Z7161 S65 Social Sciences Citation Index 1969-
This is an international, interdisciplinary index to the literature of the social and behavioral sciences. Coverage includes journals (fully or selectively covered), books, monographic series, proceedings, and symposia, as well as selected articles from the materials indexed in Science Citation Index. The index consists of three major separate but interrelated indexes:
Social Sciences Citation Index is somewhat complicated to use. The symbols which make up the references can be confusing, and the print is extremely tiny (take your reading glasses and a magnifying glass to the library). However, it indexes more than 1,500 journals fully and another 2,800 natural, physical, and biomedical journals selectively for articles in the social sciences. It is thus quite valuable, in spite of its complexity and format. And again, most librarians will be willing to assist you in its use.
ABSTRACTS
Abstracts, which are published by professional associations rather than commercial organizations, are not limited to indexing journals only, but also may index other types of materials such as books, conference proceedings and dissertations. Abstracts also provide summaries of each entry. The following abstracts are useful for Indian research. Note: generally abstracting services are not as current as indexes because the abstracts take more time to prepare. Abstract entries include: author(s) of the material author affiliation (optional) title of article, paper, etc. full title of journal place of publication and publisher volume and issue numbers of journal date of publication pages on which material appears
History Note: you will find these indexes at academic and very large metropolitan libraries. Smaller college and most public libraries are not likely to have them.
America History and Life INDEX Z1236 A4802 Part A, Article Abstracts and Citations INDEX Z1236 A481 Part B, Index to Book Reviews INDEX Z1236 A482 Part C, American History Bibliography, Books, Articles and Dissertations INDEX Z1236 A483 Part D, Annual Index v.11- 1974- INDEX Z1236 A4825 Cumulative 5 Year Indexes v. 6-10 1969-73 v.11-15 1974-78 v.16-20 1979-83
American: History and Life and Resources in Education (RIE and CIJE) described on the following pages are the best abstracts to use for Indian related topics. America History and Life includes references to articles in more than 2,000 journals in almost forty languages (The abstracts are always in English). References are to journal articles, books, book reviews and dissertations on American and Canadian history and culture from pre-historic times to the present.
While history journals are emphasized, this index also selectively includes references from the major American and Canadian studies titles and journals from the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, education, religious studies, popular culture, ethnic studies, etc.
Note: This is a computer-produced index which can be searched by subject, biographic, geographic, and chronological terms as well as by author. It can also be searched on Dialog, an electronic index described in detail later in this article.
Education Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE) and Resources in Education (RIE) INDEX Z5813 C8 Current Index to Journals in Education v.1- 1969-
CIJE indexes nearly 800 major periodicals from the education field and selectively indexes education related articles from magazines and journals from other disciplines. One- or two-sentence annotations briefly describe the content of the articles. Because CIJE indexes such a large number of periodicals, it is not likely that any one library will have all of them. If your library does not have the articles you especially need, ask about getting them through Interlibrary loan.
INDEX Z5813 R4 Resources in Education (RIE) 1966-
RIE (Sometimes called ERIC) is a monthly index to a wide variety of documents such as research reports, papers, guides, etc. The scope of this index is so vast it is almost amazing. Currently the ERIC database (RIE plus CIJE) contains more than 10,000 entries on American Indians and about 350 entries on American Indians--Literature (don't panic, it is quite easy to search in CD-ROM format). RIE contains much more than just education related material. You can expect to find information (including book length documents) on Indian languages, Indian cultural heritage, federal-Indian relationship, school-community relations, bilingual education, Indian values, the aged, and so on, as well as the to-be-expected curriculum guides, annotated bibliographies, teaching methods (about Indians and for Indians). This article you are reading will be submitted for possible inclusion in ERIC.
I did a sample search on the CD version of ERIC on the subject terms "american-indian-literature" combined with "childrens- literature" and got seventy-one references to articles and documents that ranged from evaluative essays and bibliographies to the actual story books (including one coloring book for little children).
All ERIC (RIE) documents (but not all of the journal articles) are available at the more than 600 libraries nationwide that subscribe to these services. It will usually be found at academic, rather than public, libraries. Most libraries will have reader-printers for making paper copies. Paper copies can also be ordered from ERIC. Most libraries will now have the CD-ROM version as well as the printed version of this index, but, depending on the library's policy, there may be some restriction on the use of the former.
This index is produced by the United States Government. The collection of documents included in ERIC is in the public domain. With some exceptions and restrictions they may be reproduced at will. The index itself is likely to become much more widely available through electronic means in the future as the "Information Superhighway" becomes a reality. This will be described later, but it is quite likely you will be able to call it up on your home computer in the not-to-distant future. Learning to search CIJE, RIE or ERIC, in either format may be well worth your time.
Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology INDEX GN1 A15 Abstracts in Anthropology v.1- 1970-
An indexing and abstracting service to the literature of archaeology, cultural and physical anthropology, and linguistics. Because of its somewhat difficult arrangement, this index may be less useful than some of the others. Abstracts in Anthropology has abstracts from about 80 anthropology journals. (The number varies with each issue.) Entries are arranged in four categories: archaeology, subdivided by region; cultural anthropology, subdivided by topic (arts, ethnohistory, kinship, minorities, psychological anthropology, etc.); linguistics; and physical anthropology. Unfortunately, there is no cumulated index at the end of each year so that you will need to look at each issue individually in a given volume. Also, while specific tribal names are in the subject index, there is no overall term such as "Indians of North America" or "Native Americans" to help you identify articles on American Indians in general, even though these are included. Save this one for in-depth research.
INDEX BF1 P75 Psychological Abstracts v.1- 1927-
An indexing and abstracting service to the literature in psychology and the behavioral sciences. Both American and foreign journals are indexed; selected books and doctoral dissertations were indexed through 1980 and books are once again included since 1992. This abstracting service has its own book of subject terms, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, which lists the words and phrases used as subject headings. It is also available in CD-ROM (called PsycLit). Like ERIC, this index in both print and electronic format should be available at most academic libraries.
INDEX HV1 A3 Social Work Research Abstracts v.13- 1977-
An index to the journal literature in social work. Masters theses and doctoral dissertations are also indexed. All entries are annotated.
INDEX HM1 S67 Sociological Abstracts v.1- 1953-
This is another indexing and abstracting service similar to Psychological Abstracts. It includes references to books, journal articles and papers presented at national and international meetings of sociological societies and related disciplines. Both English and foreign language materials are indexed. The printed form of this abstract is somewhat difficult to use. However, it is also available on CD-ROM (called Sociofile) and in this format complex searches can be performed very easily. Ask the librarian if this is available at your library.
ESSAYS IN BOOKS: INDEX AI3 E752 Essay and General Literature Index 1900-
This is an important bibliographical index to collections of essays in books. The emphasis is on the humanities and the social sciences. There are numerous essays on North American Indians listed here. Material under a person (author, etc.) is arranged as follows: 1. author's works; . works about the author (biographical or overall discussions of his/her work); 3. criticism. Semiannual with a permanent cumulation every five years. See "List of Books Indexed" for complete citations.
Electronic (END-USER) Indexes for General Research
I have already mentioned several CD-ROM versions of printed special indexes and abstracting services. Large libraries (with correspondingly large budgets) will also have electronic general periodical indexes such as InfoTrac or Proquest. These may be CD-ROM systems with their own "workstations," or they may be accessed through the same terminals as the on-line catalog. They are easy to use even for persons who consider themselves computer illiterate. Nevertheless, don't hesitate to ask the librarian to help you get started.
Note: the type and number of periodicals indexed by these systems will depend on the function (such as academic or public) of the individual library. Medium and large libraries, both public and academic will have many of the journals indexed in Reader's Guide and the electronic general indexes. Once again, it is likely that the library will not have all of the articles indexed. For articles essential for your research, you will need to use Interlibrary loan. Occasionally a library will not be able to obtain articles. Be aware that federal copyright law permits a library to request only one article per issue, and only five articles from one journal title from the past five years. This on a per library not a per individual basis so you do have to be selective. Also fees for Interlibrary loan journal articles (photo copies) will vary from library to library.
Recently, some libraries are providing access to electronic services that can transmit "full-text" articles either on-line or via "document delivery" systems. The latter can be faxed, come through traditional mail or delivery services, or be transmitted electronically through state-of-the-art computer networks which I will discuss in more detail in the next section. In large libraries these new systems will revolutionize the amount and availability of periodical information. Electronic indexes Printed indexes will serve the research needs for most American Indian related topics. But if you are looking for a large body of information on a detailed topic, or for information which has not yet made it into the popular press, you may want to explore the possibilities provided by electronic or on-line databases. Large libraries have access to on-line databases which index huge numbers of periodicals, doctoral dissertations and technical papers. Some widely used ones are Dialog Information Services, a California based service which provides access to more than 400 on-line indexes, BRS (a similar service), the previously described OCLC, CARL (a joint effort of several large public and academic libraries in Colorado), and CitaDel (a document delivery system provided by RLIN--The Research Libraries Information Network--a "not-for-profit membership corporation of universities, archives, historical societies, museums, etc.). Others are planned or nearing entry into the marketplace.
Searching these indexes is usually done by the librarian (search strategies are somewhat complex) although private accounts are available. All of these services are dial-in systems and can be accessed from a home computer with a modem. Charges are based on telecommunications time (similar to long distance phone charges), database connect time, and print or type charges. Except for the telecommunications charge, the price varies from database to database and can be pretty expensive. For example to search Social SciSearch (the on-line version of Social Sciences Citation Index) the cost is $1.10 per connect/minute and $0.90 per print or type (each reference). This is for the reference alone. Costs for full-text articles, when available are currently about $17.00, but this cost may vary depending on the source. The telecommunications charge is additional and there may be a surcharge depending on the individual library doing the search. The advantages of the on-line search is that you get very current indexing--databases are continuously updated, and searches can be done on keyword or combinations of keywords which circumvents the need for precise subject terms. Some databases do provide for subject term searching (these will have "thesauri" which are the same as those used with the print forms of the indexes). The more precise information you can provide the librarian about your research needs the more effective and economical your results will be.
CARL
CARL Systems Inc, Uncover and Uncover 2, is a relatively new research tool (available at my library for only a few months). Uncover indexes table of contents pages of about 12,000 journals. Indexing goes back to 1989. Since it does table of contents pages only it does not provide complete access to all of the information in periodicals. Searching CARL is relatively easy compared to a complex system like Dialog. I found it similar to the on-line book catalog at my library. A quick search yielded 291 references on "American Indians." I did not try the singular form "Indian." About half of these articles were technical or medical. The rest were from a wide range of disciplines.
In addition to indexing, CARL Uncover 2 also provides a reprint, or, "document delivery" service. Articles are ordered through the computer. Fees can be charged to a major credit card. Many articles can be faxed within one hour (the database has over 2,000,000 articles currently in its electronic file); all articles are faxed within twenty-four hours. This database has recently added the British Library as a back-up source. Their holdings include a mind boggling number of periodical subscriptions. Fees are reasonable--$9.00 for an article (which includes a $3.00 copyright fee--since this fee is paid, more than one article per issue can be requested). Reprints from the British Library are about $17.00.
Alternative Electronic Information--E-Mail (Electronic Mail), On-Line Discussion Groups, FAQ's
Some new, and as yet not fully explored information sources are the communication media made possible through the tele-networking ("telneting") of computers on a world wide basis. You have probably heard of the "Information Superhighway." Libraries and universities, government installations and some businesses worldwide are already involved in this and already benefiting from the almost unlimited possibilities this medium offers for sharing information. I have had an Internet "address" for about two years.
In my experience (Electronic Mail) and Electronic Discussion or Interest Groups may be of greatest benefit in terms of specific topics. However, enormous amounts of information are being added each day-- government documents, whole databases of bibliographic records, statistics, on-line journals, transcripts of symposia, even databases of digitized visual images (photographs). An on-line *library* already exists on American Indians.
In the academic world, libraries are pioneering the use of networking for the sharing of information. My library provides access and training in the use of Bitnet and Internet for anyone affiliated with the institution. Through our system we can search a vast number of on-line catalogs at universities throughout the world. We have access to Bitnet and Usenet discussion groups and can call up the National Weather Service for an up to the minute weather report for just about anywhere in the country.
If you have a networking system where you work and haven't yet tried it, do. The benefits are definitely worth the amount of time you have to put into learning the system.
Actually, access to the Internet is technically available worldwide to anyone equipped with a computer and a modem (a gadget which allows telecommunications via a computer). Some cities provide network access for free (Cleveland Freenet is one of these. Charlotte N.C. is currently exploring a freenet for that city. I've heard a rumor that it will be called "Charlotte's Web."). Many commercial organizations now provide access to employees, and networking is widely available in United States Government institutions.
Several subscription or commercial type networks also exist including Compuserve, Prodigy, and America Online. Costs vary. MCI, through it's system MCI-Mail provides access to the Internet and a number of other networks for a yearly fee of only $35.00. They charge an additional fee for messages you send, fifty cents for the first 500 characters, ten cents for the next 500 characters, ten cents for the next 1000 characters and so on. Long messages are charged at five cents per 1000 characters. For information about MCI-Mail call 1-800-6245. (I have several friends who access the Internet through MCI). Note: All of these systems require some training, but you do not have to have any special programming or technical expertise to use them. I am appending a list of references to sources which provide more information on how to access the Internet at the end of this article.
I can credit E-Mail with motivating me to become far more computer literate than I ever thought I wanted to be. I recently searched a subsystem called the Gopher which can be customized for individual institutions. A feature of this allowed me to search on the term "Indians" for anything in it just about anywhere. Along with a huge number of references to the Cleveland Indians Baseball club, I also found two "newsgroup" discussion lists called soc.culture.native and alt.native which are available on the Usenet network. This is accessible through the Internet and consists of more than 5,000 topical discussion lists. I also located a database of research materials. This article will be submitted electronically to that database.
I hope that this article will give you a starting point in the ocean of information available on American Indian topics. Never be afraid to ask a librarian to help you in your quest. I will tell you the same thing I tell the students at my institution, "If you don't get sufficient information (or correct information) from the first librarian you ask, ask another one. Be persistent, find out what you need to know." Librarian's will appreciate your interest, and if you have read this whole article, you will be an informed library user, a much appreciated library patron.
References:
Dern, D. P.. (1992). Applying the Internet. Byte. February 1992. 111-114+. Discusses the Internet, plus gives information about searching other library's online catalogs through the Internet.
Dern, D. P.. (1992). Plugging Into the Internet. Byte. October 1992. 149-152+. Discusses how to access the Internet--gives phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Dibbell, J. (1993). Side bar to: Let's Get Digital: The Writer a la Modem. Voice Literary Supplement, VLS. March 1993. Number 113, p. 14. Gives prices and phone numbers for several commercial online services.
Feeding the Internet, Byte. July 1991, 184-185.
Kalin, S. W., Tennant, R. (1991). Beyond OPACS...The Wealth of Information Resources on the Internet. Database. August 1991. 28-33. Describes the Internet, gives information about access. Note: an OPAC is an Online Public Access Catalog. Krol, E. (1992). The Whole Internet User's Guide and Catalog. Sepastopol, CA: O'Reilly Associates. Step-by-step how to guide.
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Updated: 09 Mar 2000
by
crsmith