Essay 3: Documentary assignment description
Handbooks and Encyclopedias
See Ellis Library First Floor map for the locations of the Reference and Ready Reference books.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (MU Users Only) - Incorporates and cross-searches online versions of many relevant reference works, such as the Encyclopedia of Religion, the Worldmark Encyclpedia of Religious Practices, Encyclopedia of Aging, Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society, Encyclpedia of Sex and Gender, International Encyclopedia of Marriage and the Family and many others.
Emily Post's Etiquette - Reference BJ1853.P6 1984
Encyclopedia of Religion - Ready Reference, BL31.E46 1993 (also part of Gale Virtual Reference Library)
Encyclopedia of Contemporary French Culture*- Reference DC33.7.E53 1998
Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology - Reference GN502.H36 1997
Folklore of World Holidays - Reference GT3930.F65 1992
Holiday Symbols - Reference GT3930.H64 1998
World Holiday , Festival, and Calendar Books - Reference GT3930.W67 1998
The Folklore of American Holidays - Reference GT4803.F65 1999
Encyclopedia of World Sport - Reference GV567.E56 1996
International Encyclopedia of Dance - Reference GV1585.I586 1998
Social Issues - Reference HM17.E5152 1998
Encyclopedia of American Social History - Reference HN57.E58 1993
Everyday Life: American Social History - Reference HN57.E93 1993
Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family - Reference HQ9.E52 1995 (also part of Gale Virtual Reference Library)
New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians - Reference ML100 .N48 1980 (also available to MU users online)
*To find other encyclopedias, use the MERLIN library catalog and do a keyword search on a broad topic and the word "encyclopedias". For example, " Germany and encyclopedias", "dance and encyclopedias".
Finding Books Using the Library Catalog
The MERLIN catalog uses broad subject headings. Some useful headings are:
Combine these with other topic words in your keyword search.
For example: China and Social life and customs
Finding Articles and Other Full-Text Sources Using Databases
If an article looks interesting, but there is no immediate link to full text, use the gold 
button to run a search for full text in other databases and a search for print versions in the Library Catalog.
Academic Search Premier (MU Users Only)covers all subjects. (mostly articles; some links to full text)
Human Relations Area File (MU Users Only) covers anthropological fieldwork on individual world cultures (all full text)
Lexis-Nexis Academic (MU Users Only) covers recent newspaper articles and TV and radio transcripts (past 10-20 years)
MLA (MU Users Only) covers languages, literature, and folklore. (articles and book chapters; some links to full text)
PsycInfo (MU Users Only) covers psychology (mostly articles; some links to full text).
Sociological Abstracts (MU Users Only) covers sociology (mostly articles; some links to full text).
For a complete listing of MU Libraries databases by subject, see the Subject Categories list.
For Assistance With Research, Contact a Reference Librarian
Dr. Juliet Rodeman
