WGSS 401 -Bodies and Borders: Feminism and Globalization, fall 2013

1. FEMINIST RESEARCH METHODS:
STRATEGIES & RESOURCES
Susan C. Luévano, WGSS Librarian
WGSS 401

2. RESEARCH REVIEW
• Step 1: Develop search strategy
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Thesis statement
Pre-research
Research questions
Keywords
Boolean operators (and , or)
Truncation (*)
Adjacency
• Step 2: Select databases
• Secondary peer-reviewed sources
• Coast

3. RESEARCH REVIEW
• Step 3: Search the database
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Try different keywords, try different searches
Move to database subject headings
Select the best citations
Use internal citation generators when sending
information
• Step 4: Evaluate resources
• Read and assess content

4. RESEARCH REVIEW
• Setp 5: Apply and use information
• Synthesize information
• Write up the finding and conclusion
• Create your bibliography using correct citation
style
• Circular process – Repeat and Revise
• Use the WGSS Research Guide!!
• http://csulb.libguides.com/wgss

5. BACKGROUND/PRE-RESEARCH
• http://csulb.libguides.com/wgss401

6. CREATING A SEARCH STRATEGY
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Develop a thesis statement:
The Catholic church’s battle over birth control use
in developing nations.

7. CREATING A SEARCH STRATEGY
• Define the question
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Ask why????
• What is the church’s position on contraceptives?
• How does the church prevent women’s access to
contraceptives in Africa, if at all?
• Why is the push for contraceptive use by philanthropist
Melinda Gates called “globalism” by the church?
• What are the arguments for the use of contraceptives in
Africa by the WHO?
• Where is this fight headed?

8. CREATING A SEARCH STRATEGY
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Break down your thesis statement by concept
• The Catholic church’s battle over birth control in
developing nations.

9. THINK OF OTHER KEYWORDS/SYNONYMS
• Condoms or “morning after pill” or “birth
control pills” or “reproductive rights”
• Africa or a specific country (Nigeria)

10. BOOLEAN OPERATORS

11. BOOLEAN OPERATORS
• AND
• OR
Contraceptive
Africa
South Africa
Nigeria
South Africa
OR
Nigeria
Catholic
Church

12. TRUNCATION
*
• More results
• Plurals
• Asterisk *
• Feminis*
• Feminist
• Feminism
• Feminisms
• Contracept*
• Contraceptive
• Contraception

13. ADJACENCY
• Enclosed a phrase by double quotations marks
• The exact phrase is searched
• “Catholic Church”
• “morning after pill”

14. PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS
• Based on research & written for other scholars
• Content & research model are reviewed by other
scholars
• In-depth
• Extensive bibliography

15. FINDING PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES
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Http://www.csulb.edu/library
• 1) Test or preliminary search for journal articles, books & more
• 2) Databases by topic or title

16. RESEARCH DATABASES

17. GENDERWATCH
• 100 international journals,
• Coverage: 1978 to present.

18. ACADEMIC SEARCH COMPLETE
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General/Interdisciplinary
Popular & scholarly
Limit: Peer review box
Coverage: 1975 to present
Need the full-text?

19. ACADEMIC SEARCH COMPLETE

20. GET IT @CSULB

21. BEACHREACH

22. BEACHREACH

24. BEACHREACH

25. RESEARCH DATABASES
• Academic Search Complete
• Sociological Abstracts
• SocIndex
• Medline
• Depends on your topic

26. NEED INFORMATION NOT AT CSULB
• BeachReach
• Anything
• 3 days
• If longer- You will be notified
• Link+
• Books & some media ONLY
• 3 days
• Other CSU Libraries

27. STILL NEED A LITTLE HELP?
• Ask at the Reference Desk, 1 st West
• Consultations
• Susan Luévano
• Office hours:
• U Library, room 416, 4th floor
• Wednesday, 2:30 pm -4:30 pm
• Susan.Luevano@csulb.edu

28. QUESTIONS?