Helen Miller Bailey LibraryEast Los Angeles College
English 103
This research guide provides a list of resources and strategies which may prove helpful when you need to research materials for your assignments.
The resources covered in this guide will include some that are available through the ELAC Library, and others that are available freely on the Internet. This is only a starting point; for more detailed information come to the library and ask for a consultation at the Reference Desk.
Your research strategy might include some or all of the following:
How do I find an overview or background information about my topic?
Reference sources are a great place to start a research project. You can use reference sources to find topic summaries, overviews, and bibliographies for further reading on your topic. If you haven't decided on a point of view, an overview will help you focus your research and provide a context. Listed below are a few encyclopedias available through the ELAC Library: Plunkett's Biotech & Genetics Industry Almanac Reference Stacks (HD 9999 .B44 P57 2006) Encyclopedia of Ethical, Legal, and Policy Issues in Biotechnology eBook Food Safety: A Reference Handbook Reference Stacks (TX 531 .R44 2000) The Oxford Companion to Food Reference Stacks (641.3 Dav 1999 ) Work and Workers Reference Stacks (HD 4904 .W64 2005, Volumes 1-3) Historical Encyclopedia of American Labor Reference Stacks (HD 8066 .H57 2003 )
How do I find books on my topic? If you want to locate specific books, or books on specific topics try using the library's online catalog. From the ELAC Library's web site, click the "Our Library Catalog" link to look for books on your topic. You can try typing your search words in the text box and clicking the "words or phrase" button (this is called a keyword Search).Try typing some of the following search terms to see what you find:
How do I find journal, magazine, newspaper, and other types of articles on my topic? You can find full-text articles and biographical information by using these electronic databases:
Θ Important note: You will need a special username and password in order to access these databases remotely. Please come to the reference desk at the library to pick up the necessary access codes.
How do I find credible web sources on my topic?
In this section, "web pages" means the "free web"--web sites anyone can access--not web-based research tools like the databases that the library provides. The free web has a lot of great things to offer, but not all the sources found there are appropriate for academic research. How can you determine if the sources you've found are credible? Ask yourself the following questions:
Below are some credible web sources you can try:
Companion to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) NOVA/Frontline program that explores "the intensifying debate over genetically-modified (gm) food crops. Interviewing scientists, farmers, biotech and food industry representatives, government regulators, and critics of biotechnology, the ... [report] presents both sides of the debate." The site features interview transcripts, a video clip, a show transcript, comments from the public, interactive learning activities, and a teacher's guide.
Find out which foods, by brand, do or do not have genetically engineered ingredients, and which foods are currently being tested by the biotech industry in experimental trials. Offers alternatives to genetically engineered food and information about labeling. From the True Food Network and True Food Now, a project of the Genetic Engineering Action Network (GEAN).
"An estimated 40% of US field corn in 2003 was genetically engineered [GE], and field corn is used in a wide array of food ingredients. GE varieties of sweet corn are more rare, and there is no GE popcorn." This site provides a map showing GE corn production in the United States, and a brief history of GE corn. Includes related links on GE corn and food ingredients derived from corn. From Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Series of articles from 2006 about the organic food industry and organic farms. Some of the topics covered include the "mainstream" organic movement, whether organic foods are healthier, how to save money when buying organic, and organic wine. Includes profiles of farms in California's Central Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. From the San Francisco Chronicle.
This advocacy site for organic farming features articles and reports on subjects such as pesticides in foods, nutritional quality, antioxidants, and food safety. Also find links to related sites. From an organization whose mission is "to generate credible, peer reviewed scientific information and communicate the verifiable benefits of organic farming and products to society."
"The mission of the National Labor Committee [NLC] is to help defend the human rights of workers in the global economy. The NLC investigates and exposes human and labor rights abuses committed by U.S. companies producing goods in the developing world." The site contains news, articles, reports, and more.
Easy entry into the full range of economic data and analysis produced by BLS. Find the statistics and reports on employment and unemployment, price (such as the Consumer Price Index) living conditions, compensation, productivity, and much more. From the U.S. Department of Labor.
Current issues in farm labor, including demographic and employment characteristics of hired farmworkers, farm labor data sources, farm safety, and labor laws and regulations. Links to additional reading material. From the Briefing Rooms discussion series of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS).
How do I get more help finding sources for my topic?
If you feel like you need help getting started, finding more detailed materials, or if you have any questions in general, please feel free to come to the library and ask a reference librarian for help.
Last updated 09/25/08 JA © Helen Miller Bailey Library East Los Angeles College |