Course: History 346: Japan
Topic: A Survey of Japan from ancient times to the present
Spring 2008 -- Dr. Pamonag
Librarian: John Stierman – jp-stierman@wiu.edu
Leslie F. Malpass Library, Office 219
Phone: 298-2756
Office Hours: Monday, 3-4; Tuesday, 4-5; Wednesday, 11-12 & 6-7
Off-Campus Access Library Internet Resources: Most of the libraries' databases are proprietary (owned by third parties). As long as you are on campus, the database providers assume that you are a WIU student. If you are off-campus, the providers require proof of enrolment. If you want to access library databases off-campus, be prepared with your student id # or your ecom username and password. Call the reference desk at 309-298-2700 or 800- 413-6544.
Key Resources
- Historical Abstracts, 1954-
- Includes everything but North American history. Dates included: 1450 to the present. Accessible from the library’s database page. Limit by article, book, collection or dissertation. Necessary to limit your results to English language only. EBSCO.
- Humanities International Index, 1926-
- Covers all aspects of the humanities. EBSCO.
- Anthropological Literature, 19th Century-
- Indexes essays and articles in anthropology and archaeology, including art history, demography, economics, psychology, and religious studies. Limited number of simultaneous users. FirstSearch.
- Academic Search Premier, dates vary
- Covers a wide variety of topics, including history of Asia. EBSCO.
Scholarly Journal Archives
- J-STOR
- JSTOR offers researchers the ability to retrieve high-resolution, scanned images of journal issues and pages as they were originally designed, printed, and illustrated. The journals archived in JSTOR span many disciplines. Over the summer the University Libraries acquired more J-STOR collections. For information on the University Libraries J-STOR collections visit J-STOR collections at your institution.
- Project MUSE
- Provides full-text to over 100 scholarly journals. Use it to update J-STOR titles. Limit your search to those journals subscribed to by your institution.
Determining Full-Text Access
When you see this button, click on it to determine full-text availability. By clicking on the Find It! button you are engaging the libraries Peridocials Holdings List. The example below shows the Find It! button in a bibliographic citation. In this specific example, you do not need to click Find It! because a full text link is already provided.
The Periodicals Holdings List (PHL) is a listing of both the print/microform periodicals available on the shelves of the Western Illinois University Libraries, and the full-text e-titles available via databases purchased by the Libraries. This resource currently indexes over 20,000 periodical titles. Below is an example of a record in the PHL for the serial Asian Review. Note that this periodical is only available at WIU in full-text, and only for the dates 2001 until 2003.
Interlibrary Loan Service
Researchers who need library materials from other libraries are encouraged to use the WIU Libraries' Interlibrary Loan Department. Since ILL requests can take 7-10 business days to fill, you are encouraged to start your research early and place a request as soon as you know what you need.
Reference Books in Reference Collection, Second Floor
- Encyclopedia of Asian History (REF/DS/31)
- Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture (REF/DS/822.5/E516)
- Encyclopedia of Modern Asia (REF/DS/4)
- Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan (REF/DS/833/P3)
- Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia (REF/DS/805/J263)
- Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan (REF/DS/805/K633)
Citing Your Sources: Hard Copy, Internet and RefWorks
Diana Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual features three popular formats: MLA, APA, and Chicago. Of the three listed, Chicago is most common for history. For special instructions on how to cite Internet sources, see Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual, Fourth Edition, pages 174-175. You can, of course, always consult The Chicago Manual Style, 15th ed (located at the Reference Desk). For Internet sources, see Chapter 17. The Reference Staff has created handouts on the three popular styles.
To manage your citations, you might consider learning how to use RefWorks. It is citation management software that is compatible with most of the University Libraries's databases. Ask me how to set up a personal account and begin filling folders with citations. You will find RefWorks on the WIU Libraries list of databases.