Guides: 2024 FYW 1120-11 Composition & Research (Bogard): Pre-Search Resources

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Terminology when searching library databases

Food--government policy
Food consumption
Food supply
Sustainable agriculture
Nutrition
Food Habits
Body Image
Eating disorders

TIPS for using Reference Materials

HINT: Often signed encyclopedia or handbook articles (references sources) are written by experts who have written other texts (books, articles, blog posts, etc.) You can search for those authors in HamCAT or Google to discover some of their other works. Reference sources often also have a Further Reading section or a Bibliography at the end of them, with other sources on your topic, that can be worth exploring.

Reference = Background Information

Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Start with the encyclopedia for an introduction to your topic. Move on to the thesaurus, atlas, biographies, ebooks, news, videos and multimedia.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Offering a thorough introduction to topics across the academic spectrum, Credo provides full-text online versions of published reference works, including general and subject dictionaries and encyclopedias. Search Keywords, Subject Categories and Topic Pages.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Introduction to and in-depth coverage of the most important issues of the day. Full-text articles include an overview, historical background, chronology, and a PRO/CON feature, plus resources for additional research. Graphics, photos and a short "sidebar" round out the reports. Shorter "Hot Topics" articles provide a solid introduction to subjects most in demand by students.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
This collection of reference books includes dictionaries, thesauri, and encyclopedias, both general and subject specific. Use this collection when searching for reputable background information on just about any academic topic.
SAGE Reference This link opens in a new window
Includes reference encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and ebooks for business, communication, counseling, criminal justice, education, environmental studies, political science, psychology, public health sciences, and sociology.

Examples of Online Reference Books

The Oxford Handbook of Food, Politics, and Society
Publication Date: 2015
GMO Food : a Reference Handbook by David E. Newton
Publication Date: 2014
Routledge International Handbook of Food Studies by Ken Albala (Editor)
Publication Date: 2013
World Food: an Encyclopedia of History, Culture and Social Influence from Hunter Gatherers to the Age of Globalization by Mary Ellen Snodgrass
Publication Date: 2012
Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems by Neal K. Van Alfen (Editor-In-Chief)
ISBN: 9780444525123
Publication Date: 2014
The Oxford Companion to Food
Publication Date: 2019
We Eat What? by Jonathan Deutsch (Editor)
ISBN: 9781440841118
Publication Date: 2018
This entertaining and informative encyclopedia examines American regional foods, using cuisine as an engaging lens through which readers can deepen their study of American geography in addition to their understanding of America's collective cultures. Readers will get the inside scoop on each food's origins and history, details on how each food is prepared and eaten, and insights into why and how each food is celebrated in American culture.
Food Insecurity by William D. Schanbacher; Whitney Fung Uy
ISBN: 9781440878398
Publication Date: 2023
This comprehensive and authoritative one-stop resource examines the issue of food insecurity in the United States, including the various economic, social, political, and cultural factors that drive the problem.Social welfare agencies, schools, food banks, and other organizations have all put forth efforts to combat food insecurity, but it remains a serious risk for millions of poor Americans today.