Library Research Guides: CAMS 210: Social Histories of Computing: What Do I Want to Write About?

Where Research Begins

"Questions"
This first chapter of Where Research Begins (Mullaney and Rea) provides strategies and exercises for moving from a general topic of interest to a preliminary set of specific questions that are compelling to you.

Explore a Topic through SuperSearch

Trying some initial searches in SuperSearch can be a great way to begin to explore a topic from many angles across a variety of disciplines. Start with a simple search and scan the results, paying attention to aspects of the topic that jump out at you or resonate with you. As Mullaney and Rea suggest in Where Research Begins, notice "which ones quicken your pulse." (See "Questions" above, p. 27)

(Learn more about SuperSearch on the SuperSearch page of this guide, under How Do I Find Relevant Sources?)

Explore a Topic through Reference Sources

Specialized encyclopedias, handbooks, companions, and other reference works can be good starting places for getting an overview of a topic, definitions of key terms, and suggestions for further reading.

Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new window
Oxford Bibliographies are research guides in a variety of subject areas. Combining features of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia, this resource directs researchers to top scholarship across a wide variety of topics.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
An interdisciplinary research tool that allows you to search over 300 reference works simultaneously, including limiting to audio or visual materials.
Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window
Full text of over 100 reference books in all disciplines published by Oxford University Press
Sage Knowledge Online This link opens in a new window
Search across more than 100 encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Continually-updated overviews of philosophical topics, written by scholars from around the world in philosophy and related disciplines. Includes excellent bibliographies.

The Johns Hopkins Guide to Digital Media
Publication Date: 2014
Presents "an interdisciplinary panorama of the ideas, genres, and theoretical concepts that have allowed digital media to produce some of the most innovative intellectual, artistic, and social practices of our time.... An easy-to-consult reference work for digital media scholars or for scholars in other disciplines wishing to familiarize themselves with this fast-developing field." (from the Preface)
Encyclopedia of Gender in Media by Mary E. Kosut (Editor)
Publication Date: 2012
150 alphabetical entries examine the role of the media in enabling, facilitating, or challenging the social construction of gender. Addresses gender issues related to media ownership and the media workforce as well as representations of gender within the media.
The SAGE Handbook of Web History by Niels Brügger & Ian Milligan (Eds.)
Publication Date: 2019
The Anthem Handbook of Screen Theory by Hunter Vaughan & Tom Conley (Eds.)
Publication Date: 2018
Offers a survey of the new horizons of film and media theory, focusing on the applicability of screen theories and updating the field for new social, cultural and geopolitical contexts.