Reference works like encyclopedias, dictionaries, and bibliographies can provide useful background information--names, dates, key concepts and themes, recommendations for further reading, etc.--on a topic. For the purpose of your case studies, reference books can also tell you more about the context of a particular struggle. If you know what else was going on at the time in that country, you may be able to find additional sources that mention the events you're interested in, even if the book/article isn't specifically about those events.
Here are some recommended reference titles; to find more, try a keyword search in Tripod, and limit to "reference materials." I found these reference books with keywords like "nonviolence" and "human rights," but you may also want to try similar terms ("social movement," "resistance") or search for a specific country, group, or era.
Subject Portal » Peace Studies » Course Guides »
PEAC 71B : Strategy and Nonviolent Struggle (SC)
background information: reference works:
Protest, power, and change
Publisher: New York : Garland, 1997.
"An encyclopedia of nonviolent action from ACT-UP to women's suffrage." There are copies in the McCabe Reference and Peace Reference collections.
Human Rights Watch world report
Holdings:
(Bryn Mawr College) Available from 1989-present.
(Haverford College) Available from 1989-present.
(Swarthmore College) Available from 1989-present.
Publisher: New York, NY : Human Rights Watch,
The Human Rights Watch organization "conducts regular, systematic investigations of human rights abuses." It produces its World Report annually to "summarize human rights conditions in more than 75 countries worldwide." In addition to the electronic version, the most recent volume, which covers the events of 2008, is in the print reference collection (REF JC571 .H785 2009), and volumes from previous years are in the general collection on Level 2 (JC571 .H785).
background information: news:
Alternative press index archive
Alternative Press Index Archive is a comprehensive guide to alternative sources of information published from 1969-1990. Coverage is international and interdisciplinary. Indexes alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines.
Alternative press index
Provides abstracts to alternative news sources including radical and left journals, newspapers and magazines. Covers 1991-present.
Access world news
Provider: NewsBank
Newspaper collections from NewsBank provide full-text articles from the electronic editions of record for more than 700 newspapers around the globe, including the NY Times (2000-present). Database covers 1977-present.
LexisNexis academic
Provider: LN
Full-text of thousands of newspapers, magazines, news transcripts, reference works, and legal materials. Includes NY Times (1980-current)
Ethnic newswatch
Offers full-text articles from newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press. In English and Spanish, it offers additional viewpoints from those proffered by the mainstream press. Covers 1990-present.
The New York times on the Web
Holdings:
(Bryn Mawr College) Available from 1851-present.
(Haverford College) Available from 1851-present.
(Swarthmore College) Available from 1851-present.
Publisher: [New York, N.Y.] : New York Times.
Washington post (Washington, D.C. : 1974)
Holdings:
(Bryn Mawr College) Available from 1877-present.
(Haverford College) Available from 1877-present.
(Swarthmore College) Available from 1877-present.
Publisher: Washington, D.C. : The Washington Post Co.,
background information: legal resources:
World Legal Information Institute (WorldLII)
"Free, independent and non-profit access to worldwide law." Search international court databases, treaties, law reviews and journals, and more.
finding books:
Start with a keyword search in Tripod to find books on your topic. To generate keywords, consult your course texts, bibliographies from known sources, and reference works; also think about how different cultures, times, and contexts might affect the language that's used, and try synonyms and variations on your search terms (for example, "human rights" and "civil rights").
When you've located a relevant book, there are several strategies you can use to find additional related works. The first is to consult the book's bibliography; the second is to search by the subject headings you find in that book's Tripod record. These are near the bottom of the record, and if you click on the links, you'll find other books classified with the same subject heading. Sample subject headings you may come across include:
Nonviolence
Government, Resistance to
Social Justice
Social Change
Social Action
Human Rights
These subject headings can also be narrower in focus (like "Government, Resistance to--Burma--Psychological Aspects").
When you've located a relevant book, there are several strategies you can use to find additional related works. The first is to consult the book's bibliography; the second is to search by the subject headings you find in that book's Tripod record. These are near the bottom of the record, and if you click on the links, you'll find other books classified with the same subject heading. Sample subject headings you may come across include:
Nonviolence
Government, Resistance to
Social Justice
Social Change
Social Action
Human Rights
These subject headings can also be narrower in focus (like "Government, Resistance to--Burma--Psychological Aspects").
WorldCat
Provider: OCLC
A catalog of the holdings of books, journals, and other materials held by OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) member libraries across the country and around the world. Use WorldCat to identify materials to request via Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
finding articles:
Although you can search Tripod to find out if we have particular scholarly journals, the catalog doesn't contain information about individual articles within those journals. To locate articles, use one of our indexes or full-text databases, and click on the Find It! button 
to determine if we have access to the article you need either online or in print, or if you'll have to request it from another library. The resources below are recommended starting points for your research:
to determine if we have access to the article you need either online or in print, or if you'll have to request it from another library. The resources below are recommended starting points for your research:
Social sciences citation index
Holdings:
HC: 1997- ; BMC: 1956- ; SC: 1956-
Publisher: Philadelphia : Institute for Scientific Information.
"An international multidisciplinary index to the literature of the social, behavioral and related sciences."
Worldwide political science abstracts
Provider: CSA
Provides citations and abstracts of journals in political science and related fields including international relations, law, and public administration/policy. Covers 1975-present.
PAIS international
Provider: CSA
Provides abstracts of journal articles, books, government documents, statistical compilations, committee reports, intergovernmental, and private organizations reports. Areas covered include political, economic, social and public policy issues. Covers 1915-present.
Sociological abstracts
Holdings:
1963-
Publisher: Bethesda, Md. : Cambridge Scientific Abstracts,
Provider: CSA
Provides abstracts of journal articles, books, book chapters, dissertations and conference papers in the fields of sociology, social work and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. Records added after 1972 contain in-depth abstracts of journal articles. Covers 1963-present.
AnthroSource
Provides full text articles from American Anthropological Association journals, newsletters, and bulletins. Covers 1888-present.
Historical abstracts
Provider: EBSCO
Provides abstracts of journal articles, books, book reviews and dissertations that cover world history from 1450 to the present (excluding the U.S. and Canada which are covered in "America: History and Life"). Includes publications from 1953-present.
America, history and life
Provider: EBSCO
Provides abstracts of journals, reviews and dissertations on United States and Canadian history from prehistory to the present. Covers 1954-present.
requesting from other libraries:
Trico
Request items from Bryn Mawr and Haverford by clicking on the "request" button in Tripod. Use your name and the barcode from the back of your student ID. Your requested materials will generally arrive at Swarthmore in 1-2 days. Keep in mind that items in special collections are usually for in-house use only, which means that you'll have to go to Bryn Mawr or Haverford to use them.
EZ-Borrow
You can also request items from our regional partner libraries using EZ-Borrow. Again, you'll need your 14-digit barcode number to make a request. These items usually arrive on campus in 3-5 days.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
If you can't get what you need from the Trico or EZ-Borrow libraries, our interlibrary loan specialists can help you--fill out an ILL request form, but keep in mind that these materials could take several weeks to arrive on campus.
Journal Articles
You can request journal articles from other libraries, too. Fill out the article request form, even for journals that are at Bryn Mawr or Haverford.
If you're unsure of which service to use, check out this guide to Tri-College Borrowing and Interlibrary Loan.
Request items from Bryn Mawr and Haverford by clicking on the "request" button in Tripod. Use your name and the barcode from the back of your student ID. Your requested materials will generally arrive at Swarthmore in 1-2 days. Keep in mind that items in special collections are usually for in-house use only, which means that you'll have to go to Bryn Mawr or Haverford to use them.
EZ-Borrow
You can also request items from our regional partner libraries using EZ-Borrow. Again, you'll need your 14-digit barcode number to make a request. These items usually arrive on campus in 3-5 days.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
If you can't get what you need from the Trico or EZ-Borrow libraries, our interlibrary loan specialists can help you--fill out an ILL request form, but keep in mind that these materials could take several weeks to arrive on campus.
Journal Articles
You can request journal articles from other libraries, too. Fill out the article request form, even for journals that are at Bryn Mawr or Haverford.
If you're unsure of which service to use, check out this guide to Tri-College Borrowing and Interlibrary Loan.
research help:
Melanie Maksin, mmaksin1, 690-5786
If you need research assistance, I'm at the reference desk on Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m., and on Thursdays, 3-5 p.m. You can also make an appointment or stop by to meet with me in my office, which is on Level 1 of McCabe, near the R call number range in the reference collection.
Looking for more ways to ask a librarian? Call, email, IM, or come to the McCabe reference desk!
If you need research assistance, I'm at the reference desk on Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m., and on Thursdays, 3-5 p.m. You can also make an appointment or stop by to meet with me in my office, which is on Level 1 of McCabe, near the R call number range in the reference collection.
Looking for more ways to ask a librarian? Call, email, IM, or come to the McCabe reference desk!