Valuable Research Tips When Studying Abroad

You will be studying in a variety of locations. The research skills you use at F&M will apply most anywhere.

• Develop a topic that you find interesting. You are more likely to be curious about research if you enjoy the topic.
• Explore, observe and ask questions. ALLOW for contrasting findings to differ from your initial thesis - be flexible!
• Identify key-concepts and keywords. Employ good search strategies so they you might maximize search results.
• Allow plenty of time to gather materials, so you can effectively assimilate research and produce a finished product.

With proxy access to F&M resources, you may be able to satisfy most research needs. However, don't discount the amazing primary sources at your respective locations. Make the most of your time abroad by utilizing local materials; including, libraries, news-stands, television, observing people and places, and personal interviews.

National Libraries of Romania, Singapore, Bulgaria, Austria, Qatar (future), and Russia.

Here a few of the questions the Library tends to receive from students traveling abroad.

Do you have information about the location I'm traveling to?

The resources the Library has to offer are numerous and broad. You might focus on any number of topics - history, politics, religion, arts or music. The Library of Congress Country Studies can be a good start. Current events - articles from newspapers and magazines - can be found in Lexis-Nexis. It can be a lot of fun to flip through journals and magazines in the Periodicals Reading Room, or explore the Reference Room for background information.

Example: Here's a sample of materials that can be found for France ...

Newspapers, Journals & Magazines (found in Periodical Reading Room)

Le Devoir, L'Esprit Créateur, Esprit, L'Express, Le Figaro, French Forum, French Historical Studies, French Studies, Langue Francaise, Le Monde, Modern & Contemporary France, Le Nouvel Observateur, Poetique, Le Point, Stanford French Review

Encyclopedias, Dictionaries & Guidebooks (found in the Reference Room)

Museums and galleries of Paris
      Ref AM48 .P3 M87 2002
Encyclopedia of contemporary French culture
    Ref DC33.7 .E53 1998
French culture and society : the essentials
      Ref DC33.7 .F7265 2001
The regions of France : a reference guide to history and culture
      Ref DC33.7 .N63 1996
France : a reference guide from the Renaissance to the present
      Ref DC35 .R64 2004
City profiles USA: traveler's guide to major U.S. cities: includes an international section, detailed profiles for London, Paris, Tokyo, and Canada.
      Ref E158 .C58 2004
A guide to the stone circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany
      Ref GN805 .B8667 2005
The Paris Opéra : an encyclopedia of operas, ballets, composers, and performers
      Ref ML1727.8.P2 P5 1983

How can I access the A-Z resources when I'm not on the campus network?

If you have a Mac with OS 10.2+ or a PC with the XP operating system, you can install VPN or proxy settings. Follow the tutorials found here.

National Libraries of Finland, China, Belarus, Netherlands, Germany and Iceland.

I'm having trouble finding materials.

The resources on the Library A-Z webpage can be a bit overwhelming. You might try ARTICLES: By Subject and choose relevant disciplines depending on your chosen topic. Good general resources tend to be Lexis-Nexis for full-text newspapers, and JStor for full-text journals, but there are many more fantastic resources to work from, and some may reveal full-text articles. If we do not have the full-text, your location may have the material in print. As with any search, be sure to target the keywords.

Example: Where you may search Google for ...

How does the International Monetary Fund affect developing countries?

You might search Lexis-Nexis, JStor, etc, this way ...

(imf OR international monetary fund) AND developing AND (country OR countries)

By effectively using boolean operators, such as AND, OR or NOT, you can expand the possibility of good results by avoiding unnecessary words and problematic adjacencies.

Can I use Interlibrary Loan?

It is not possible to borrow US materials and ship them to your location. If you will need articles as part of your research, plan ahead and Interlibrary Loan before you depart. ILL can be found here.

How can I get help?

First try local assistance, especially if you are working through a local library. US and local hours will be off, so you might receive a more immediate answer at your location. Of course you can always Ask Andy! Barring vacations and breaks, we should be able to respond within 24 hours.

Have a great trip, and send pictures!