Welcome to the Humanities subject guide!
Humanities at Richard J. Daley College include the subject areas of Psychology, Art, Spanish, Philosophy, Political Science, and Social Sciences. The disciplines within the Humanities focus on engaging students in creative/critical thinking, social awareness, humanistic sensibility, and an understanding of diversity. This page offers information about the various resources available at the Library such as article databases, reference materials, ebooks and multimedia sources.
In addition, the Richard J. Daley Library offers individual and group instruction on how to use library resources in this subject area. Speak with one of our reference librarians to assist you.
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eEncylopedias can help you gather general information about a topic.
Search the Gale Virtual Reference Collection:
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy is a peer-reviewed encyclopedia that offers brief articles on many issues in the world of Philosophy.
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Search the Daley College Library Catalog:
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Useful Databases for Humanities Research:
EBSCO Academic Search Complete
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- database content fully supports scholarly research in the key areas of academic study by providing peer-reviewed journals, full-text periodicals, reports, books, and much more.
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Current Events databases
The following databases can be helpful when searching for examples of current events and issues:
CQ Researcher
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- used by students, teachers, librarians, journalists and others, who need to complete an assignment, prepare for a debate or become a quick expert on a topic.
- each 12,000-word report is a unique work, investigated and written by a seasoned journalist.
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Global Issues in Context
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- provides students with the tools they need to understand today’s world issues from a global perspective.
- includes coverage of the historical and contemporary conditions to help students understand global issues, conflicts and events.
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Opposing Viewpoints
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- an online resource covering hot social issues, from Offshore Drilling to Climate Change, Health Care to Immigration.
- helps students research, analyze and organize a broad variety of data for conducting research, completing writing assignments, preparing for debates, creating presentations and more.
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A Step Further
Is your project about the history of something that might be in another category? Consider checking related databases. For example, if you are looking for something related to the history of ethics, you might use JSTOR.
For a complete list of the databases that Daley College can access, go to Daley College Databases.
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- A website with a series of PBS online/streaming videos that discuss contemporary philosophical issues
-Helpful Philosophy web-based magazine
* Remember to cite multimedia sources in your works cited page!
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- When writing a research paper, start by choosing a topic. What is the question you want to answer?
For example, you might ask, “What was Aristotle's position on slavery?”
- Once you have a question in mind, find keywords related to the question. You might choose:
“Aristotle”
“slavery”
“position”
- Expand your search terms by considering synonyms. You can search for similar words by searching for your terms in a thesaurus. You might choose to add “opinion” and “enslaved” to your list of synonyms.
- Use these keywords when searching databases for relevant articles.
- Choose articles that are appropriate for your project, academic, and trustworthy (hint: they'll have citations). Watch this short video for help evaluating sources. Avoid sites like Wikipedia.
If you get stuck, ask a librarian! We are trained to help with research and citations.
Stop by the reference desk at Daley College or call us at 773-838-7669.
Search tips for the library catalog:
- Use the search options to your advantage! If you are searching for synonyms like "children" and "youth," change the drop down from "AND" to "OR." This way you will get results that include EITHER term.
- Use the options on the left of the search box the same way. Perhaps you want a book about the id written by Sigmund Freud. Place id in the search box with "Any Field" selected to the right. In the next line, change "Any Field" to "Author" and type Freud into the search box.
- You can also use the drop down menus below to limit your results to specific date ranges.
- Choose books available only at Daley College or broaden your search to “Any” in the location section.
- If books are located at another library, place a request for Interlibrary Loan by contacting a Daley College Librarian at 773-838-7669. We will contact you when your book arrives. Please allow time for delivery.
Search tips for online databases:
- use "advanced search” option so you can enter several search terms at the same time.
- limit results to full text so you will be able to read and cite the articles you find.
- specify article length, and publication date to meet the needs of your assignment. For example, if your instructor prefers articles over 5 pages, don't waste your time sorting through articles that are only 1 page. Limit your results!
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Every research paper must have in-text citations and a works cited page to show the sources you used in your research!
- Identify the type of citation you need. Some professors will tell you what style they prefer.
- As you conduct research, create citations in your works cited section or bibliography.
- When you quote, paraphrase, or reference an idea you read in someone else's work, place an in-text citation at the end of your sentence.
These websites can help you create the citations needed:
APA Format
MLA Format
Chicago Style Format
You can also use EasyBib to create a works cited page in MLA format.
If you need help creating your citations, feel free to stop by the reference desk and ask a librarian or call us at 773-838-7669.
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