Targeted, specialized reference sources are a great way to home in on the most relevant literature. The brief articles in reference texts are useful reads as you're becoming familiar with a new topic, but it is also useful to take a look at how they are organized. Take cues from this organization as to how these ideas are organized within the field of anthropology. Note the vocabulary being used for use in your online searches. 

Most important, the bibliographies at the end of each section provide recommended books and articles. These short lists can help narrow a too-productive online search, or can help provide a starting place for those harder-to-find topics.

Ask a reference librarian for recommendations on reference books.

Search by keyword and then use the options in the left-hand menu of the result list to the "Collection" to "Carleton College Reference" or to limit the "Material Type" to "Reference Entries" to find reference articles in Carleton's online and print reference books.

For example, try: biomedicine

• Critical Medical Anthropology: Perspectives in and from Latin America. By Jennie Gamlin et. al.
  CC Ref
• Culture and Meaning in Health Services Research: A Practical Field Guide. By Elisa Janine Sobo.
  CC Ref GN296 .S597 2009
• The Dictionary of Anthropology. Edited by Thomas Barfield.
  CC Ref GN11 .D48 1997
• Handbook of Medical Anthropology: Contemporary Theory and Method. Ed. by Carolyn Sargent and Thomas Johnson.
  CC Books GN 296 .M423 1996
• Dictionary of Concepts in Cultural Anthropology. By Robert H. Winthrop.
  CC Ref GN307 .W56 1991
• Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology. Edited by David Levinson and Melvin Ember.
  CC Ref GN307 .E52 1996
• Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender. Edited by Carol R. Ember and Melvin Ember.
  CC Ref HQ16 .E53 2003
• Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology. Edited by Alan Barnard and Jonathan Spencer
  CC Ref GN307 .E525 1996
• Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Editor in chief, David Levinson.
  CC Ref GN550 .E53 1991
• International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. Editors in chief, Neil J. Smelser and Paul B. Baltes
  CC Ref H41 .I58 2001
  My favorite social science reference source. Entries are substantive overviews of the disciplines' treatment of a given topic with bibliographies.

Librarians can help you find more reference books or anything else in the library.  Just stop by the Research/IT Desk in the 4th Floor Reference Room or call x4264. 

During the term, librarians staff the Research/IT desk during the following hours:

• Monday - Thursday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
• Sunday: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.