This guided is intended to help you with your library research. You will find databases, journals, ebooks, reference books, and selected datasets to help with your literature review, or provide background information on important anthropological subject areas.
Asking the question "What is anthropology?" can help you to think about the meaning and the importance of the work that you do, regardless of your level.
Here is a definition (excerpted) from the American Anthropological Association website:
"Anthropology is the study of what makes us human. Anthropologists take a broad approach to understanding the many different aspects of the human experience, which we call holism. They consider the past, through archaeology, to see how human groups lived hundreds or thousands of years ago and what was important to them. They consider what makes up our biological bodies and genetics, as well as our bones, diet, and health. Anthropologists also compare humans with other animals (most often, other primates like monkeys and chimpanzees) to see what we have in common with them and what makes us unique.[...] Anthropologists also try to understand how people interact in social relationships (for example with families and friends). [...] Many anthropologists work in their own societies looking at economics, health, education, law, and policy (to name just a few topics). When trying to understand these complex issues, they keep in mind what they know about biology, culture, types of communication, and how humans lived in the past."
Here are some good places to start your research.
Good for: Conducting academic research on all subjects.
Contains: Articles, theses, books, abstracts, patents, and court opinions
Google Scholar searches for scholarly materials such as peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and reports from many academic and technical fields. It is freely available to anyone searching the Internet; however, many of the links that lead to full text resources are not. On your first visit, go to Google Scholar Preferences and use the Library Links box to set UNLV as your source for no-fee access to many full text articles.
Good for: Exploring a wide range of scholarly topics.
Contains: Scholarly journals, ebooks, art images and primary source collections
JSTOR digitally archives more than 700 scholarly journals. Subjects include African-American studies, anthropology, Asian studies, business, ecology, economics, education, finance, history, literature, mathematics, music, philosophy, political science, and more. Also includes ARTSTOR collections from museums and collections of historical primary sources from libraries and cultural heritage organizations.
Good for: Studying cultures and ethnic groups.
Contains: Anthropological studies.
Good for: Finding international journal articles, reports, commentaries, and obituaries on anthropology.
Contains: International index of anthropological literature.
Good for: Accessing American Anthropological Association journals.
Contains: Searchable archives of AAA journals.