Women's Studies resources - general

Academic Liaison Librarian: Sue Cumberpatch

I want to know ...


Where to search for journal articles and primary sources

MetaLib resources for Women's Studies (York users only)
A gateway to bibliographic databases, statistical datasets, electronic journals and other Web resources available to members of the University. Includes guides and links to help. Also allows cross-searching of resources, and alerts. Log in with your University username and password to access all of these features.

Primary Sources for Women's History in the University Library
A guide to the Library's specialist primary resources for women's history in microform and online formats

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How to search for journal articles using electronic databases (Library training for my subject)

Academic Liaison Librarians have written workbooks to help you develop your skills in searching for information resources for your coursework or research.
They can be used in three main ways:

  • During practical teaching sessions delivered during your course by Academic Liaison Librarians
  • Independently in your own time if there isn't a teaching session you can go to
  • To remind yourself how to find information resources and use databases if it's been a while since your teaching session

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What electronic journals are available for my subject

Electronic Journals at York
Provides links to an alphabetical list of full text electronic journals available at York, subject lists of full text and other electronic journals, publishers' collections of electronic journals, online newspapers and news services and directories of electronic journals.

Free electronic journals

This is a selective list of free electronic journals related to women's studies. These usually contain tables of content information, and may also include abstracts, partial full text and even information not included in the print version. Generally, however, they do not have the full text of all articles.

Other listings of free women's studies ejournals:

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What useful websites and reference sources there are for my subject

General Regional
  • Multiple regions
  • Europe
  • Near and Middle East
  • Africa
  • South and East Asia
  • The Americas
  • Pacific/Australasia
Academic Themed
  • Multi-subject resources
  • Feminist studies/Women's studies
    • Feminist theory
    • Feminist methodology
  • Humanities and arts
    • Art
    • History
    • Literature and Language
    • Music
    • Philosophy
    • Other humanities and arts
  • Social sciences
    • Economics
    • Education
    • Politics
    • Sociology
    • Other social sciences
    • Sciences
  • Rights, citizenship and activism
  • Development
  • Sexualities
  • Health
    • Reproductive and sexual health
  • Family and motherhood
  • Ageing
  • Religion
  • War, conflict and peace
  • Gender-related violence
  • Work, labour and employment
  • Media and Arts
  • Computing and cyberculture
  • Statistics

Collections & Directories

Libraries, publishers and databases

  • ARIADNE - a German-language bibliographic database of 10000 records (mainly articles) from the holdings of the Austrian National Library in Vienna, focusing on "international and women's studies literature".
  • Core Lists in Women's Studies - from the (U.S.) Association of College and Research Libraries' Women's Studies section. "These Core Lists of books in women's studies are intended to assist women's studies librarians and collection development librarians in building women's studies collections. Because the lists include only books currently in print, they also serve as a guide to teaching faculty in selecting available course readings. The focus of most of the lists is on women in the United States. Each list consists of 20 to 75 titles, and the most important five to ten titles are starred. The lists are updated each January. Titles no longer in print are dropped, and newly published titles added. "
  • gender Inn: Women's and Gender Studies Database - bibliographic database (with thesaurus) hosted by the University of Cologne, "providing access to over 5000 records pertaining to feminist theory, feminist literary criticism and gender studies, focusing on English and American literature." In English and German.
  • Glasgow Women's Library - established in 1991, it grew out of the women's arts-orientated project, Women in Profile (1987), to ensure the visibility of women in the programming of the Glasgow, European City of Culture year (1990). The Library now offers a number of opportunities including helping women with their reading and writing, creative courses, a young lesbian and bisexual women's peer support project, a community garden and a lending library and helpdesk accessed by over 1,800 members.
  • International Women's Issues tutorials - "a group of interactive tutorials that teach concepts and techniques for effective searching and retrieval of online information on International Women's Issues." From the University of Wisconsin system libraries.
  • LitWomen.org - originally published as the University Press Column for Feminist Bookstore News. Includes Feminist Academic Press Column - originally published as the University Press Column for Feminist Bookstore News, this review site covers titles of both general/trade and academic interest from university and academic presses. Only books that are recently published and available are reviewed. Also includes Women in Print - A comprehensive listing of women's, feminist, lesbian presses and bookstores in the US.
  • University of Wisconsin Women's Studies Librarian's Office - includes guides to core texts (updated annually) and recommended bibliographies, plus regular extras such as Feminist Collections: a quarterly of Women's Studies resources - "news and reviews of the latest print and audiovisual resources for research and teaching in women's studies". Site also incorporates a very substantial directory of Selected Women and Gender Resources on the World Wide Web, covering electronic journals, women's organisations, course materials and other Internet resources.
  • Women's Studies Database - searchable collection of documents and links maintained by the University of Maryland, including government reports, conference information, directories, mailing lists etc. See in particular the collection of bibliographies on a range of subjects relating to women's studies.

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Internet portals and gateways

  • Association of College and Research Libraries : Women's Studies - an annual core list of Web resources.
  • BUBL Link: Women - searchable collection of links to Internet resources, with classified descriptions, nationally-funded for the UK H.E. community.
  • Femina web search for women - searchable classified directory of popular and academic sites.
  • Internet for Women's Studies - written by Christine Wise of The Women's Library, London Guildhall University. It is one of a set of tutorials within the RDN Virtual Training Suite.
  • Intute: Women's Studies - an extensive nationally-funded gateway to internet resources, which can be browsed by subject or searched by keyword. Browsing can be restricted to UK or European resources. Sites are described in detail. Resource descriptions edited and maintained by staff of the Women's Library
  • UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore County) Women's Studies Program - site maintained by Joan Korenman, incorporates extensive collections of Internet resources, including:
    • WMST-L - information on this major academic e-mail list for discussion of women's studies.
  • Women on Google - Google's directory section relating to women, including hundreds of links to all aspect of women's issues, eg. health, rights, religion, mothers.
  • Women's Studies on Yahoo - similar to the Google directory, from Yahoo.
  • Women's Studies/Women's Issues Resource Sites - "a selective, alphabetical listing of websites containing resources and information about women's studies/women's issues, with an emphasis on sites of particular use to an academic women's studies program". Very extensive list; not searchable. Maintained by Joan Korenman at University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA.
  • WSSLinks: Women and Gender Studies Websites - developed and maintained by the Women's Studies Section Collection Development Committee of the Association of College and Research Libraries (USA).
  • Women Writers Online is a major database subscribed to at York relevant to Women's Studies.

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Electronic forums and news sites

  • Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq - this blog has been maintained by a young iraqi woman 'Riverbend' since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. It has received widespread press coverage for its personal commentary on the aftermath of the Gulf War, living conditions in iraq and the daily lives of iraqi women during the period. The commentary is at time sarcastic, critical of the coalition government and passionate, offering access to a perspective which is often overlooked by the official histories. users may access all entries from 2003 onwards.
  • Feministing - Young women are rarely given the opportunity to speak on their own behalf on issues that affect their lives and futures. Feministing provides a platform for us to comment, analyze and influence.
  • Gender-Related Electronic Forums - "a frequently-updated listing and description of more than 500 e-mail lists that focus on women- or gender-related issues". List maintained by Joan Korenman at University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA.
  • News We Can Use - attempts to redress the news balance - "focuses on news, issues, books and websites of interest to women, most of which aren't heavily publicised in the mainstream media. " Rose Aguilar does a marvelous job of finding fascinating articles, for which she provides brief, interesting summaries and links to the full text. Does not archive past news messages. Has an email alerting facility.
  • New York College Times - Womens Studies News - "The College Times is a news resource from the New York Times and is a good tool for student and faculty academic research." It presents a news archive categorized by academic subject. Has an email alerting facility.
  • The Women's Enews news service - "Women's Enews is a project of the Women, Policy and Media Program of NOW Legal Defence and Education Fund. Women's Enews distributes to major media outlets, journalists, policy makers and ordinary citizens about issues of special concern to women." Also provides a service specifically for journalists and other researchers: a data base of experts on topics of interest to women called WE-Sources. The news service usually features 5-6 articles at a time.
  • Women-focused magazines and newspapers on the Web - from the University of Wisconsin Women's Studies Librarian.

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Groups, societies and institutions

For societies concerned with specific areas of interest to women, see the appropriate sub-section of this page.

Academic/scholarly organisations

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How my books are arranged in the Library and what shelf locations mean

The following is a summary of the main subject divisions relevant to Women's studies as arranged in the Library. It is not a comprehensive list of all subjects covered.

A Philosophy
A 28.4 Philosophy: women
A 73 Human reproductive ethics
A 76 Sexual ethics
A 79.7 Ethics: value of life
   
B Psychology
B 3.722 Female sexuality
B 5.622 Female development
B 7.22 Depression
B 7.5 Stress, eating disorders
   
C Religion
C 94.522 Hinduism
C 97.22 Muslim women
   
D Social sciences
D 1.243 Women and technology
D 1.424 Sex in society, sexuality
D 1.433 Feminism, women's studies
D 1.4332 Women's rights
D 1.4335 Working women: sociology
D 1.4336 Domestic life
D 1.4339 Women's history / politics, sub-divided by country, e.g.:
D 1.433942 UK
D 1.43395 Developing world
D 1.433973 US
   
DA Social policy
DA 2.1082 Women's health services
DA 2.65 Services for women
DA 4.151 Crimes of violence
DA 4.153 Sexual crime, rape
G Economics
G 1.113 Employment: sexual discrimination
G 1.4 Working women: economics
   
M Literature
M 31.9 Literary criticism
M 39.8 Women authors
M 39.93 Women in literature, literary themes
MA English literature subdivided by form and period, e.g.:
MA 190 English literature 1945-
MA 193.9 Novels 1945-
MB U.S. literature subdivided by form and period, e.g.:
MB U.S. literature 1945-
MB 83.9 U.S. novels 1945-
   
MZ Linguistics
MZ 55 Sociolinguistics, gender
   
Q History
Q 20.7 Women's biography
Q 42 British history
Q 42.081 Victorian history
   
R Science, general
R 9 Women in science
   
X Biology
XN 8.2 Human fertility, menstruation
   
Y Medicine
Y3.0424 Women's health
Y8 Obstetrics & gynaecology