Choosing a topic

When choosing a topic for your research paper, think about the following:

• Unless your instructor assigns a topic, try to select a topic that interests you.
• Make sure your topic is not too broad, or too narrow. You will find too much information when searching for a broad topic; and not enough information when searching for a narrow topic.
• If you already have a general topic, try searching the library's catalog or the library's databases for ideas on how to narrow that topic down.
• Visit the library's Reference Desk and request to view the following book: 10,000 ideas for term papers, projects, reports and speeches: Intriguing, original research topics for every student's need.
• For current events and issues in the news, try searching the library's database: CQ Researcher.
• For debatable or controversial issues, ask one of the librarians about the Opposing Viewpoints Series, the Taking Sides Series, Issues in Focus Series and/or the Current Controversies Series.
• Visit the Social Issues Research Guide. There you will find a list of current social issues to choose from.

Book Collections

Books will provide an excellent starting point for your research in the field of Demographics. Reference books often give you background information and a general overview on your topic so that you can proceed with greater understanding to a more detailed treatment of your subject in other books and periodicals. Reference books may include specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, atlases and/or statistical reports. The librarian at the Reference Desk can help in locating an appropriate source. Listed below are the titles and call numbers of some of the Demographics books in the library's reference collection. The reference collection is located on the main level of the library. Books with a location of Reference cannot be checked out of the library. The Circulating Collection is on the second floor of the library. Books with a location of Circulating may be checked out.

Library Catalog

The library catalog is used to locate books both at RVCC, as well as from other libraries in the Somerset County Library System. Books will provide in-depth information not found in reference sources.

Quick Tips:

• Start with a Keyword search. Once you find one or two books about your topic, check the book's record to see what Subjects are being used. Once you find the appropriate Subject Heading, repeat your search using those headings. Generally, the results from a Subject search will always be more accurate than the results from a Keyword search.
• If you know the title of the book you are looking for, do a Title search.
• If you are looking for a book with a specific author, do an Author search (last name first).

Suggested Subject Headings for Demographics:

Click a subject heading below to use it as the search term for a Subject Search in the catalog.

• Cities and towns -- New Jersey -- Statistics
• Demography
• New Jersey -- Statistics
• Population
• Population -- Statistics
• Vital Statistics

Consult with the reference librarian to find the term best suited to your needs.

Browse the Collection:

Most of the books can be found in the following areas:

• HA -- Statistics
• HB -- Economic theory. Demography
• HC -- Economic history and conditions
• HD -- Industries. Land Use. Labor

All of the library's circulating books are located on the upper level of the library.

For additional library catalogs, including libraries in Hunterdon and Middlesex counties, consult the Additional Library Catalogs page. If you find a book in one of these catalogs that the library does not own, request the book using the library's Interlibrary Loan Service.

Research Databases - Finding Articles

The Evelyn S. Field Library has access to thousands of periodicals. (Periodicals can be magazines, scholarly journals, or newspapers.) Some periodicals are in the library's print (or hard copy) collection. However, the majority of periodicals are available in the Research Databases. These databases provide access to articles. This information is generally more current than material found in books.

Search for periodical articles on Demographics using the databases listed below. They can be accessed from the Library Database Page. (If you are using these databases from an off-campus location, you will be asked to identify yourself by logging in with your Username and Password. This is the same login you use on campus. The Research Databases are available only to registered RVCC students.)

• LexisNexis Academic
  

  LEXIS-NEXIS® Academic Universe provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, and reference information, including news from over 18,000 newspapers, magazines and news wires and company financial information.

After finding an article on your research topic, the database will either provide a citation and summary of the article, or it will provide the full-text (the complete article). If you are only given a citation and summary of the article, you can check the Periodical Locator to determine if the periodical you are looking for is available in another database. (The Periodical Locator is an alphabetical list of all the journals the library has access to. Feel free to talk with a librarian for assistance.) If the article is not available in any of the library's research databases, request the article using the library's Interlibrary Loan Service.

If, for your assignment, you are required to have sources from scholarly journals, use the Identifying Scholarly Articles guide to help you determine if your source is a magazine article or a scholarly article.

Internet Resources

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
  http://www.bls.gov/
  Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics -- Statistics on the larbor marketplace and the entire national economy.
• ChildStats.gov
  http://www.childstats.gov/
  Source: Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics -- Offers easy access to federal and state statistics and reports on children and their families, including: population and family characteristics, economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education.
• Economic Statistics Briefing Room
  http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/esbr.html
  Source: The White House -- Provides rapid, easy access to the latest federal economic statistics. Subject areas include employment, income, international, money, output, prices, production and transportation.
• ERsys.com
  http://www.ersys.com/
  Source: ERsys.com -- Provides statistical information on American cities and metropolitan areas in all fifty states. There is information on education, transportation, ethnicity and other demographic breakdowns, and even current weather conditions.
• Infonation
  http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/infonation/e_infonation.htm
  Source: United Nations -- Statistical information on member states of the United Nations.
• Migration Information Source
  http://www.migrationinformation.org/
  Source: Migration Policy Institute -- The Migration Information Source provides fresh thought, authoritative data from numerous global organizations and governments, and global analysis of international migration and refugee trends.
• National Center for Education Statistics
  http://nces.ed.gov/
  Source: NCES -- Main organization that collects, collates, analyzes, and reports statistics on American education. The Data section contains the Integrated Postsecondary Education data system (IPEDS) databases.
• National Center for Health Statistics
  http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
  Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- Main U.S. agency for vital and health statistics.
• OFFSTATS: Official Statistics on the Web
  http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/subjects/stats/offstats/
  Source: The University of Auckland Library, New Zealand -- A portal to government statistics all around the world. Be aware that many of the sites are not in English.
• Polling Report.Com
  http://www.pollingreport.com/
  Source: Polling Report -- A sampling of polls covering a broad range of topics. The internet equivalent to the magazine by the same name.
• State Health Facts Online
  http://www.statehealthfacts.kff.org/
  Source: Kaiser Family Foundation -- Provides state comparisions for a variety of health statistics.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States
  http://www.census.gov/statab/www/
  Source: U.S. Census Bureau -- Statistical information on U.S. population, health, education, labor force, income, construction and housing for the years 1995-2000.
• Statistical Resources on the Web
  http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html
  Source: Documents Center at the University of Michigan Library -- Hundreds of statistical files from primarily governmental sources (federal and foreign). Some of the main topics include education, cost of living, foreign trade, health, housing, labor, environment, energy, sociology, military, etc.
• StatUSA Internet
  http://library.raritanval.edu/resources/databases.cfm
  Source: U.S. Department of Commerce -- Provides data for the business, economic and trade community. This subscription-based service requires a G# and a password for access. Find on the library's Databases Page
• United Nations Statistics Division
  http://www.un.org/Depts/unsd/statdiv.htm
  Source: United Nations -- Links to a wide range of socioeconomic data and environmental statistics. The sources include UN and regional economic and social commissions. Provides information on 229 countries or areas.
• United States Census
  http://www.census.gov
  Source: United States Census Bureau -- This is the basic source for all demographic data. The online Webpage does not include all the data collected in the ten-year index but does provide general information and directions about how to get detailed information. In this site, see especially:American FactFinder,which allows you to build a search to locate information on population and housing, industry and business, in specific geographic areas.
• United States Historical Census Data Browser
  http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/census/
  Source: Geospatial and Statistical Data Center at the University of Virginia Library -- Statistical data describing the people and economy of the United States for each state and county from 1790 to 1960.

Additional Help

• Call or visit the Reference Desk to speak to one of the librarians. The Reference Desk is located on the main floor of the library. The phone number is 908-526-1200 x8350.
• Email your question to one of the librarians using the Ask-A-Librarian Service.
• For further information about this guide, please contact Julie Moscinski

Last Updated - 22 September 2008