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EXP 105: The Nuclear Challenge

The following resources should be helpful for EXP 105. Feel free to
contact me for help, Betty Febo x3426

Contents:

Evaluating Web sites

  • Gulley/Febo/Witte. Maximizing the Internet: Getting it RITE©. Look at Parts II and III.
  • Use the following criteria to evaluate any websites:
    • Who is the author of the information?
    • Can you find information about the author? What are his/her credentials?
    • How current is the information? Is there a "last updated" date?
    • Who is the intended audience for the information?
    • Is the content objective or is it coming from a certain viewpoint?
    • Is the information advocating a cause?

How to conduct a survey

Citing Your Sources


New! Student Library Research Award
  • One $300 award for a paper or project of any length from a 100 or 200 level Wellesley College course
  • One $300 award for a paper or project from any level done by a First year
  • One $750 award for a paper or project of any length from a 300 level Wellesley College course, excluding 360s, and 370s
  • Deadline: March 1, 2010

Offcampus Access · Databases A-Z · Research Guides by Subject | by Course · Reference Books Online · Library Catalog

Reference Sources for Background Information

Encyclopedia of Energy - nice chapter on Nuclear Power plus other energy topics.

Encyclopedia of science, technology, and ethics . Clapp Ref Q175.35 .E53 2005. 4 vols.

Energy glossary [U.S. Energy Information Administration]

Historical dictionary of nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare. Clapp Ref U79 .G37 2007

The peace and nuclear war dictionary. Clapp Ref U263 .A434 1989.

Tracking nuclear proliferation : a guide in maps and charts, 1998. Clapp Ref U 264 .S635 1998.

The Future of Nuclear Power. An interdisciplinary study from MIT.

Finding Books

Wellesley Library Catalog - Use the Library catalog to find books and other materials (journal titles, NOT journal articles) we have here at Wellesley. Remember to start with "keyword" if you are beginning to research a topic then, when you find something useful, see what subject headings are listed for that title. You can click on these subject headings to find more similar items. Try the following subject headings:

WorldCat - Use WorldCat to find books and other materials not at Wellesley. Use the suggestions listed above. If you find a book you want that Wellesley does not own, use the ILL link within WorldCat to request the book.

Finding Journal Articles

Articles from American Scientist - choose the year, volume, and issue that you need. Remember that full text begins with 1994.

Articles from Scientific American - search for the article you need by putting keywords from the title in the search box. You can limit by date. Remember that full text begins with 1993.

The following databases provide either full-text articles or citations (information about when and where the article was published). Once you have a citation for an article, use the Find It! @ Wellesleylink from each citation to search one or more electronic journal sources through the Wellesley College Library Catalog. Use the name of the journal as the title and make sure you look at the dates covered carefully! If Wellesley does not own the article, you can request it via Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

Academic Search Complete and Expanded Academic ASAP- great starting point for scholarly & popular articles in every discipline; mostly full text from about 1980+

Periodicals Index Online - Index to articles published in over 4500 journals in the humanities & social sciences in 40 languages, 1665 to 1995

PAIS - Articles about political, social & economic issues, public affairs. Also searches government documents. Abstracts only from 1937+.

CQ Researcher Plus Archive - In-depth, unbiased background and analysis on timely political topics, 1923 to present Try searching for nuclear energy and don't forget to check out the issue tracker feature.

Sociological Abstracts - articles on all aspects of sociology; selected full text from 1963+.

Web of Science - Interdisciplinary subject searching of scholarly articles in the social sciences (1956-present) physical & life sciences (1900 to present), and arts & humanities (1975 to present). Also search for articles that cite other books and articles by using the cited reference search tab.

Information Bridge from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Department of Energy. Full text reports on all aspects of energy from all areas of the world, 1991 onward.

Historical Abstracts - articles on world history since 1450, excluding US & Canada and America Hisotry and Life- U.S. & Canadian history articles, prehistory to present.

CIAO (Columbia International affairs Online) - full-text and abstracts from working papers, policy briefs, books, journals dealing with international affairs.

JSTOR - all topics, up to 3 to 5 years ago

For topics in nuclear medicine, search Health Reference Center (try a Subject Guide Search for nuclear medicine) or PubMed (try limiting to free full text and review articles).

Monitoring Current News

NucNet - the nuclear communications network. Use this for daily nuclear news. You must subscribe to access the backfile. Note links!

Latest news and announcements from the IAEA.

Nuclear Review, Atomic Energy News, and Nuclear Guide from the World News Network. Stories may be duplicated.

The Bulletin Online - global security news and analysis

For more general news sources, use Greenwire (current environmental news) and LexisNexis Academic News (general news). You must add several keywords, restrict your dates, or search in the headline to get meaningful results.

PressDisplay - Archived issues of over 200 newspapers from over 55 countries in their original format from the past 45 days. Compare news from several countries to get a different perspective.

LexisNexis Academic News - Full text of news article (about 1990 onward) from major papers, worldwide papers, and United States city papers.

  • the terms and connectors search allows you to search in the headline and lead paragraph of the document, search by byline, or search for your terms mentioned more than once.
  • you can also add length> to search for more substantial stories
  • note default date for news is 3 months
  • you can add another search box (to add more search terms) by clicking the "more" link at the bottom of the boxes
  • you can search for news from a particular country or U.S. state by using the Sources tab at the top left.

Westlaw Campus Research - Full text of news article (about 1990 onward) from major papers, worldwide papers, and United States city papers.

  • you can check the box that limits your search to the headline and the lead paragraph
  • you can limit to specific dates
  • You can limit your search to Publication Type: Newspapers
  • results are sorted by date, with most recent first. You can re-sort by publication name or article name, but not by relevance
  • you can search for news from a particular country or U.S. state by choosing the Publications List tab at the top left.

Biographical Information

U.S. Government Web Sites

State Information

  • LexisNexis State Capital - use for state laws and regulations
  • State Energy Departments - choose your state from the left column
  • State Nuclear Facts [Nuclear Energy Institute] - scroll down to choose your state
  • LexisNexis Academic News - click on the Sources Tab (top left) to search news sources from a particular state
    • use w/s (same sentence) or w/p (same paragraph) to connect your search terms
    • put phrases in quotes
  • Westlaw Campus Research - use the Publications List (top left) to search news sources from a particular state; put your state name in the search box
    • use /s (same sentence) or /p (same paragraph) to connect your search terms
    • put phrases in quotes

International Organizations and NGOs

Primary Sources

  • The Atomic Archive - part of the National Science Digital Library funded by the Division of Undergraduate Education, National Science Foundation. Divided into science, history, library (contains historical documents), media, and almanac.
  • Nuclear History - part of the National Security Archive at George Washington University.
  • Public Papers of the Presidents - use this for presidential statements and speeches, news conferences and press releases. Online searches are keyword searchable.
    • from Yale University's Avalon Project, full-text of the presidential papers of selected presidents for Truman, Eisenhower, Clinton, and Bush.
    • from LexisNexis Academic News; choose News, Newsletters, and put Public Papers of the Presidents in the "Search this Publication Title" box. From 1979 onward; should include Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush.
    • See also public papers from George H.W. Bush, William Clinton, and George W. Bush from GPO Access.
    • See also Clapp Docs J 80 A283 for Hoover onward.
  • Foreign Relations of the United States - historical record of U.S. foreign policy. Includes statements of government officials and correspondence from U.S. embassies.
    • from the U.S. Department of State. Includes Nixon-Ford, Johnson, Kennedy, Eisenhower, and Truman. browsable only.
    • Wellesley owns the paper volumes from before 1945 to 1976. There is a significant delay in publishing, so 1976 is the last year available.

Nuclear Programs in Other Countries

Country Profiles [Nuclear Threat Initiative]

Weapons of Mass Destruction in other Countries [from globalsecurity.org]

Country resources [Arms Control Association]

Country Nuclear Power Profiles [IAEA] Note links to country agencies and organizations.

Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

Arms Control Agreements

Nuclear Ethics

Nuclear Science - How it Works

Nuclear Terrorism

Nuclear Waste Disposal

Nuclear Data

Other

  • Acronym Institute - "works with policy makers and non-governmental organisations to promote non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament by disseminating information and maximising negotiating opportunities in all available fora. When arms control measures become blocked, as at present on treaty ratification and the proposed ban on the production of fissile materials, the Acronym Institute will work to promote constructive dialogue and alternative approaches." Publishes Disarmament Diplomacy.
  • Arms Control Association - founded in 1971, is a national nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to promoting public understanding of and support for effective arms control policies". Links to country profiles, subject resources, treaties, and interviews with policymakers.
  • Congressional Research Service Reports on Nuclear Weapons. Great source of current, unbaised information
  • Federation of American Scientists - "formed in 1945 by atomic scientists from the Manhattan Project. Endorsed by nearly 60 Nobel Laureates in biology, chemistry, economics, medicine and physics as sponsors, the Federation has addressed a broad spectrum of national security issues of the nuclear age in carrying out its mission to promote humanitarian uses of science and technology".
  • Non-proliferation from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
  • Nuclear Energy Institute - purpose is to "foster and encourage the continued safe utilization and development of nuclear energy to meet the nation's energy, environmental and economic goals".

How to Conduct a Survey

Citing Your Sources


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Betty Febo
Wellesley College Library
Date created: November 1, 2005
Date Modified: October 28, 2009
Expires: September 1 , 2010