- University Libraries Databases
- WMU Research Guides
- Geography
- Finding sources
Geography
Find sources
Find good keywords
- Keyword tool: This tool from the University of Texas at Austin guides you through the process of creating a keyword search.
- Using Boolean logic: This pdf from the University of Toronto explains how to use AND, OR, NOT, " ", * , and other modifiers in your search.
Choose a database (or use Library Search)
- Databases: specialized resources to find scholarly sources about a specific area, such as sciences, agriculture, medicine, etc.
- Library Search: search the entire library's holdings, including books, articles, and maps.
- Find other databases for other disciplines.
Evaluate your sources
How do you know if your sources are credible?
- Watch this video from North Carolina State University Library about evaluating sources.
- Consult this guide from the University of Texas Libraries.
Get sources from outside WMU
If a source you need is not available in our library, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan.
Get help
If you aren't finding the articles you need, or are unable to access the articles you find, contact a librarian.
- email me
- make an appointment to meet virtually or in-person
- contact the library with email or live chat
Geography databases
Articles and books:
- AnthroSource This link opens in a new windowAnthroSource is a single database of newsletters, bulletins, and 11 peer-reviewed journals from the American Anthropological Association. 31 publications are represented in this searchable archive. Much of the material is full-text. Coverage varies for the past 100 years up to current journal issues.
- GeoRef This link opens in a new windowMajor index for geology and earth sciences which includes journal articles, books, maps, conference papers, reports, and theses. Coverage of North America: 1666-present, International: 1933-present. Over 100,000 new records added annually.
- GreenFILE This link opens in a new window
A multidisciplinary database of scholarly, government and general-interest titles on environmental topics. Subjects covered include global climate change, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. The database provides indexing and abstracts for approximately 295,000 records, as well as Open Access full text for more than 4,600 records.
- Scopus This link opens in a new window
Indexes scholarly literature in the natural and social sciences. Use this to get extensive inter-disciplinary access to journal articles and also to find out which articles are being cited by other scholars . Cited references from 1970-present, records from 1788-present.
NOTE: WMU users do not have access to SciVal through Scopus - ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new windowIndexes popular magazines, scholarly journals, newspapers and trade publications in a wide range of subject areas, including business, education, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Full-text available for over 2,500 journals. Coverage from 1857.
Dissertations and theses:
- Dissertations and Theses Global (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowIndexes virtually all doctoral dissertations and many masters theses produced in the U.S. since 1861. Dissertations from other countries date back to 1637. Abstracts available from 1980. Full text for dissertations are being added continually. Most since 1997 are full text, though some authors choose not to make their work available. Print and microfilm copies are offered for a fee, but request the item via Interlibrary Loan before paying for a copy.
New search functionality includes metadata from Clarivate's Citation Connection. To ensure your search results take advantage of this new functionality, please add “AND ref(1)“ to your search terms.
