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Human Sexuality - Research Guide

This guide provides suggestions for doing library research in human sexuality. It covers a variety of disciplines with interests in the area. Primarily aimed at undergraduates doing research papers, it may nonetheless be helpful for anyone needing a brief introduction to the topic.

Guides to the Literature

Frayser, Suzanne and Thomas J. Whitby. STUDIES IN HUMAN SEXUALITY: A SELECTED GUIDE. 2nd edition. Englewood, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 1995. 737 pp.: (Van Pelt Reference/HQ/21/F77)
Provides long abstracts of 1060 important books in the field. Arrangement is by broad subjects with major chapters on development, culture and lists of more specialized bibliographic resources (pp. 677-698). Subject index is included.

Licetenberg, Kara Ellynn. A RESEARCH GUIDE TO HUMAN SEXUALITY. New York: Garland, 1994. 497 pp.: (Van Pelt Reference/HQ/21/L43)
Meant as a true research guide to be used by professionals. Includes published sources, organizations listed and online databases. Tips for research are provided. An appendix lists Library of Congress subjects which serves as a thesaurus for sexuality research.

Encyclopedias

Bullough, Vern L. and Bonnie Bullough, eds. HUMAN SEXUALITY: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA. New York: Garland, 1994. 643 pp.: (Van Pelt Reference/HQ/9/H846)
Over 200 long articles by specialists include references to additional sources. Biographical articles on major figures in research are also included. An appendix suggests methods for further research. A subject index is helpful for locating information on topics not covered in articles.

Ditmore, Melisa Hope, ed. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PROSTITUTION AND SEX WORK. 2 vols. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2006. 782 pp.: (Van Pelt Reference/HQ/115/ E53/2006)
Includes appendixes of primary documents.

Dynes, Wayne R., Warren Johansson and William A. Percy, eds. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HOMOSEXUALITY. 2 vols. New York: Garland, 1990. 1484 pp.: (Van Pelt Reference/HQ/76.25/E53/1990)
Though the central subject is homosexuality and its various manifestations, much biographical, cultural and other social science topics are covered in over 700 articles. The relationship of homosexuality to academic fields of study is given strong attention. References accompany each article.

Ember, Carol R and Melvin Ember, eds. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SEX AND GENDER: MEN AND WOMEN IN THE WORLD'S CULTURES. 2 vols. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2003.: (Van Pelt Reference HQ16 .E53 2003)
Vol. 1: topics, and cultures A-K, Vol. 2, cultures L-Z.

Francoeur, Robert T. and Robert J. Noonan, eds. THE CONTINUUM COMPLETE INTERNATIONAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SEXUALTY. New York ; London : Continuum, 2004. 1419 p.: (Van Pelt Library Reference HQ21 .I68 2004)
Country by country surveys of sexual culture. About 50 nations included.

Soble, Alan, ed. SEX FROM PLATO TO PAGLIA: A PHILOSOPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA. 2 vols. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 2006. 1176 p.: Van Pelt Library Reference HQ12 .S423 2006)
Covers about 100 topics including major figures and concepts such as, bestiality, ethics, flirting, foucault, social constructionism, and tantrism. There are articles on the major world religions.

Worell, Judith, ed. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WOMEN AND GENDER: SEX SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES AND THE IMPACT OF SOCIETY ON GENDER. 2 vols. San Diego, CA: Academic, 2001.: (Van Pelt Reference HQ1115 .E52 2001)

Periodical Index Databases

Since the subject of human sexuality is of interest to virtually every field of investigation, nearly every major periodical index will include relevant references. Both Ebsco Megafile and ISI Citation Indexes are also good sources of book reviews.

EBSCO MegaFILE, coverage varies, most 1990- .

Indexes several hundred major research journals in all fields as well as many mainstream popular periodicals. Full text available for many titles. Updated daily.

        Sample search:  college and rape
                        college rape

GenderWatch: GenderWatch, formerly titled Women 'R', contains 40,000 articles from more than 100 journals, magazines, newsletters, special reports, unpublished papers and conference proceedings devoted to gender and women's issues. Contains archival material some going back to the early 1970's.

ISI CITATION INDEXES, 1993- .

Indexed by author and title words only. Indexes over 3,000 academic journals in all fields. Since it is updated weekly, this database is best for locating very recent articles.

   Sample search: (gay men or homosex?) and parent?
                       (gay men or homosex?) and parent?

PsycINFO, 1967- .

Abstracts and indexes journals for the entire discipline of psychology. The abstracts are helpful in determining the usefulness of the articles. Use the THESAURUS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TERMS for guidance in constructing searches.

        Sample search:  penis and erection
                        penis and erection and human males
                        female orgasm
                        women and orgasm
                        (women or woman or female or girl) and orgasm

SOCIOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS. 1974 - .

Includes abstracts and references to over 2,400 social science journals worldwide. Useful not only for sociology but also social policy and development. A search form is provided in the software which allows the user to fill in term s.

             Sample search: (sex roles or sex stereotypes) and (adolescents or youth
culture)

Quotations

SEX AND SEXUALITY: A THEMATIC DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS. London: Cassell, 1993. 297 p. (Van Pelt Reference PN/6084/S49/S48/1993)

Topical Bibliographies and Handbooks

Davis, Nanette J., ed. PROSTITUTION: AN INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK ON TRENDS, PROBLEMS AND POLICIES. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1993. 403 pp. (Van Pelt Reference/HQ/117/P767)

Flood, Michael. THE MEN'S BIBLIOGRAPHY: A COMPREHENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WRITING ON MEN, MASCULINITIES, GENDER AND SEXUALTIES. http://mensbiblio.xyonline.net/

Garber, Linda. LESBIAN SOURCES: A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PERIODICAL ARTICLES, 1970-1990. New York: Garland, 1993. 680 pp. (Van Pelt Reference/HQ/75.5/G37) Most of the journals indexes come from the lesbian community, though several standard academic journals are also included.

Koszegi, Michael A. SEXUALITY, RELIGION AND MAGIC: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO SOURCES. New York: Garland, 1994. 577 pp. (Van Pelt Reference/BL/65/S4/K67)

Salisbury, Joyce E. MEDIEVAL SEXUALITY: A RESEARCH GUIDE. New York: Garland, 1990. 210 pp. (Van Pelt/HQ/14/S25)

Selected Journals

AIDS Education and Prevention. vol. 1- . (1989- ): (Biomedical Periodicals)
Archives of Sexual Behavior. vol. 1- . (1971- ): (Biomedical Periodicals); (Van Pelt/HQ/763/F33) (Biomedical Periodicals); (Van Pelt/HQ/75/J68); (Van Pelt/RC/556/J687); (Van Pelt/HQ/5/J6); (Van Pelt/HQ/21/J687); (HQ/1090/M4274); (Van Pelt/HQ/21/S498); (Van Pelt/HQ/30.5/S483); vol. 1- . (1972- ). (Biomedical Periodicals)

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