Tag Archives: library

Dear IDS Students….

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Along with being an Outreach Assistant for the McGill Library, I’m also going into my last semester of McGill. I feel quite sentimental to be at the end of my International Development Studies (IDS) Major, it is one that is ever-changing, complex, and interconnected with so many disciplines. Being able to research effectively has been a huge learning curve, but it’s been helpful to have the McGill Library on my side. 

Micheal-David Miller, the Liaison Librarian for IDS, has a library guide with tons of advice, databases, and more curated specifically for the field. 

Here are the Top 3 Resources I’ve used for IDS (that you can find in the libguide): 

  1. Statista

This one is mostly for economics papers or to find numerical data to back up one of your points in an essay. It is very useful as it includes global data and often they’ll include larger reports which feature the data that you can dive deeper into. 

  1. Academic Search Complete (Ebsco) 

Again, for writing essays, especially in classes with Takumura, you want to really develop a strong understanding of your topic. This database hosts many scholarly articles that can aid you in your research. The filters are useful and pretty straightforward to use, just make sure

  1. The Economist Intelligence Unit 

I honestly just discovered this one last semester, and it would have saved me so much trouble. Most classes revolve around Country Case studies in some capacity. Their simple, yet detailed analyses of countries come in handy and can save you a lot of digging and it is a much more credible resource. 

Last piece of advice: 

Try to find your own niche in IDS. Especially in the beginning, the classes are so general and broad, but each professor has their own interests and values. Listen closely and try to see what is more suitable or joyful for you. When you find what lights your fire, use the services and databases of the McGill Library to help you explore while you can! 

Wishing the best, 

  • Vanja, IDS (almost) graduate and Outreach Assistant for HSSL

If you have any questions, email hssl.library@gmail.com

Accessing the Sage Collections

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A Multitude of Resources at your Fingertips

Over the years, McGill University has acquired a leading position in the Canadian research arena. With this innovation-driven environment in mind, the McGill Library has subscribed to the complete package of SAGE e-resources, equipping students, researchers, and faculty with an expansive reference collection; research methods journals, videos, and texts; and content emphasizing critical thinking, data analysis, and computational tools. 

source: https://sk.sagepub.com

For a brief outline of the resources available and links to the databases, read the following:

  • SAGE Books: hosts titles on topics across the social sciences. It includes academic and supplementary titles that contribute to the knowledge base of students and researchers, foundational books in core areas of research and debate, accessible student references, and numerous practical professional titles in education. The SAGE Book platform allows you to search by Discipline or Content Type, making research all the more streamlined. 
  • SAGE Journals: supporting both gold open access publication and green open access archiving, the database covers e-journals in areas of business & management, communication & media studies, humanities & social sciences, health, psychiatry, nursing, pharmacology and neuroscience.
  • SAGE Knowledge:cross-media platform for SAGE books, business cases, research and video content for the social sciences.
  • SAGE Research Methods: provides material to guide users through every step of the research process. A methods library with more than 1000 books, reference works, journal articles, and instructional videos by academics from across the social sciences.
  • SAGE Skills Business: self-guided content for students to learn essential business skills in the areas of entrepreneurship, leadership, organizational communication, professionalism, and data analytics.
  • SAGE Video: platform for educational video content across key social, behavioural, and health science disciplines. Includes closed-captioning and selected audio description. Content is cite-able with searchable transcripts, custom clip creation, embedding options.

All the resources cited above can be accessed through your McGill Library account. Simply sign in with your institutional (McGill) email, and from the Library Homepage go to ‘Databases A-Z’ under ‘Find’. You may type ‘Sage’ in the database search bar, or alternatively, click on ‘S’ to be taken directly to a list of the databases. 

You may direct any related queries or general questions through email to us at hssl.library@mcgill.ca.

Tabling @ HSSL Reopens!

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After a 2 year hiatus (and surviving a  pandemic), tabling at the Humanities and Social Studies Library (HSSL) is officially set to resume as of August 31st, Fall 2022! 

Bookings are currently open for tabling in the McLennan-Redpath bridge area for McGill departments, student groups, and clubs. Take this opportunity to promote your organization’s activities, services and initiatives in the swankiest real-estate on campus.  

For the latest information on our tabling services (including the booking form and eligibility and activity restrictions), refer to the following: https://www.mcgill.ca/library/branches/hssl/services/tabling.

You are welcome to direct general inquiries to hssl.library@mcgill.ca.