Peoples and Countries 
of the World

III.  Electronic Resources
A.  Online Databases
B.  Encyclopedias
C.  Selected Internet Directories
D.  Selected Internet Websites
E. Videos, Audiotapes, Laserdiscs, etc.

IV.  Local Resources
A. Be Curious!
B. Ask!

V.  Works Cited Page
A.  Citation-Making Tools
B.  MLA Standards

United Nations Symbol

This Pathfinder is a collection of resources focusing on the study of the peoples and countries of the world by the CHS 9th grade geography classes.  Please consider the following strategies and resources as part of your research.  Good Luck!

I.  General Search Strategies
A.  Topic.  Establish the specific responsibilities of all your group members.  Each member needs to establish what he/she already knows and what further information needs to be located (and from which sources).  The information needs to be collected, interpreted, and re-used in the best format for the assignment with due credit being given to the original authors of the information using a student-generated bibliography.  

B.  Selected Keywords & Phrases.  As you do preliminary research, note keywords and phrases that repeatedly appear.  These words/phrases will become valuable tools to open up information resources, especially electronic ones.  Some keywords might include "nameofthecountry" (e.g. Bolivia),  "regionofthecountry" (e.g. Latin America) and "specificissueofthecountry" (e.g. climate).  Remember to use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) in electronic searches to fine-tune your search.  Also, when searching with a phrase, enclose the phrase with quotation marks ("  ").  

C. Call Numbers.  Non-fiction books covering geography are generally located in the 900's with each country having its own number (e.g. Bolivia=984).   They can be located using the CHS Library catalog.   Subject headings would include the name of the country (e.g. Bolivia) or the specific topic with the sub-heading of the country (e.g. Climate--Bolivia). 

D.  Preliminary Research. Utilize a general reference encyclopedia to get a grasp of your topic.  CHS maintains the print versions of World Book, Encyclopedia Britannica, etc. as well as the electronic Encyclopedia Britannica (password available for home use).

II.  Print Resources
A.  Reference Books  General Encyclopedias are located at the back of the lower CHS Library seating area.  They include World Book, Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana and others.   Specific subject reources  include:

--Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2001 (REF 903 Wor)
--Nations of the World, 2002 (REF 330 Nat)
--World Travel Guide, 2000 (REF 910.2 Mee)
--Cities of the World, 5th Edition, 1999 (REF 307.7 Cit)
--Worldmark Chronology of the Nations 1999 (REF 910 Wor) 
-- Culturgrams, 2002 (REF 910.3 Cul)
-- Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life, 1998 (REF 305.80 Gal)
-- Gale Country & World Rankings Reporter, 1997 (REF 310.5 Gal)

B.  Nonfiction and Fiction Books  Both nonfiction and fiction books can provide valuable information on the peoples and countries of the world.  Non-fiction books  on specific countries offer the quickest and best-illustrated way for a reader to learn about a country.  In addition, a well-researched fiction book can provide cultural insights which are difficult to understand in only nonfiction books.  Consult the CHS Library Catalog  or the catalogs of local public libraries for book locations. 

C. Magazines  The information media that best combine accuracy with timeliness are newspapers and magazines.  The CHS Library subscribes to a variety of current magazines including Newsweek, Saudi Aramco World, and Smithsonian.  There are back issues available as well.  

III. Electronic Resources
A.  Online Databases (Subscription-based)  
--Proquest Periodicals will give you full-text articles from more than 2,000 current magazines.
-- The World Almanac provides accurate and timely country information (for home access, get the password from the Library staff).  
--Printable maps are available on Maps 101 (for home access, get the password from the Library staff).  
--Additional periodical sources are available to holders of Harrison Memorial Library cards at their Full-text Magazines, Newspapers & More website. 

B.  Encyclopedias 
Encyclopedia Britannica (password available for home use). 

C. Selected Internet Directories  
Librarians' Index to the Internet (LII) 
Internet Public Library

D. Selected Internet Websites
CIA World Fact Book  Basic information on people, geography, vital statistics, and politics about most countries of the world.
Countries and Flags A massive  information source on most countries specifically for your geography country reports.
Your Nation   Gives comparisons between countries, including the Top Five and Bottom Five of different categories.
CountryWatch.com An up-to-date source of information on 191 countries.
Foreign Language & Culture Links to language-oriented sites.
Rulers.org  Leaders of the world's countries, current and past.
National Geographic Home  Homework Helper provides maps and articles.
Geography Links Created by Cobblestone Publishing
Countries A to Z - Atlapedia Online Basic information similar to The World Almanac.
Country Studies Series of books from 1986-1999 prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress and sponsored by the Department of the Army. Covers only 101 countries.  Out-of-date on current statistics but useful  for background analysis on a country's history, geography, society, economy, political system, foreign policy, and national security.
Searchable Full Text Daily News Archives Online news sources with extensive archives of full-text news articles.

E.  Videos, Audiotapes, Laserdiscs, etc.   Consult the CHS Library Catalog for locations.  

IV.  Local Resources
A.  Be curious!  

B.  Ask friends, family and CHS Staff members in order to find local experts on your topic.

V. Works Cited Page
A.  Citation-making tools  Citation-maker

B.  MLA Standards  See the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5th edition,  (REF 808.02 Gib) in the CHS Library.