X̱wi7x̱wa Library Guide
Using Databases
Searching within databases can be more time consuming than using Summon, but there are advantages to this research strategy:
- Databases are usually limited by academic discipline, which means you will retrieve fewer results but they may be more relevant.
- Databases are highly structured, which means you can perform complex searches using controlled vocabulary.
Each database may have their own way and limitations of searching within the database. Some may use "And," "Or," quotation marks and other search strategies listed on the books & media tab, but some may not. If you are not getting the results you expected within a database, make sure the search is worded the way the database works.
TIP: Searching databases with the keywords recommended in this research guide is a good starting strategy. However, be aware that some databases may use different terminology. When you find a relevant article, check the subject headings and article description for terminology that could be useful in a new keyword search.
General Databases
- Academic Search PremierIndexes over 10,000 journals, with many full-text articles.
Subject Terms: First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, Indigenous peoples, names of specific nations.
Some articles have no Subject Terms assigned, so also try full-text searches. - Alternative Press IndexIndexes 450 alternative, radical, and left publications.
- CBCA Complete (Canadian Business, Reference & Current Affairs)Indexes academic periodicals, special interest publications, and newspapers, including the Aboriginal press: Windspeaker, Kahtou, Aboriginal Nurse.
Search terms: Indigenous peoples, Indigenous populations, Native peoples, Native North Americans, Native Americans, Métis, Inuit.
- Informit Indigenous Collection This link opens in a new windowCollection includes journals, reports and monographs from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Canada, the US and the Pacific.
- First Nations Periodical Index (last updated 2004)Mainly First Nations/Aboriginal Canadian content. Searchable index of 20 Aboriginal newspapers, magazines and periodicals.
- Global Environmental Justice CollectionThe documentaries in this collection are suitable for use in a wide range of subject areas including Asian, Indigenous and environmental studies, geography, film making, journalism, anthropology, conservation biology, forestry, soil sciences, religion and the humanities.
- Handbook of Latin American StudiesIndexes over 1350 social sciences and 550 humanities journals. Use the Subject Term Glossary to identify keywords.
- JSTOR CollectionFull-text searching of hundreds of journal titles in the sciences, humanities, social sciences, business, and more. Use advanced search or filters to narrow your results.
Search keywords: First Nations, Native American, Indigenous, Aboriginal, Métis, Inuit. - Project MuseFull-text collection of over 400 humanities and social sciences journals. Use filters to narrow your results.
Search keywords: First Nations, Native American, Indigenous, Aboriginal, Métis, Inuit.
Education
- ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center)Over 980 education journals. Covers 1969 to the present; most post-1993 articles have full text available. First Nations titles include Winds of Change, American Indian Higher Education, Tribal College, Cultural Survival Quarterly, and Wicazo Sa.
Search terms: Canada Natives, Métis (People), Eskimos, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Indigenous populations. Use the Thesaurus for more terms and more precise terms.
- Australian Education Index This link opens in a new windowIndexes Australian and British educational content. Try search terms Aboriginal or Indigenous for Australian authored or focused Indigenous content.
- EdResearch OnlineDatabase indexes over 300 Australian education journals. Try searching for Aboriginal or Indigenous.
- LearnTechLib (The Learning and Technology Library)Includes peer-reviewed articles and papers on research related to all aspects of Educational Technology and E-Learning. Try search terms like "First Nations", Aboriginal, and Indigenous.
Health
- Native Health DatabaseHealth-related articles, reports, surveys, and other resource documents pertaining to the health and health care of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations.
History & Culture
- America: History & LifeIndexes material related to the history of Canada and the United States in over 1700 journals (1964-present). Search terms: Native American, First Nations, Indigenous people, Indian, and Aboriginal.
- Bibliography of Native North AmericansAnthropological focused index of books, journal articles, essays, conference papers, dissertations and US government articles, including the 8-volume "Ethnographic Bibliography of North America". Search terms: Alaska Eskimos, Alaska natives, Baffinland Inuit, Canadian Inuit, eastern Métis, Native Canadians. Use historic keywords: Niska for Nisgaa; Nootka for Nuu-chah-nulth.
Law
- Index to Canadian Legal LiteratureJournals, law reports, theses, books, book reviews, essay collections and Canadiana Forthcoming Books. Use the "Terms & Connectors" tab to search using the database's controlled vocabulary. Thesaurus terms: Aboriginal, indigenous, Indian. Subject heading term: "Indians of North America." Use the "Natural Language" tab to search with any keyword.
- UBC Library's Research Guide on Aboriginal LawProvided by the Law Library, this research guide offers students a number of resources and strategies to aid research in the area of Aboriginal Law.
- UBC Library's Research Guide on Treaty ResearchProvided by the Law Library, this research guide contains a selective list of electronic and print resources to assist in treaty research.
- UBC Library's Research Guide on DelgamuukwProvided by the Law Library, this guide highlights some resources that can be used for researching the Delgamuukw case.
Literature
- MLA International BibliographyIndexes over 4,000 journals and series (1926 - present) with some First Nations language and literature coverage. Includes journals such as, Studies in American Indian Literature; North Dakota Quarterly; American Indian Culture & Research; Canadian Journal of Native Studies. Search terms: folk-literature, folk narrative, oral history or search by author name: Sherman Alexie, Joy Harjo, Gerald Vizenor, Lee Maracle, Thomas King, etc.
Looking for more resources?
Remember that First Nations and Indigenous Studies is an interdisciplinary field!
Browse the UBC Library Research Guides to find other subject-specific resources to help you with your research.