Philosophy: Research Guide
Background Information
Use reference sources for background information, broad overviews and summaries. The reference collection includes general and subject dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographies, directories, bibliographies, almanacs, atlases, etc. Many also contain bibliographies for further research. Reference books cannot be checked out from the library but may be photocopied.
ONLINE
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Electronic Books
Routledge encyclopedia of philosophy
Also available in print: OSF & IRL Ref B51 .R68 1998 10 v.
Encyclopedia of Philosophy
A major 10 v. work. Entries give information on people, ideas, and moral questions. V. 10 has good index. Updates the old but still useful Encyclopedia of Philosophy (1967).
Blackwell Reference Online: Philosophy
Gale Virtual Reference Library
Oxofrd Dictionary of philosophy
Also avaiable in print OSF & IRL Ref B41 .B53 1994
Biographical entries for 500 philosophers, almost 2500 entries in all. Covers a broad span of time and ideas, from the Vedas to current terminology.
The
Also available in print OSF Ref B51 .O94 1995.
Similar to the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (above), but with more detail.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Although a free web resource, this web based encycloepdia is substantially supported by govertment and universities (St Thomas included), its entries are maintained by experts.
PRINT ONLY
The
OSF Ref B41 .C35 1995. Print only.
A comprehensive one-volume dictionary resource. Surveys Western and non-Western ideas, and provides biographical information.
Biographical dictionary of twentieth-century philosophers
OSF Ref B104 .B56 1996. Print only.
In addition to biographies, each entry lists philosopher's primary works and offers suggestions for further reading.
World philosophy: essay-reviews of 225 major works
OSF Ref B29 .W68 1982 v.1-5
Works from the 6th cent. BCE to the 20th cent. are summarized and related literature is reviewed.
Encyclopedia of classical philosophy
OSF Ref B163 .E53 1997
Two hundred and seventy entries address topics and individuals in Greek/Roman antiquity.
Medieval philosophers
OSF PN451 .D5 v.115
Essays provide insight on world events and cultural trends influencing thought in the middle ages. Principle works are discussed and placed in context.
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Finding Books for Your Research
CLICnet. Library catalog for St Thomas and other Twin Cities colleges.
Use CLICnet online catalog to find materials in the library. Find books, journal titles, newspapers, and multimedia items in the UST Libraries and other CLIC consortium libraries. You can search material by author, title, subject, or keyword. A subject search allows you to find books about a topic or a person. You can make an online requests for books not at
Basic Searching: Subject/Word
Philosophy breaks down into hundreds of topics. In addition, there are many related subjects. A subject approach needs refinement. Try a keyword search on your topic -- use two or three words. Follow the subject heading links at the bottom of relevant records to find additional resources.
Examples of subjects and keywords
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CLICnet keyword: philosophy medical ethics
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CLICnet keyword: aquinas virtue
Browsing the Collection
B-BD is the primary area for browsing the shelves. Books on the philosophy of science or the philosophy of literature, however, may well be with science or literature, not philosophy. The library's collection can be browsed via the catalog. Click on a call number in a book record and see what is nearby on the shelf. See example for books shelved near Aristotle's Posterior Analytics
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Finding Journals Articles
Periodicals provide in-depth analyses of events and trends, research studies on particular subjects, and professional peer-reviewed literature. Use a database or index to find articles. Many databases provide articles in full-text, others only an index record. The University subscribes to a large number of databases and indexes. The most relevant to your research are listed below; but other databases may prove useful. For a complete list and access, see UST Libraries Database Page.
There are sevreal ways to find out if UST owns or has access to a particular journal article and/or journal title, whether in an online version or in print only.
The most common way is from within a databse (see below) in the course of a topic search. Although databases have distinctive interfaces, always look for the small Find It icon in the search results listings. If UST does not have a journal, click the interlibrary loan link to request a copy. Look for this icon/glyph:
Not all databases work with the Find It system. In that case you can either search our special Journals A-Z tool or the CLICnet catalog by journal title to see if UST owns the journal. If we do not, it is still easy to request an article through UST Interlibrary Loan.
Some databses (JSTOR and Project Muse) are all full text in every case so no Find It is unecessary.
ARTICLE INDEXES and DATABASES
See also the UST Databases Page: Philosophy
INDIVIDUAL INDEXES
The most important index in the field. Contains abstracts (summaries) of scholarly articles & books in fifteen fields of philosophy, from the 1940's on. In search results, click Find It for acess.
Searchable, full-text archive of over 150 humanities journals including several in philosophy. For most titles, coverage is comprehensive, except for the past five years.
Full-text access to over 150 humanities journals, including several full text philosophy journals. Coverage varies by title but current issues are included.
A general database for basic research. This database includes selected full text of some philosophy journals; from 1980 on. See Find It for access. In search results, click Find It for acess
Other Indexes
Main religion and theology index, with about 50 titles in full text.
Humanities Index: 1974 - 2001
Print edition Social Sciences & Humanities Index: 1907-1974. OSF Ref index
L'Annee philologique: bibliographie critique et analytique de l'antiquite greco-latine.
International Philosophical Bibliography
1949-1993. OSF B2 .R46
Bibliographie de la Philosophie / Bibliography of Philosophy
1954-1999
OSFshelved as Bibliography of Philosophy
Quarterly. OSF Periodicals
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The Web As a Research Tool
Good general sites for philosophy web resources:
You will want to explore Internet resources to supplement or enhance your research. Be cautious about what you find on the Web since the quality of sources varies tremendously. It is a good idea to check the information against another source if you can. As with all information resources, whether in print or on the Internet, evaluate its quality based on the following:
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Accuracy (free from mistakes and errors?)
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Authority (the qualifications of the author?)
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Objectivity (any strong bias?)
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Currency ( information up to date?)
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Coverage (how thoroughly is the topic explored?)
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Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
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Well-known site, comprehensive in scope
Keep printouts of your sources, or write out all pertinent information on author, title, publisher, date, or Internet address to identify where you got the information. Follow the format recommended by your instructor or ask a librarian to show you "citation style guides" in print or on the web.
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Special Reference Works
Since philosophy is wide-ranging and multi-faceted, it is sometimes helpful for even basic research to consult specialized resources. Here are a few that may come in handy:
Encyclopedia of classical philosophy
OSF Ref B163 .E53 1997
Dictionary of ethics, theology, and society
IRL Ref BJ63 .D53 1996
The
IRL Ref B171 .C36 1999. OSF stacks.
Encyclopedia of ethics
OSF & IRL Ref BJ63 .E45 1992 2 v.
Four hundred and thirty five articles discuss political, social, legal and ethical theory as well as moral problems. There are biographical entries for a few contemporary philosophers.
Encyclopedia of applied ethics
OSF & IRL Ref BJ1546 .E42 1998 4 v.
The essays span conservative to liberal views on topics ranging from abortion to whistle blowing.
Encyclopedia of bioethics
IRL Ref QH332 .E52 1995 5 v.
From animal welfare to warfare, you will find lengthy essays. Resources in ancient philosophy: an annotated bibliography of scholarship in English, 1965-1989
OSF & IRL stacks B171 .B39 1991
Companion encyclopedia of Asian philosophy
OSF & IRL Ref B121 .C66 1997
Organized by type of philosophy: a number of essays for each philosophy that discuss historical and modern interpretations as well as moral context.
Encyclopedia of Indian philosophies
OSF stacks B131 .E5 v.1-6
Each volume covers a specific time period of Indian philosophical thought.
Encyclopedia of aesthetics
See OSF Ref BH56 .E53 1998
Greek Philosophical Terms: a historical lexicon
IRL B49.P4
Greek terms transliterated. Definitions followed by descriptions of how the term was used by different authors. Includes an English to Greek index.
The Greek philosophical vocabulary
OSF Ref PA455.P48 U76 1990
A Lexicon of St. Thomas Aquinas based on the Summa Theologica
OSF & IRL BX1749.T3692 A4 D361
A general lexicon for the study of the writings of
