Example articles:
Search for your topic in a database, but add "theory" in the abstract field. Since theories are typically mentioned in the abstract, this will help pinpoint potentially relevant theories.
*You may need to use a broader search than usual. For example, if your capstone is about the impact of drought on women farmers in Bangladesh, search for broader topics:
Find a theorist to explore
1.) Use the Encyclopedia of Social Theory or other encyclopedia (wikipedia is good, too!) to read an overview of a theory you'd like to explore (for example, world systems theory).
2.) Identify the important theorist(s) related to/responsible for that theory.
3.) Search for the theorist's name, along with your topic, in Library Search.
Books: "Mine" the bibliography
1.) Use the Encyclopedia of Social Theory to read an overview of a theory you'd like to explore. Next, look through the bibliography for sources for your paper relating to the theory.
*Important note: Do not cite the encyclopedia in your research; instead, use it as a reference to refresh your memory or get an overview of a topic. You can then explore the bibliography to find sources that discuss theory.
Sample bibliography/references list:
2.) Search for the references in our Library Search
Articles: "Mine" the bibliography
1.) First, find an article that is a great fit for your topic AND mentions theory.
2.) Next, look through the reference list (bibliography) at the end of the paper for more sources relating to the theory. This is very simple when using Library Search: just look for the red arrows at the top corner of each result:
The "up" arrow takes you to research that cites this article, and the "down" arrows take you to research cited in this article.
3.) If your "perfect fit" article isn't in library search, you can find the sources listed in the bibliography by copying and pasting the title of each item from the bibliography into Library Search.
Globalization by
In the sixth edition of his bestselling Very Short Introduction, Manfred B. Steger offers concise definitions of pertinent key terms and concepts. He provides an accessible overview of the long history of globalization followed by an examination of its major dimensions: economic, political, cultural, ideological, and ecological. He also engages the hotly contested question of whether it is, ultimately, a good or a bad thing.
This work by Principia College Library is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
