MCC LIBRARY RESOURCES

Drugs in a Contemporary Society

This guide has been prepared by the MCC reference librarians to assist you with research for your class. If you need further assistance, please stop by the reference desk to consult with a librarian.

Reference Sources

Reference Sources are a good place to start your research. They can give you a concise overview of your topic, background information, facts & statistics, plus help you define and spell words, and focus your topic. Reference Sources include both books located in the Reference Collection and databases accessible on the Library Web Site under the link Reference Databases.

Call Number Title
REF AE7.T3 DRU

Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Drugs and Society

REF HV5035.I57 International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture
REF HV5801.I55 Illegal Drugs and Alcohol: America's Anguish
REF HV5801.W7 2006 World Drug Report
REF HV5804.C47 War on Drugs: An International Encyclopedia
REF HV5804.E53 Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol and Addictive Behavior
REF KF3451.3.Z95.D47 Guide to State and Federal Drug-Testing Laws
REF R111.H4.D72 Drug Abuse Sourcebook
REF RC564.G95 The Encyclopedia of Addictions and Addictive Behaviors
REF RM315.I515 Uppers, Downers, All Arounders: Physical and Mental Effects of Psychoactive Drugs
REF RM316.D76 Drug Abuse Handbook
REF RM316.K37 Karch's Pathology of Drug Abuse

Reference Databases:

Some reference sources are available not only in print, but also online through the library web site. These sources often combine a variety of information found in other sources. They are full-text, and most are available off-campus with passwords you may obtain from the Reference Desk. Some of the reference databases useful for this subject area are listed below:

Database Name

Vendor Name

Oxford Reference Online/Medicine Category

Oxford University Press

Salem Health Salem Press

 

Books & Media

The Stacks contain books and audiovisual items that may be borrowed or "checked out" of the library. These resources are useful when you need a more in-depth study of a topic than can be provided in reference sources alone. Use the Library's Online Catalog to determine what resources are available on your topic and the call number and location in the library. If our library does not own the necessary resources for your research needs, you may request additional items be ordered through interlibrary loan.

Possible search terms to use for your topic are:

Sample Keyword Searches

Sample Subject Headings

tobacco

drug abuse

designer drugs

steroids

date rape drugs

smoking
methamphetamine alcoholism
binge drinking narcotics
inhalants addiction

Article Databases

Periodicals consist of popular magazines, newspapers, trade and scholarly journals. Magazine & newspaper articles can be good sources to use for very current information, to focus on specific topics or aspects of a topic, to find reviews, and for opinions. Trade journals are helpful to follow trends and career opportunities within a field, and to find practical tips and techniques to use "on the job". Scholarly journals give details of actual research studies that have been conducted and/or scholarly treatment of discipline specific topics. All of these resources can be located using the article databases located on the library web site.

Recommended Databases for Drugs in a Contemporary Society

Database Name Vendor Name
CQ Researcher CQ Press
Academic Search Premier EBSCO
CINAHL EBSCO
Health Source Consumer EBSCO
Health Source Nursing EBSCO
PsycARTICLES EBSCO
ArticleFirst, ECO FirstSearch
MEDLINE FirstSearch
Opposing Viewpoints Opposing Viewpoints
ProQuest ProQuest
Access these databases at the URLs provided:  

BioMed Central Publisher of 187 peer-reviewed open access journals.

www.biomedcentral.com
PubMed www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/

Passwords to access the library databases from off-campus are available on the pink handout MCC Library Database Chart. If you have not received this handout, please ask for it at the Reference Desk.

Internet Resources

Recommended web sites for this subject are listed below. For additional web sites on this subject, refer to MCC Library's Web Sites by Subject link on the library web site.

Web Site Address
Alcoholics Anonymous www.alcoholics-anonymous.org
Bureau of Justice: Drugs and Crime Facts www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/dcf/contents.htm
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA): Drugs of Concern www.dea.gov/concern/concern.htm
Join Together

www.jointogether.org
MEDLINEplus: Substance Abuse Topics www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/substanceabuse.html
National Clearing House for Drug and Alcohol Information ncadi.samhsa.gov
National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism www.niaaa.nih.gov
NIDA INFOFAX: Club Drugs Fact Sheet www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/clubdrugs.html
Office of National Drug Control Policy www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
State of Illinois / Secretary of State Programs (DUI) www.library.sos.state.il.us/publications/dui/section15.html


Remember to carefully evaluate information found on the Internet. Unlike most traditional print sources, Internet sources may not go through any review process before the information is made available to the public. Anyone can create and publish a web site. If you need help evaluating your sources, please ask at the Reference Desk for guidance. For critieria to use to evaluate your sources refer to our handout on Evaluating Sources. It is available at the Reference Desk.

http://www.mchenry.edu/library