The sources below cover many topics in Philosophy. The Philosophy Compass covers the entire discipline of philosophy and publishes original, peer-reviewed, state-of-the-art surveys of current research. The handbooks and companions are focused collections on particular areas in Philosophy.
Getting started on your topic? Begin by checking out these encyclopedia and bibliography databases. They'll provide you with a basic background for your topic, and a list of important papers published on your topic. This is a great time-saver.
When you have a list of books or articles to search for, you can search from our Articles & Books tab on our homepage: http://www.library.rochester.edu.
Looking for articles or books on your topic? You can search using the DiscoverUR box to search UR for them, or for citations you've found from step one (If we don't have an article you need, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan - step 3 below).
If you're just beginning your research, it's best to start with a philosophy-specific database. This means that your results will all be papers in philosophy.
If you have an article that you like and would like to see who else has cited it since it was published, try Google Scholar - just find your article and then click the "Cited By" link.
If your topic is a bit more interdisciplinary - Philosophy and Art, Philosophy and Science, Philosophy and Business....you might try a more comprehensive database like the ones below.
Why would I need a librarian? On a scale from boring to cool.
Boring
The website is giving me a weird answer - what does it mean if a book is “out of library” but also “loanable”? This means it’s either on order, loaned to another library, and “loanable means you can request it. Non-circulating items can’t be requested
I’d like the library to own a copy of a book, and we don’t. Let me know and I’ll try to order it...money is a bit tight this semester, but we can Interlibrary Loan it.
I can’t figure out whether I have access to something. If it’s an article, you might try going through scholar.google.com in case our catalog/database is feeling glitchy
I’d like to remote in from off-campus. You can use VPN: although our linking is working pretty well, and your browser should keep you logged in for a session after you login once.
I’d like scholar.google.com to tell me whether I can access an article for free. Click “preferences” and add Rochester as your “Library Link”. Then, save Preferences.
I’m not organizing my sources and citations well. I’ve got this pile of articles, and it makes it stupidly hard to create my bibliography. I can help you get set up with a reference manager. My favorite is Zotero, but we support a bunch of programs: https://libguides.lib.rochester.edu/referencemanagers
I’m looking for new ways to keep up to date on my favorite journals. Try the Browzine App - it’s a great way to browse your favorite journals! http://www.library.rochester.edu/ezproxy_libguides.php?dbredirect=http://browzine.com
I’m assigning a multi-modal assignment for a class, and I need some technical assistance. We have a bunch of librarians trained in instructional design, and a Digital Scholarship Lab ready to help! https://dslab.lib.rochester.edu/
I’m going to be teaching a class this summer, and I’d like some help finding out some new methods and tools for instruction. The libraries are ready to help with tools, with materials, or with pedagogy!
I’m working on a topic, and I’m stuck, but would like someone to talk about it with who isn’t my professor or my classmate. Eileen has an M.A. in Philosophy from UR (technically, ABD, but it's not going to change).
Cool
If UR doesn't have the article or book you need, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service that will deliver a copy to you. PDFs of articles usually arrive in two days or less! Just go to the ILL page: https://illiad.lib.rochester.edu/
Still can't find what you're looking for? Please contact me!
