E-RESOURCES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Miss. Shantashree S. Sengupta

(Librarian & Head, Dept. of Library & Information Science, C.T.Bora College, Shirur,
Dist.Pune,Pin-412 210.Maharashtra. Email:shantashrees@yahoo.com)

Miss. Gauri R. Kulkarni

(Librarian, N.G.Naralkar Institute of Management & Research Studies, Pune-411 030.
Maharashtra. Email:gaurik2003@gmail.com)

Abstract:
In the last several years, many research studies have focused on how people use electronic
resources or on their feelings about electronic and print resources in the library. Libraries of all
sizes and types are embracing digital collections in order to provide speedy access to
information. Electronic resources were initially available only in the scientific field of studies but
with the tremendous information explosion and taking into consideration the benefits of e-
resources, there usage has also expanded into all the branches of Social Sciences field. The
present article attempts to list the important e-resources in all the branches of social sciences
along with a brief account of the collections and the types of sources covered by them.

Keywords: E-resources in Social Sciences, Online sources, Digital Collections, E-Resources

in Anthropology, E-Resources in Economics, E-Resources in History, E-Resources in
Education, E-Resources in Political Science, E-Resources in Public Administration, E-
Resources in Psychology, E-Resources in Sociology, E-Resources in Library Science, E-
Resources in Social Work, E-Resources in Women Studies.

Introduction:
Electronic resources are the online tools that index, abstract or provide electronic access to
articles, books dissertations and other types of content.
Electronic resources are defined as “online information resources including bibliographic
databases, electronic reference books, search engines for full-text collection, digital collections
of data and datasets.”
They can be classified into two major areas-
1) Online e-resources
2) Offline e-resources

1) ONLINE E-RESOURCES:
• e-books
• e-journals
• e-mail
• sms/mms
• e-library
• e-forum
• e-learning
• e-shops
 • e-dictionaries
• search engines
• meta search engines
• websites etc.

2) OFFLINE E-RESOURCES
• CD-ROM based e-resources
• Offline e-books
• Offline e-dictionaries
• MS-Office applications( PowerPoint Presentations)
• Training Software
• E-prompter
• PDF Converter
• E-resources on mobile devices

Libraries being an agency that selects, collects, organises, preserves, conserves and provides
access to information on behalf of a user community have evolved over many hundreds of years
to serve the information needs of their communities.

Traditional libraries used to deal with paper based information-printed books, manuscripts,
journals, pamphlets, maps, newspapers and so on. Major amount of information previously
available only in paper format is now available in digital versions. The digital version may
sometimes exist in addition to the paper format and sometimes instead of the paper format.
Digital libraries are constructed, collected and organised by and for a community of users and
their functional capabilities support the information needs and users of that community.

Characteristics of E-Resources :
1) E-resources are potentially huge in number.
2) The resources are mostly unorganized.
3) E-resources do not require physical space for storage.
4) Constraints that are in physical libraries are barred in e-resources.
5) Time, space and cost constraints are not a problem in search strategies of e-resources.
6) Hyperlinks lead users quickly to the required information sources.
7) Accessing the back issues is possible in case of e-resources.

Advantages of E-Resources:
1) E-resources can be used efficiently and it saves a lot of time.
2) Reduces lot of paper work.
3) The information provided is up to date and of good quality.
4) Provides facility to search across a wide range of journal articles and other links.
5) E-resources can be easily transferred from one place to another.

Disadvantages of E-Resources:
1) The most common complaint found regarding e-resources is the discomfort of reading
from the screen or poor graphic quality.
2) Access to e-resources requires knowledge of computer and internet skills.
3) The rate of information download depends on the availability of internet speed.
Although, initially e-resources were extensively used in scientific field, later on the use of e-
resources also became one of the most important ways of accessing information even in the field
of social sciences.

According to Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary, Social Science can be defined as “a

branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of human society and with the
interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of society.”

The branches of social sciences include:

1) Anthropology
2) Economics
3) Geography
4) History
5) Political Science
6) Public Administration
7) Psychology
8) Sociology
9) Library Science
10) Education
11) Population Studies
12) Women Studies
13) Social Work

E-Resources on the various branches of social sciences are listed in the following manner:

1) E-RESOURCES IN ANTHROPOLOGY:
Anthropology is the holistic discipline that deals with the integration of different aspects
of the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Human Biology. It includes Archaeology,
Prehistory, Physical or Biological Anthropology, Anthropological Linguistics, Social and
Cultural Anthropology, Ethnology and Ethnography. It is an area that is offered at most
undergraduate institutions. The word anthropos is from the Greek for "human being" or
"person."

a) Anthropology Subject Portal

(http://www.ulib.csuohio.edu/research/portals/anth-m.html)
Developed by the Cleveland State University, the portal covers various
anthropological associations, institutions, museums, e-books, fellowships in
anthropology, grants, guides, journals, research databases, study centres, web
directories etc.

b) National Library of Australia

http://www.nla.gov.au
It provides direct link to the following web resources:

b.1 Anthropological Index Online

Royal Anthropological Institute: The Anthropological Index Online is based on

the journal holdings of The Anthropology Library at the The British Museum
(formerly Museum of Mankind) which receives periodicals in all branches of
anthropology, from academic institutions and publishers around the world.
References are available for periodicals from the 1970's to the present.
 b.2 Anthropology Review Database (ARD)

University at Buffalo: Department of Anthropology: ARD is an ever-growing,

free, and fully searchable database of reviews covering the entire gamut of
anthropological publications, including books, audiovisual materials, software &
multimedia, exhibits, tourist sites, conferences, and on-line resources...Currently
the database contains the signed, refereed reviews we publish ourselves, as well as
links to those published in a number of online publications and sites.

b.3 Anthropology: WWW Virtual Library

The objective of the WWW Virtual Library: Anthropology is to provide a

comprehensive listing of Internet resources relating to anthropology. This library
serves as a starting point for research projects, networking opportunities, and
general information pertaining to the broad discipline of anthropology. This
library categorizes Internet resources that are specifically produced by
anthropologists and also resources that are applicable to the various sub-fields of
Anthropology.

c) Portal: Anthropology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Anthropology )

2) E-RESOURCES IN ECONOMICS
Economics is a social science that seeks to analyze and describe the production,
distribution, and consumption of wealth. The word "economics" is from the Greek word
oikos meaning "family, household, estate," and nomos "custom, law," and hence means
"household management" or "management of the state."

a) http://www.rfe.org/
This guide is sponsored by the American Economic Association. It lists more than
2,000 resources in 97 sections and sub-sections available on the Internet of
interest to academic and practicing economists, and those interested in economics.

b) National Library of Australia

http://www.nla.gov.au
It provides direct link to the following web resources:

b.1 APECLIT - APEC Literature Database

Informit: APECLIT is a bibliographic database that indexes published and

unpublished items dealing with Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and
related topics. Source documents include reference to monographs, journal
articles, working papers, reports, conference proceedings and conference papers,
with an emphasis on Australian material. Subject coverage includes economic
cooperation, international trade, trade liberalisation, trade in particular products,
trade law, industrial science and technology, human resource development, labour
standards, energy resources, environment, telecommunications, transportation,
and tourism.
b.2 China Academic Journals (Web)

China Academic Journal Electronic Publishing House: This resource indexes

thousands of research level Chinese language periodicals published in the
People's Republic of China. Areas covered include economics, politics, law,
humanities, engineering science, agriculture, medicine, and electronics.

b.3 CSI - Consumer Sciences Index

Informit: CSI is an index to the Australian and international periodical literature

on areas such as consumer economics, consumer education, fashion, textiles,
home economics, craft, nutrition and health, housing and marriage. A list of the
journal sources indexed is available.

b.4 Encyclopedia of Law and Economics

University of Ghent, Belgium: a broad-based collection of resources pertaining to

economic and legal issues throughout the world showcasing a comprehensive
index of searchable bibliographic resources, This site also includes abstracts of
recent law and economics reviews. The Law and Economics Web Resources
section features working papers, bibliographies, and mailing lists. In addition, the
site links to law and economics academic programs, associations, and an array of
relevant Websites.

b.5 GIBLIN - Giblin Working Papers Database

Informit: GIBLIN lists working papers (also known as research or discussion

papers) held by the Giblin Economics and Commerce Library, University of
Melbourne. Most of the titles emanate from major universities and research
institutes in Australia, UK, Europe and the USA. Subjects covered include
economics, econometrics, economic modelling and economic history, as well as
actuarial studies, industrial relations, finance and international trade. Only papers
published in the last five years are listed, as they have usually been published in
conventional sources after that. A list of the papers indexed is available.

b.6 RFE: Resources for Economists on the Internet

This guide, sponsored by the American Economic Association, lists more than
900 resources on the Internet of interest to academic and practicing economists,
and those interested in economics. Almost all resources are also described.

b.7 SourceOECD

OECD: SourceOECD, full text coverage beginning 1997, the online library of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, comprises
monographs, periodicals, and statistical databases. Subjects include agriculture
and food; education and skills; emerging economics; employment; energy;
 enterprise, industry and trade; environment and sustainable development; finance
and investment; general economics and future studies; goverance; international
development; nuclear energy; science and information technology; social issues
and migration; statistics sources and methods; taxation; territorial economy;
transition economics; and transport. Major book and periodicals available in full-
text include OECD Factbook, Education at a Glance, OECD Economic Outlook
and OECD Economic Surveys.

b.8 VIBES: Virtual International Business & Economic Sources

VIBES provides over 1,500 links to Internet sources of international business and
economic information that are in English and available free of charge.

b.9 WebEc: WWW Resources in Economics

WebEc is an effort to categorize free information in economics on the Internet.

c) WebEc: World Wide Web Resources in Economics http://www.helsinki.fi/WebEc/

WebEc categorizes free information in economics on the WWW.

d) WWW Virtual Library in Economics

http://www.helsinki.fi/WebEc/EconVLib.html

3) E-RESOURCES IN GEOGRAPHY
Geography is that branch of social science that attempts to understand the earth in terms
of physical and spatial relationships.

a) National Library of Australia

http://www.nla.gov.au
It provides direct link to the following web resources:

a.1 Directorate of Oceanography and Meteorology

The Directorate of Oceanography & Meteorology is a component of the Royal

Australian Navy's Hydrographic Force Element Group, incorporating the
Australian Oceanographic Data Centre. The website contains a number of online
data and mapping services.

a.2 Geoscience Portal

a.3 Historical Atlas of the Twentieth Century

Collection of historical, social, economic and political world maps and timelines.

a.4 National Geographic Maps and Geography

National Geographic Society: Access to map making tools to create online maps,
as well as geographical and mapping information.
 a.5 SAGE: Science and Geography Education

SAGE is a bibliographic database that indexes popular journals on a broad range

of subjects. It indexes journals in many disciplines, although is strongest in the
area of science. Subject coverage includes: Agriculture, Archaeology, Astronomy,
Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Ethics, Geography, Natural History,
Physics, Sustainability and Zoology. Most journals indexed are Australian but
selected overseas titles are also included.

4) E-RESOURCES IN HISTORY
History is the continuous, systematic narrative and research of past events as relating to
the human species; as well as the study of all events in time, in relation to humanity.

a) The World Wide Web Virtual Library

http://vlib.iue.it/history/index.html

b) RENFRO Library
http://www.library.mhc.edu/e-resources/history.htm

c) ACLS Humanities E-Book Collection

http://library.acaweb.org
Access to the full text of over 1,180 scholarly electronic books of major
importance to historical studies.

d) Oxford Reference Online: History

Search the full text of 28 Oxford sources including A Dictionary of British
History, A Dictionary of Twentieth-Century World History and A Dictionary of
World History.

5) E-RESOURCES IN POLITICAL SCIENCE

Political science is an academic and research discipline that deals with the theory and
practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political
behavior.
a) IPSA Portal (http://ipsaportal.unina.it/)
It is an official publication of International Political Science Association which
covers top 300 websites in Political Science.

b) RENFRO Library
http://www.library.mhc.edu/e-resources/politicalscience.htm

c) Political Science Resources on the Web

http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/poliscinew.html
Well-organized, searchable gateway with annotated links.

d) Social Science Resources: Political Science

http://www.socsciresearch.com/r12.html
Annotated links to political science research sites.
6) E-RESOURCES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
One of the main branches of political science, public administration can be broadly
described as the development, implementation and study of branches of government
policy.
a) http://www.civilsocietyinternational.org/elctrnic/e-pbadm.htm
Provides links to important electronic resources in public administration.

b) http://library.syr.edu/research/internet/public_administration/er.html
Provides links to online databases of public administration.

7) E-RESOURCES IN PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology is an academic and applied field involving the study of behavior and mental
processes. Psychology also refers to the application of such knowledge to various spheres
of human activity, including problems of individuals' daily lives and the treatment of
mental illness.
a) Psychology Virtual Library
http://www.vl-site.org/psychology/index.html
Psychology is an academic and applied field involving the study of behavior and
mental processes. Psychology also refers to the application of such knowledge to
various spheres of human activity, including problems of individuals' daily lives
and the treatment of mental illness.

b) http://www.ulib.csuohio.edu/research/portals/psy-m.html

c) Psych Web (www.psywww.com )

This Web site contains lots of psychology-related information for students and
teachers of psychology.

8) E-RESOURCES IN SOCIOLOGY
Sociology is the study of society and human social action. It generally concerns itself
with the social rules and processes that bind and separate people not only as individuals,
but as members of associations, groups, communities and institutions, and includes the
examination of the organization and development of human social life.

a) Sociology Virtual Library

http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/w3virtsoclib/
Provides links to various institutions, organizations, journals, research centres,
databases and archives.

b) SOSIG: Social Science Information Gateway (www.sosig.ac.uk)

SOSIG helps to locate high quality sites on the Internet, which are relevant to
social science education and research. The SOSIG Internet Catalogue offers
access to thousands of high quality Internet resources, each selected and described
by academic librarians and subject specialists.

c) http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/
Intute is a free online service which provides access to the very best Web
resources for education and research, evaluated and selected by a network of
subject specialists.
9) E-RESOURCES IN LIBRARY SCIENCE
Library Science comprises study of all branches of universe of knowledge.
a) Directory of Open Access Journals (www.doaj.org)
b) www.dlib.org
c) Emerald Databases (www.emeraldinsight.com)
d) Library & Information Science Abstracts (www.csa2.com)
e) www.hwwilson.com
f) DOIS: Documents in Information Science (http://dois.mimas.ac.uk)
Articles and conference proceedings published in electronic format in the area of
library and information science.
g) Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science
The second edition of this online encyclopaedia provides an overview of the
library and information science field. New topics in this edition include
competitive intelligence; decision support systems; digital library projects;
electronic records preservation; ethical issues in information; online library
instruction; telecommuting; software reliability; and the user-centered revolution.

10) E-RESOURCES IN EDUCATION

Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less
tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, positive judgement and well-
developed wisdom.
a) Bibliographic Databases (UNESCO)
http://www.unesco.org/unesdi/index.php/eng/biblio/tous.html
Contains bibliographic databases in the subject areas of education, natural
sciences, social sciences, culture and communication.

b) ERIC [Freely available web version]

Education Resources Information Center (US): The ERIC database contains over
a million bibliographic citations to a broad collection of education-related
resources, from government reports to journal articles. Other materials include
conference proceedings, project and program descriptions, curriculum guides,
bibliographies, and more.

11) E-RESOURCES IN POPULATION STUDIES

Population studies is a study of a group of individuals taken from the general population
who share a common characteristic, such as age, sex, or health condition.
a) Population Studies Subject Research Guide
http://www.hawaii.edu/emailref/subject_guides/population_studies/index.html
b) Asian Population Studies (www.informaworld.com)
c) http://www.sociosite.net/topics/population.php

12) E-RESOURCES IN WOMEN STUDIES

Women's studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to topics concerning
women, feminism, gender, and politics. It often includes feminist theory, women's
history, women's fiction, women's health, feminist art, feminist psychoanalysis and the
feminist and gender studies-influenced practice of most of the humanities and social
sciences.
 a) http://libr.org/wss/wsslinks/index.html
The purpose of WSSLINKS is to provide access to a wide range of resources in
support of Women's Studies.
b) Women's Studies Database (www.mith2.umd.edu/WomensStudies)
The University of Maryland women's studies database, begun in September 1992,
serves those people interested in the women's studies profession and in general
women's issues.

c) GenderWatch (http://libezproxy.syr.edu/)
Provides full-text, international coverage of women's and gender issues, including
family, childbirth, childcare, sexual harassment, aging, body image, eating
disorders, and social roles. It also includes content on the impact of gender and
gender roles on areas such as the arts, popular culture and media, business and
work, crime, education, research and scholarship, family, health care, politics,
religion, and sports. Covers 1970 to the present.

13) E-RESOURCES IN SOCIAL WORK

Social Work is concerned with social problems, their causes, their solutions and their
human impacts. Social workers work with individuals, families, groups, organizations
and communities. Social Work is the profession committed to the pursuit of social justice,
to the enhancement of the quality of life, and to the development of the full potential of
each individual, group and community in society.
a) http://www.library.mhc.edu/e-resources/socialwork.htm
Provides subject guides on such topics as aging and gerontology, child welfare,
health policy legislation, reference resources for social work.

b) http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/Services/lis/resources/socialwork.aspx
This website provides information for studies and research, in both print
and electronic resources on social work.

Some other websites providing information regarding e-resources in social sciences are:
1) Intute (http://www.intute.ac.uk)
2) Social Sciences Virtual library
(http://www.vl-site.org/sciences/index.html)
3) e-SocialSciences (http://www.esocialsciences.com)
4) www.doaj.org
5) SOSIG (Social Sciences Information Gateway) www.sosig.ac.uk

The availability of e-resources although is beneficial to the user to access and retrieve variety of
information but it is very important to evaluate these resources and to select the most useful one.
Evaluating resources is a crucial step in the research process. Whether in print or in electronic
form, resources should be scrutinized and evaluated using a standard set of criteria such as the
ones listed below:
1) Coverage
2) Scope
3) Currency
4) Audience & Purpose
5) Authority
6) Objectivity
CONCLUSION:
E-resources with the help of its online and offline forms are available in the various branches of
social sciences like anthropology, economics, political science, history, geography, education,
social work, sociology, library science etc. Some of these e-resources are available free of cost
while some require subscription. Due to the tremendous availability of e-resources, it becomes
essential for the user to evaluate these resources before using them. Librarians conserve
collections for the present and the future, acquiring, maintaining, and preserving items physically
and making them available. Librarians with the decreasing library budget, limited staff and
resources must get trained and re-trained to adapt to new challenges in providing information to
users using e-resources.

REFERENCES:
1) Agarwal, V. ( 2006). Virtual Collections in Digital Libraries. New Delhi: Rajat
Publications.
2) Miller, Ruth. (2000). Electronic Resources and Academic Libraries:1980-2000 A
Historical Perspective. Library Trends. 48(4):645-670.
3) http://www.lectureinfo.sekars.net/eers.pdf. (Accessed on 20/05/2009)
4) Tenopir, Carol. (2003) Use and Users of Electronic Library Resources
(www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub120) Accessed on 20/05/2009
5) www.nla.gov.au
6) http://en.wikipedia.org (Accessed on 21/05/2009)
7) http://www.vl-site.org/sciences/index.html (Accessed on 21/05/2009)
8) www.sosig.ac.uk (Accessed on 21/05/2009)