UN1001 Appropriate Technology, section R55

 

Librarian: Rhianna Williams

Email: rlwillia@mtu.edu

Phone: 487-2698

 

Instructor: Rose Rao

 

 

Browsing and Search Terms

 

Not everyone uses the same word to describe the same thing. Examples are cars verses automobiles, or PC verses personal computer. When searching for information on your topic it is important to keep this in mind and try different search terms when you do not get the results you want. Here are some examples of terms you may want to use when searching for Appropriate Technology:

 

Appropriate technology Alternative technology

Soft technology Alternative agriculture

 

You may also limit your search by including a geographical area i.e.:

 

Appropriate technology AND Africa

 

 

Reference Resources:

 

The reference collection is a good place to begin exploring an unfamiliar subject. The resources found here can give you definitions of new terms and back ground information on your subject, along with help identifying specific issues within your broad subject area to explore in more detail.

 

Encyclopedia of the Developing World

HC 59.7 .E52 2005 REF

A useful resource for information on developing countries and organizations dedicated to improving living conditions within developing countries. A variety of organizations are described including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Zapatista National Revolutionary Army (EZLN). The encyclopedia strives to provide the researcher history, economic development, and politics of the developing world from 1945 to the present. The first volume of the set includes an A-Z index of all entries as well as lists of the people, organizations, countries and topics covered by the encyclopedia.

 

Dictionary of Environmental and Sustainable Development

HC 79 .E5 G518 1996 REF

This dictionary focuses on the environment and the environmental pollution caused by human development. Included are timelines of environmental policies taken by various countries as well as several bibliographies concerning the environment and sustainable development.

 

Dictionary of Environmental Economics, Science, and Policy

HC 79 .E5 G85 2001 REF

This unique dictionary defines terms used in the disciplines of environmental economics, environmental sciences and environmental studies. For complex words and theories within this resource additional reading and references are provided. Included in the dictionary are appendences covering: the Greek alphabet, the system international (SI) units, the geological time-scale and a listing and description of selected environmental treaties.

 

Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy

HC 79 .E5 G85 2001 REF

The Guide to Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy is a comprehensive presentation of definitions, philosophies, policies, models, and analyses of global environmental and developmental issues. The guide combines formal, objective entries with critical commentaries that emphasize different opinions and controversies. This resource is designed to serve as a roadmap for understanding the issues and debates in the overlapping fields of environment and development.

 

Finding and Using Economic Information: A Guide to Sources and Interpretation

HC 106 .J63 1993 REF

 

Encyclopedia of Community Planning and Environmental Management

HD 108.6 .S38 1984 REF

Defines terms and concepts related to land use regulation, main focus is on urban development in the United States. Included with the articles are legal citations for important legislation as well as court cases related to the history and development of planning.

 

Encyclopedia of Community: From the Village to the Virtual World

HM 756 .E58 2003 REF

This four-volume set not only explains the emerging buzz words of community such as 'social capital' or 'civic engagement' but also tells many stories of community institutions that work, such as public libraries." --Sarah Ann Long, Past President, (1999-2000) American Library Association. The encyclopedia covers communities of the past and present, from 19th century utopians, to the communes of the 1960's, to today's Rotary Club, Amish, and cyber communities. Included in the appendix is a list of resource guides.

 

Science, Technology and Society Encyclopedia

HM 846 .S43 2005 REF

The A-Z listings in this volume fall into one of three broad categories: Science and Society, Technology and Society, and Medicine and Society. Each article in the encyclopedia is followed by a bibliography and an occasional see also section. Articles of interest include: Science in History, Technology in Culture, and Engineering Cultures.

 

Political Handbook of the World 2005-2006

JF 37 .P7 2005/2006 REF

The Political Handbook of the World not only contains articles about every country in the world and their government but also includes articles on Intergovernmental Organizations such as the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Articles on countries include basic information such as population, official languages and monetary unit, but also contain information on the countrys political background, political parties and communications.

 

E Resources

 

Access to electronic indexes/abstracts, online books, e-journals and selected websites are available through the library website at http://www.lib.mtu.edu/ listed under e-resources.

 

Databases & Indexes

 

Alternative Press Index

Interdisciplinary and international in scope.

 

Article 1st

An index of 12,000 journals.

 

Expanded Academic ASAP

Scholarly and popular research on a variety of academic subjects includes full text articles.

 

IEEE Xplore

Searches all IEEE publications including IEEE Technology and Society.

 

WorldCat

An international catalog of books, periodicals, papers and websites owned by libraries from all over the world and available to MTU students through Inter Library Loan (ILL).

 

 

E-Journals

 

Appropriate Technology

Appropriate Technology may be accessed through the e-journals link on the library homepage. The library has the electronic versions of Appropriate Technology Vol. 28 Iss. 1 to the current issue.

 

IEEE Technology and Society

IEEE Technology and Society focuses on the socio-political aspects of technology. MTU has electronic copies of IEEE Technology and Society through 1988. Physical copies of Volume 1 through 22 are in the garden level of the library with the call number T14.5 .I35.

 

The International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering

http://www.engr.psu.edu/IJSLE/index.htm

Hosted by Penn State University, the International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering (IJSLE) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal offered free, semi-annually, over the World Wide Web. With articles relating to the latest design and research pertinent to local communities, the faculty-reviewed articles in each issue provide the reader with timely information related to:

             Engineering Design Projects as Service

             Engineering Research Projects as Service

             Engineering-Related Entrepreneurial Projects as Service

             Pedagogy in Engineering-Related Service Learning

 

Science Technology and Society

First published in 1996 its focus is the developing world and the ways science and technology influence society. It covers areas like history, sociology, philosophy, economics, political science, psychology, technological forecasting, science policy, R & D management, health & nutrition, agriculture, ecology & environment, and quantitative studies.

 

Internet Resources

 

CIA World Factbook

Updated regularly by the CIA, this web site is a good quick reference guide for statistics and brief summaries of any country on earth.

 

Engineers for a Sustainable World

Not for profit organization based out of Ithaca, New York. Programs and initiatives include Sustainable Development, advancement of sustainability in engineering higher education, and outreach programs to familiarize engineers with sustainability issues.

 

Futureworld: National Center for Appropriate Technology

Not for profit organization based in Wollongong Australia dedicated to exhibiting and promoting Environmentally Appropriate Technologies.

 

 

For Additional Assistance - For individual assistance or instruction from a librarian, visit the Reference & Information desk on 2^nd floor, phone 487-2507, or use e-mail or instant messaging by clicking Ask a Librarian on the Library's website.

 

Evaluating Information Sources - Consult these sites provided by other institutions:

Identifying Research Articles & Refereed Journals: http://gateway.library.uiuc.edu/lsx/tutorial/section3.html

 

Evaluating Web Sites: http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/webeval.html

 

What are primary resources? http://ipr.ues.gseis.ucla.edu/info/definition.html