Fieldwork in the Library: A Guide to Research in Anthropology and Related Area Studies - Softcover

Westerman, Robert C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 083890632X ISBN 13: 9780838906323

Publisher: Amer Library Assn, 1994

Synopsis

A guide organized to serve as a foundation for a wide variety of specific search strategies in anthropology and area study research, including instructions to access information on the Internet. It is divided into two major parts. Part I, Access by Discipline and Subdiscipline, focuses on the theoretical and methodological advances of anthropology and its major subdisciplines. Part II, Access by Area Studies, focuses on empirical advances of anthropology and its subdisciplines, stressing research into specific sites and peoples. Member price, $40.50. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

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Reviews

Westerman believes a search should be guided by "a sense of process rather than by a knowledge of forms." In the construction of this guide he abjures "linear arrangements." The result is a veritable cat's cradle of references to library tools in anthropology and related disciplines. According to the author, it is designed to assist librarians and students of anthropology who are without anthropological training; however, Fieldwork goes well beyond this. It begins with the introductory chapter "What Every Anthropologist Needs to Know." Throughout this work, the author refers the reader to other guides, such as John Weeks' Introduction to Library Research in Anthropology (Westview, 1991), Kibbee's Cultural Anthropology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources (Libraries Unlimited, 1991), and Guide to Reference Books (ALA, 1986 and 1992). He avoids repeating their fundamental groundwork and supplements with scholarly works that augment the basic sources. These are often in French or German and represent worldwide scholarly research.

Westerman rejects the traditional method of organization by format. Part 1 covers the theoretical framework of anthropology. He devotes a chapter to a thorough coverage of computer files, including online services and CD-ROMs in related disciplines. Chapters on archaeology and material culture, ethnology/cultural anthropology, anthropological linguistics, and physical and biological anthropology follow. Each entry is fully annotated with copious advice on what to use and where to go next. This is facilitated by the use of an alphanumeric code for each entry. Throughout Fieldwork Westerman refers back and forth to other entries by their codes, weaving a process of research. Formats such as bibliographies, handbooks, maps, unpublished materials, and dissertations are repeated as strategic headings. Part 2 of the work is devoted to area studies, which include, in addition to standard regions, "CIS and Europe" and a unique section, "Islamic Influence and Israel."

Westerman is responsible for the chapter on anthropology in Webb's Sources of Information in the Social Sciences (ALA, 1986). He retains the same method of coding in Fieldwork, drops many of the sources, and adds a tremendous amount of value. This book belongs in every library devoted to anthropological research, especially at the graduate level.

Westerman previously contributed a chapter on anthropology to William Webb's Sources of Information in the Social Sciences (ALA, 1986. 3d ed.). Here he attempts to organize the literature in a way that is useful both to librarians unacquainted with anthropology and anthropology students unfamiliar with libraries. He arranges his book into chapters by subdiscipline and by geographic area. The chapters, in turn, are subdivided by type of literature to meet specific research needs, such as current materials, retrospective searches, and informational searches. The introductory chapters address getting into the literature and resources of related disciplines. Westerman cites 1,591 sources, more than any other guide to anthropology sources, though more than two-thirds are drawn from area studies literature. The book's strength lies in its breadth and depth of coverage, but unfortunately this strength is counterbalanced by large drawbacks. What Westerman hoped would be the greatest value of his work-the organization-should confuse both intended audiences. Only a seasoned user of reference guides or someone well versed in anthropology literature could use this guide productively. It lacks sufficient information about anthropology as a discipline and the scope of each subdiscipline. The two introductory chapters have many problems and inconsistencies, such as listing anthropology resources on the Internet under related disciplines. The lack of subject indexing compounds the problem of the book's organization, and the author and title indexes refer the reader only to the main place a work is described. All references to key sources, which are cited repeatedly in comparison with similar works, cannot be found. One can also quibble with where Westerman assigned many sources, and the lack of a subject index prevents a reader from finding all related materials. Some recent citations and editions are omitted. Despite its lengthy list of resources, this work is awkward to use and is recommended reluctantly to large research libraries. Other libraries should acquire Jo Kibbee's Cultural Anthropology: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources (Libraries Unlimited, 1991) and John Weeks's Introducton to Library Research in Anthropology (Westview Pr., 1991).
Joyce L. Ogburn, Yale Univ. Lib., New Haven, Ct.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Amer Library Assn
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 083890632X
• ISBN 13: 9780838906323
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 357