Canadian Studies | MacOdrum Library

Key Resources

Contains citations and abstracts to articles from journals in all areas of Canadian and U.S. history and more current affairs.

Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database

A Canadian reference resource made up of scholarly journals, trade publications, books, newspapers, and magazines.

CPI.Q

Covers 1,200 English and French language journals published in, or providing, significant coverage of Canada. Mostly full-text.

PAIS Index

Provides citations and abstracts to articles in public affairs and policy. Topics include political science, law, and international relations.

Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Database

This database provides access to documents used in writing the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

Pîjashig Kwe kwe! Tunngahugit! She:kon! Aanii! Boozhoo! Tansi! Taanishi! Hello! Bienvenue!
The MacOdrum Library is located on the unceded territories of the Algonquin nation. Use this guide to begin your research and consult Use this guide to begin your research and contact Martha Attridge Bufton, who is available for online research consultations.

Start your research

Meet Martha Attridge Bufton in the following video.

Pick a research topic

Read your syllabus (assignment instructions).
Pick a topic that interests you and meets the assignment instructions.
Narrow or broaden the scope of your topic so that it is "doable."
- What's scope? Scope refers to the "people, places and things" or "who, what, when and where" that you are studying. For example, Canada or another country? Children or adults? Education or child protection services?

Identify key concepts

Use this worksheet to write out your research topic and identify key ideas.

Do an initial search for academic sources

Here are some videos to help you pick the right search engines and sources for your assignment.
- Beware of filter bubbles: What to know about Google and filtered information.
- Search faster, search smarter: How to search using your key concepts.
Use the CRAAP test to evaluate the quality of online sources.

Find peer-reviewed journal articles, images, films & heritage publications

Find peer-reviewed journal articles on a variety of topics

Use the list of the top five (5) databases at the top of the page to search for journal articles.

These databases have significant Canadian content:

America History and Life contains citations and abstracts to articles from journals in all areas of Canadian and U.S. history
Canadian Business and Current Affairs (CBCA).
Plus, Canadian Newstream indexes newspapers from across the country.
Consult the Centre for the North for other research publications.
Canadiana.org for digitized cultural heritage

Databases for heritage conservation

Art & Architecture Complete
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
Engineering Village
GeoBase
Scholars Portal Journals
Scopus (for the use of technology in heritage conservation)

Other databases

Google Scholar (provides access to scholarly literature from many disciplines and sources including peer reviewed articles)
Try one of our steaming platforms to find Canadian films and films about Canada. Also search the Telescope website.

Images

Finding and using images: a Carleton University library guide (including how to cite images in your projects and presentations)

Open access journals

Heritage conservation archival publications

Heritage Ottawa Newsletters (1974-2013)
ICOMOS Canada Past Publications (1975-2008)
Ontario Heritage Trust Heritage Matters (Past issues 2005-date)

Recommended peer-review journals in our library collection

Regional journals

Some publications are available either only in print or online. Others are available in both formats. Check UlrichsWeb for more information about individual journals.

Find local area research data and information: Ottawa

A collection of three book covers from publications in the Ottawa Resource Collection

The Ottawa Resource Collection (OTTR) helps tell stories using:

maps
government information
history books
archival collections
ephemera
images
online sources
grey literature

The collection covers neighbourhoods across the city, including NCC holdings in Ontario and Quebec. Materials date from pre-amalgamation (2001) to the present.

Visit the OTTR web page for more information and contact Monica Ferguson if you are interested in doing local area research.

Find books and ebooks (including dictionaries and encyclopedias)

Find books

In the search field on the library home page, use keywords to find books and ebooks (i.e., use your key concepts to search for relevant materials). You can limit your results by clicking on the Books/ebooks filter in the left-hand navigation.

Finding ebooks

Many ebook collections are available through the library. These collections include:

To retrieve these materials with a keyword search in the library main search engine or other databases:

To find ebooks, use the "available online" and "books" filters in Omni.
To find journal articles
- Use the "available online" and "articles" filters in Omni
- Use the "linked to full text" filter in other databases.

Virtual research support is available:

Ask a Librarian offers virtual reference desk services seven days a week.
Individual consultations: Email your librarian or subject specialists to arrange an individual consultation.

Looking for digital or electronic materials that are not in the Carleton University Library Collection? Email your librarian or subject specialist.

Dictionaries, encyclopedias and handbooks are good places to find short definitions and introductions to key concepts.

Dictionaries

Encyclopedias

Handbooks

Find government documents, statistics, and legislation

Find government policies

Find government information online using the library help guide.
Office of the Auditor General of Canada. The OAG publishes reports that evaluation government policies and programs.
Library of the Canadian Parliament. The library produces publications on policy issues.
Search the Canadian Research Index.

Go to Canada.ca to find a list of departments and agencies.

Canadian legislation

Department of Justice

Justice Laws (consolidated statutes)

Other federal and provincial legislation

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Canadian Human Rights Act
Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982
Ontario E-Laws
Quebec Laws & Regulations
Canadian Legal Information Institute (CANLII): for all provinces

International legislation

United Kingdom

UK Statute Law Database

United States

Library of Congress guide to law online

Other

Federal

Find data at the Carleton University library's Data Centre.

Federal

Canada Mortgage and Housing Statistics and Data
Census Program
Community Information Database (based on census data, provides socioeconomic and demographic data and information for all Canadian communities)
Crime and Justice Statistics
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada Health Indicators

Provincial

Cite your sources (including Indigenous sources)

Use our Citing your sources page to link to our APA guide, instructional videos and more.

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To cite Carleton University Indigenous Learning Bundles, here is an example in APA style:

Generic citation

Author, A.A., & Author, A.A. (Year of publication). Title of the bundle. [Carleton University Indigenous Learning Bundles]. D2L/Brightspace. https://brightspace.carleton.ca/d2l/home

Citation for a specific bundle

Attridge Bufton, M., & Callison, Camille. (2021). Accessible Information: Library-based Research and Indigenous Communities. Attridge Bufton, M., & Callison, Camille. (2021). Accessible Information: Library-based Research and Indigenous Communities. [Carleton University Indigenous Learning Bundles]. D2L/Brightspace. https://brightspace.carleton.ca/d2l/home

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To cite Indigenous Knowledge Keepers in APA, the University of British Columbia Indigenous Knowledge Keepers guide is helpful.