1. Introduction
As it's been described to me by your instructor, your assignment involves the following task:
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You may chose either one of these topics to work on: a) The impact of different religious views on Corporate Social Responsibility For this project, each group needs to write about the religious views of six major religions on CSR or discrimination. These religions are Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. You need to discuss tenets that are very specific to that religion and relate them to CSR (or discrimination). For example, saying “religion X believes that men are superior to women” or “religion X supports the stewardship model” is acceptable only if you find an authentic religious source to back it up, and not because it is someone’s opinion. NOTE: Check with your instructor for the exact details on the assignment. Please don't go by this summary alone. |
My goal with this guide is to help you understand the different perspectives that you could take as you begin researching -- and to help you find some resources from each perspective. The suggestions below aren't exhaustive, but they should at least get you started in your research. If you get stuck, there are some directions near the end on ways to get help from the librarians here at SFU.
Good luck!
Mark
2. Resources
2.a. Books via the SFU Library
The table below lists some subject headings in the SFU Library catalogue that are relevant to your research topics, along with a few sample titles that can be found using those headings in your search. Use these terms in your initial searches, but then watch for other subjects on the books that seem most relevant.
| On religion in general | |
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Sample titles:
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| Corporate Social Responsibility | |
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Note: I'm focusing on the environment aspect of CSR in the tips below, but remember that CSR involves far more than just reducing harm to the environment. You may have to read sources on CSR in general to understand the full breadth of topics involved, then read materials on the religions and their ethical systems to understand how the two might relate.
Note: You could also try adding specific religions to the end of some of these subjects. For example: |
Sample titles: Religion and the new ecology : environmental responsibility in a world in flux Ecospirit : religions and philosophies for the earth A greener faith : religious environmentalism and our planet's future |
| On the treatment of women and minorities | |
Note: I'm focusing on the women aspect of this topic in the tips below. For the minorities aspect of this topic, you would probably be better off exploring the ethical systems of the different religions in general and looking for anything that touches on how people with that religion view others (those of different religions, races, sexual orientations, etc.).
Note: You could also try adding specific religions to the end of some of these subjects. For example: Important: A few students have asked for help finding out how people of different religions would be treated/viewed if they were minorities in the workplace, as opposed to how people of different religions might treat minorities/women in the workplace. As I understand the topic, the latter is what your instructor intends. Please check with him for clarification if you are unsure. |
Sample titles:
The encyclopedia of women and religion in North America
Bennett Reference: BL 458 E52 2006
Encyclopedia of women and world religion
Bennett Reference: BL 458 E53 1999 Ethical dimensions of diversity Multiculturalism and the Jews We also have an interesting series of videos on women in different world religions. Might be a good way to understand the general background on this topic. Search for the title Women in religion to find this series. |
| On the ethical and religious aspects of business/economics in general | |
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Sample titles: Business and religion : a clash of civilizations? Business, religion, & spirituality : a new synthesis |
| On Buddhism and Buddhist ethics | |
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Sample titles: The nature of Buddhist ethics |
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| On ethics within Catholicism and Protestantism (and Christianity in general) | |
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Sample titles: The Oxford handbook of theological ethics New Catholic Encyclopedia |
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| On Hinduism and Hindu ethics | |
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Sample titles: Hinduism and ecology : the intersection of earth, sky, and water |
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| On Islam and Islamic ethics | |
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Sample titles: Commanding right and forbidding wrong in Islamic thought |
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| On Judaism and Jewish ethics | |
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Sample titles: Love your neighbor and yourself : a Jewish approach to modern personal ethics |
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2.b. Books via other libraries
Both sections of BUS 303 may be competing for the same books, so it's possible that some of the ones you want may already be signed out. If so, consider the following options:
i. Place a Request on any SFU book that is signed out. Just look for the title in the catalogue, click on the Request button, and follow the directions. You'll be the placed on the list to get the book when it comes back in and the person with it out won't be able to renew it.
ii. Search other local libraries. As an SFU student, you can borrow books directly (in person) from any of the local colleges. Stop by the checkout counter in our library first to pick up a COPPUL card identifying you as a current SFU student. In addition, if you have a library card at any local public library, you can use it to borrow books from the other public libraries in the region. You can search for books in the local libraries using the same subject headings that you've tried in the SFU Library catalogue.
I suspect that books will be more useful for many of the questions you might ask as part of this assignment. Most articles are likely to have too narrow a perspective for your purposes. Nevertheless, if you think that articles may be useful, I'd suggest starting with the following databases:
- ATLA Religion Database
Bibliographic index of topics such as biblical studies, world religions, church history, and religion in social issues. - Business Source Complete
The business journals are unlikely to touch on the ethical framework of different religions, but they will have articles that would help you understand the issues involved in topics like CSR and discrimination in the workplace overall. - Humanities & Social Sciences Index
A good general database for many topics in Humanities. - Index Islamicus
The international classified bibliography of publications in European languages on all aspects of Islam and the Muslim world. It provides access to research published since 1906 in the field of Islamic Studies.
3. Getting help
3.a. Look for online guides. We have, for instance, research guides focused on Religion and Philosophy that may lead you to the resources you need.
3.b. Come to the Reference/Help Desk in any SFU Library branch. Reference Librarians can help you identify your concepts, think of synonyms, choose databases and print indexes, search for articles and books here or at other libraries, search for web resources, and much more. 3.b. If you are working at home, you could try contacting our reference librarians via telephone, chat, or email using our Ask Us services. 3.c. You are also welcome to email me (yolanda_koscielski@sfu.ca) with your question. It makes things much more efficient if you start your email by explaining...
- what class you are in (so I have an idea of your assignment and background),
- when the assignment is due,
- what exactly you are after, and
- where you have you looked so far (have you tried the SFU Library catalogue?), and what search terms you tried when you searched.
4. Writing & Citing
4.a. Writing your report: Research is only half the battle! You also need to communicate your findings in a clear, well-structured paper, Check the SFU Library guides to Business Writing and University Reading & Writing for resources to help with paper structures, grammar, spelling, and more. 4.b. Citing your sources: You also need to correctly cite all of the books, journal articles, and sites that you used in your research. Check with your professor or TA for the style guide recommended for your course. Then check the SFU Library guides to citation styles such as the APA, MLA, and Chicago formats. A couple other guides that you may want to check are Citing Sources (Duke University Libraries) and Guide to APA format.(the Library at the University of Minnesota).
The APA offers a bit of online guidance for those citing electronic materials in APA format at their APAStyle page. (APA guidelines for citing electronic references changed in August 2007. The APAStyle page documents these changes.). Note that one of the topics they cover is Citations in Text of Electronic Material. In addition, some of our article indexes (e.g., Business Source Complete and CBCA Fulltext Business) have information within their Help pages on how to cite articles found in databases using common formats such as APA, MLA, and Chicago.
Unfortunately, APA style doesn't have very detailed guidance on how to cite many business resources of the sort that you will likely be using. Some interpretation of the instructions in the APA Manual (a copy is at the Reference Desk in the library) may be necessary. However, I'd suggest starting by scanning the great How to cite business sources in APA guide from McGill University.
Learning how to properly credit others when you use their ideas is a difficult, but important part of research. Start with the SFU Library's interactive tutorial "Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism" to test yourself and to learn more about plagiarism. Also read the SFU Library Guide on Plagiarism for further discussion of this critical topic and for links to other plagiarism guides. Note: Citation or reference management tools collect your journal article, book, or other document citations together in one place, and help you create properly formatted bibliographies in almost any style — in seconds. Citation management tools help you keep track of your sources while you work and store your references for future use and reuse.