Belzberg Library welcomes students in the Undergraduate Semester in Dialogue to SFU Vancouver. This guide will help you to use our library to find and evaluate research material for your projects. If you have any further questions about library services, please contact Karen Marotz, Head, Belzberg Library at 778-782-5054 or marotz@sfu.ca.

Research Sources for Experiments in Creativity and Lifestyle Activism

Library research involves selecting your topic, identifying the best sources and appropriate research tools, accessing the items found and evaluating your results.

Start Your Research Here is a brief guide that will help you with this process.

Start your hunt for information "at home" by visiting the SFU Library home page. This gathers all the best research tools, guides and research help in one place.

Books, articles and web sites on your course reading list or course outline can also provide a good starting point, particularly if the items include bibliographies, references or links to related material.

1. Books, Ebooks, Films, Music, Sound

Search the catalogue to find all books, reports and media materials in the SFU Library at all three campuses (Belzberg - Vancouver; Bennett - Burnaby; Surrey - SFU Surrey).

• Searching by KEYWORD is generally the best way to start. Once you have found some good results with your keyword searches, use the subjects on those items to focus your search.
• Try the following SUBJECT headings: (To search for books by subject heading, use the Browse Search option in the SFU Library Catalogue, then select Subject browse from the drop-down menu.)
  • Artists and community
  • Citizenship
  • Creative ability
  • Creative ability in business
  • Creative thinking
  • Community development urban
  • Dialogue analysis
  • Political activists
  • Political participation
  • Social change
  • Social movements
  • Social participation
  • Sustainable development
  • Sustainable living

Limit your search to items at Belzberg Library by selecting Belzberg Collection from the main search screen. You can also use ADVANCED KEYWORD search. Select Belzberg Library in the COLLECTION field to include online resources. Select Belzberg Library (Downtown/Harbour Centre) in the LOCATION field for items physically at Belzberg Library.

• If the item is not available at Belzberg Library, or is out on loan, please request it! Find electronic books, films, dvds, cds or slides on your topic by searching specific collections or by using ADVANCED KEYWORD search and selecting the appropriate format in the FORMAT field.
• For a step-by-step interactive guide to searching the SFU catalogue, see the SFU Library Catalogue Search Guide.

2. Journal and Newspaper Articles

• All print and electronic journals subscribed to by the SFU Library are listed in the catalogue. Electronic journals are also listed in the Electronic Journals Database by title, subject and by the association/organization who publishes the journal.
• Connect to Journal Articles and Databases to find articles in academic journals, trade magazines, reports and newspapers, as well as financial and statistical data. Many indexes provide online access to the full text of the articles or allow you to directly request photocopies of articles through the "Where Can I Get This?" link. Browse by subject area to identify useful databases for your topic, such as the Dialogue databases.

  Suggested article databases for Experiments in Creativity and Lifestyle Activism:

  • Academic Search Premier - multidisciplinary index to academic and popular journals.
  • Alternative Press Index - alternative and radical media; includes urban ecology and sustainability.
  • Canadian Newsstream - fulltext of major Canadian newspapers and Canwest's small market BC papers.
  • Canadian Research Index - Canadian government publications.
  • CBCA Complete (Canadian Business and Current Affairs) - covers news, business, and academic sources with a Canadian focus, including resource & environmental management and urban planning sources.
  • Geobase - key human and physical geography database with interdisciplinary coverage for researching environmental issues.
  • PsycINFO - indexes literature in the field of psychology, as well as psychology relevant aspects of other disciplines.
  • Sociological Abstracts - covers sociological aspects of broad subject areas, including environmental studies, collective behavior, and community development.
  • Web of Science - A multidisciplinary source that indexes thousands of social science and humanities journals in addition to science journals. It also includes cited reference searches. 
• Try the same subject terms as suggested for books, or check the thesaurus or list of subject terms within the database. For help with searching databases, check Finding Journal Articles and/or Moving From Citation to Article.
• For books and articles not online or at SFU, request an Interlibrary Loan.

3. Statistics and Government Sources

• BC Stats Publications - After you connect, click the "Agree" button to enter the site. The A-Z index (located on the upper left corner) provides access to BC Statistics by subject.
• Government of British Columbia (B.C. Government) - Ministries and Organizations (A-Z list) - is an access point to all the ministries and organizations of the Government of British Columbia.
• Government of Canada: (A-Z Index) - The site's A-Z index covers topics related to climate change, energy, environmental aspects, sustainable development and much more.
• Metro Vancouver - provides regional planning and services for the Greater Vancouver area, including regional planning, waste management and air quality.
• Statistics Canada: Statistics by Subject - The subject guide includes topics on energy, environment, manufacturing, transportation, and much more.

4. Selected Internet Sources

In addition to the library catalogue and databases, you will find a lot of good information on the web. Governments, research institutes, non-profit organizations, industry and other associations and companies all have web sites - many with publications freely available. Use a web search engine such as Google, Google Scholar or Ask.com to find additional information, including the web sites of interest groups and other organizations. Check the library's World Wide Web Research guide for additional help in finding and evaluating web sites.

Useful websites and blogs for Experiments in Creativity and Lifestyle Activism:

• Activism Tools and Ideas - blog discussing various business-related ideas on activism and social innovation, with many online resources linked in various posts.
• Center for the Study of Art and Community - association dedicated to building bridges between the arts and a wide range of community, public and private sector interests.
• Civicus - World Alliance for Citizen Participation
• Connexions Online - Information service connecting individuals and organisations working for social change.
• Creative Cities Network - UNESCO program to promote the social, economic and cultural development of cities.
• Creative Acts - example of an experimental online magazine for creative expression, activism and exchange.
• Design Centre for Sustainability: UBC - research centre engaged in applying sustainability concepts to the development of land, cities, and community.
• Educational Network for Global and Grassroots Exchange (ENGAGE) - Student coalition organizing "cooperative action between peoples and social movements." Contains extensive Resource Links page.
• Everyday Citizen - blog featuring a collection of original journalism, analysis and opinion; deep blog archives and links in the U.S. oriented Citizen Action Centre. Also contains a Blogroll featuring a lengthy list of recommended blogs and websites. 
• PlanetFriendly.net - "introduction and portal to activism, education, community involvement, and social change."
• Sustainable Communities Network includes links to related reading, resources and case studies.
• Sustainable Development WWW Virtual Library meta-site with links to web directories, organizations and projects related to sustainable development. 
• Urban Environmental Management - contains features on aspects of urban environmental management to create sustainable ecosystems, including ecological footprints, green construction, and life-cycle assessment. 
• Vancouver Public Space Network - advocacy group concerned with all aspects of public space, including creative (re)-greening of the public environment and public access to the decision-making process around public space. See their tools page for links and bibliographies.
• Wiser.org: The Social Network for Sustainability - free online community space "connect, collaborate, share knowledge, and build alliances."

5. Research guides for related subjects

• Subject Research guides are produced by SFU liaison librarians to point you to the best external sources as well as providing information about publications available in the library. Try these guides for further suggestions.

Ask Us!

• If you would like any further assistance or information about the library or your research, don't hesitate to Ask a Librarian in person, by phone, email or interactive reference.