Course description

"Examination of the aging process from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Physical and health factors in aging, economic and vocational factors in aging, family and community relations of older people, social policy and politics of aging. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on normal aging." [Note: for more information see the page in Canvas. If there are discrepancies between information listed on this page and that in Canvas or instructor handouts, please refer to the latter.]

Term paper research resources

Quick Start to getting articles:
"Finding gerontology articles in the SFU catalogue" video. At 3:40 mark is Advanced catalogue searching

Search examples in Catalogue:

topic 1:
"community housing" AND (seniors OR elderly OR "older persons" OR "older adults" OR gerontolog* OR geriatr* OR aging)

topic 2:
"community based services" AND (seniors OR elderly OR "older persons" OR "older adults" OR gerontolog* OR geriatr* OR aging)

...and then Refine results to to Resource Type Articles, on the box on the left side of the page

For more detail on library research, see:
Start Your Research Here SFU guide to researching and writing a term paper
Power searching and Boolean searching while these tips are specific for the catalogue they work for database searching too

Background information (or: Better than Wikipedia!)

Reference works such as encyclopedias are a great place to start to get an overview of a topic, especially if you are new to a discipline.
Entries are written by experts in the field, and often there is a useful bibliography. Click on the "online" link and then sign in to access these titles:

The Encyclopedia of Gerontology (online)
Entries on most paper topics, such as: Dementia (for cognitive impairment, including causes); Caregiving and Caring; Frail Elderly; Abuse and Neglect of Elders; Living Arrangements; Aging in Place; Exercise;

Dementia handbook and resource guide (online)

Routledge Handbook of Cultural Gerontology (online)
Entries such as: "Literature and ageing"; "Ageing in Film"; "Representations of ageing in the media"
In addition, Chapter 32 covers Loneliness and isolation

Handbook of aging and the social sciences (online)
Chapter 15 - Aging, Neighborhoods, and the Built Environment; Chapter 16 - Abusive Relationships in Late Life;

Encyclopedia of Ageism (online)
Entry: "Children's literature" (See also this useful ERIC article on children' literature) . Other entries "Hollywood", "Advertising", etc.

See also: Persona project resources for more useful publications

Finding journal articles

If you are interested in more detailed journal article searching than using the Catalouge go to one of the Gerontology Databases below:

Ageline The Major social-gerontology database -- start here for most paper topics.
For search tips see the guide An Introduction to the Ageline database

Sample subject terms and combined searches: Dementia OR Cognitive Impairment ; (Exercise OR Physical Activity) AND Quality of Life ; Aging in Place ; Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities; Assisted Living Facilities ; Caregivers ; Elder Abuse ; Falls ; Aging in Place; Isolation

Use the Ageline Thesaurus is for for finding subject terms. For instance, to find articles covering a particular methodology, click on the Thesaurus link at the top of the page, and type in: Research Techniques to find all the different types of research methods covered in Ageline, e.g. Randomized Controlled Trials.

CINAHL Complete The major nursing and allied health database for readable articles on medical topics.
Sample keyword search: "successful aging". Sample subject term: Frail Elderly. Can Limit results by age group, i.e. Aged (65 yrs & older)

PsycINFO The major psychology database. See their Quick Reference Guide
Sample Subject term: Reminiscence. Limit results by age group, i.e. Aged (65 yrs & older) .

Education Source
For the topic of portrayal of older people in children's literature, start with databases and use a combined search such as: Old age in literature and child*

MLA bibliography
For the topic of portrayal of older people in the media, start with databases and use a search such as: (elderly or aging or old age) AND (film or television)

Academic Search Premier
A nice, general database for finding articles, not gerontology based. Start with Subject term: Older People and then narrow down for your topic

Tips

To determine which articles are empirical studies when you are in a database, look under the Subjects listed for each article, such as Qualitative Research, Statistical Analysis, etc.

If the assignment asks you for peer-reviewed journal articles, Limit your search to either "Peer reviewed" or "Academic journals", depending on the database.
(For more information, see the FAQ What is a peer-reviewed journal?)

See also: Moving from Citation to Article SFU guide on how to find the article once you've searched a database

Books

Research tip: Looking though one scholarly monograph is much faster than reading several journal articles.

Aging and Society: Canadian perspectives [print]
Aging as a social process: Canadian perspectives [print]
Aging in contemporary Canada [print]
Aging: Concepts and controversies [print]
Grandparents : Archetypal and clinical perspectives on grandparent-grandchild relationships [online] Chapter 3 "Images of age in narratives"
Designing homes for people with dementia [print]

To find books, search SFU Catalogue
Search tips in SFU Library Catalogue Search Guide.

Sample Catalogue subject headings

Specific research topics

Age-friendly cities see: Aging and the City topic page, including walkability resources

Death and dying see: GERO 406's Term paper section for finding articles on end-of life issues

For more information see: Further Gerontology resources

Term paper writing links and help

How to do an outline

Creating an Outline - Douglas College Learning Commons

Outlining UMKC Writing Studio

If you wrote your paper before your outline (!) you can use Reverse Outlining Duke University

Literature review

The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It
List of questions that will prompt you to create critical literature reviews

Literature Review Template
Template for creating an "objective, critical summary of published research literature"

Literature Reviews
UNC guide that provides instructions and strategies, including ways to organize

Writing help

Student learning Commons this SFU Library division provides learning and writing support, such as:

WriteAway Feedback on your term paper draft or other academic writing. Enormously popular, turnaround time is currently more than three days; please send in one request, well ahead of the assignment date.
Consultations (SLC) section for writing or other assistance
Writing for University (SLC) has sections on choosing a topic, drafting papers and self-editing. See guide Revising, editing, and proofreading in academic writing
Write a Critical Review (University of Guelph)
Assignment Calculator by SLC will show when to start to research and then write your term paper in time

Persona project resources

Start with:

Report on Health and Aging in Canada (2018) Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)
Covers retirement, social engagement, caregiving, health, LGBTQ (note: they use the term term LGB), and more

Fact book on Aging in B.C. and Canada (8th Edition, 2023)
Statistical overview, published by the Gerontology Research Centre at SFU

Older adults and population aging statistics Statistics Canada
Health, housing and income, and many other topics

Housing

BC Housing
Website for provincial organization that "develops, manages and administers a wide range of subsidized housing options across the province";
see page for BC Rebate for Accessible Home Adaptations (BC RAHA)

Canadian Housing and Mortgage Authority (CMHC)
"Canada’s authority on housing"; see section Aging in Place

How to participate online

Online Forums: Responding Thoughtfully
Writing Commons Open Text

Tips for Creating the Perfect Discussion Post for your Online Classes
Rasmussen College

GERO 300: Introduction to Gerontology

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