Philosophy Research Guide
Jump to a section of this guide . . .
| Getting Research Assistance | Library Catalog | Catalog Tips | Databases | Database Tips | Websites |
Just getting started?
Start by doing some background research. Take time to engage in some mind-mapping exercises that will help you identify key subject terms. Encyclopedias and other reference resources can be used to help you refine your subject terms and the citations in these sources can be used to find more information on your topic.
Consider how much time you have to complete your assignment and how hard it will be to get the resources you need for your topic. If you are finding your research difficult to manage, narrow your topic or break your research down into manageable sub-topics. If you are not finding enough information on your topic, try using broader subject terms.
Other Useful Guides
| Guide to the Library | Using Databases | Citation Guide |
Library Catalog: Books, Videos, e-Books and more!
Call number areas to browse
| Philosophy (General) | B1 - B5802 | General Works | B69 - B99 | Ancient | B108 - B708 |
| Medieval | B720 - B765 | Renaissance | B770 - B785 | Modern | B790 - B5802 |
| Logic | BC | Ethics | BJ | Political Philosophy | JA-JC |
The books in the library are organized by subject. You can browse these call number areas to find related books. So, if you are searching the library catalog and find a book that looks interesting or particularly relevant to your research, you can search the shelves in the library in the same call number area to find related items.
Reference Sources
| Title | Call Number |
| The Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy | REF B111 .C36 2003 |
| Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy | REF PB51 .C58 2000 |
| The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion | REF BL51 .O94 2005 |
| Western Philosophy : an illustrated guide | REF BD21 .W434 2004 |
| Find More |
The reference collection is located at the back, right-hand side of the library. Items in this collection cannot be checked out, but a copier is conveniently located so you can make copies of the resources you find.
To search the Library Catalog for reference books about Philosophy, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select Library Catalog. Enter "Philosophy" or a related subfield into the "Subject" field and then limit your search by selecting "Collection: Reference Books" from the Collections/Media menu.
To limit your search to items located at Montgomery Library, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.
Circulating Books
| Title | Call Number |
| A History of Philosophy | B72 .C62 1993 v.1 - v.9 |
| Political philosophy : an introduction | JA71 .S788 2011 |
| Roman Philosophy and the Good Life | B505 .B45 2009 |
| A Very Short Introduction To (Series) | Various |
| Find More Philosophy | FInd More Ethics | Find More Political Philosophy |
To search the Library Catalog for books about Philosophy, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select Library Catalog. Enter "Philosophy" or a related subfield into the "Subject" field and then limit your search to items you can check-out by selecting "Collection: Circulating Books" from the Collections/Media menu.
To limit your search to items located at Montgomery Library, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.
E-Books
| Title | E-Book Type |
| Plato's Philosophers: the coherence of the dialogues | netLibrary eBook |
| Social Ethics: sociology and the future of society | netLibrary eBook |
| Dictionary of World Philosophy | netLibrary eBook |
| Routledge Philosophy Guidebook (Series) | netLibrary eBook |
| Find More Philosophy | Find More Ethics | Find More Political Philosophy |
To search the Library Catalog for e-books about Philosophy or a realted subfield, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select Library Catalog. Enter "Philosophy" or a related subfield into the "Subject" field and then limit your search to items you can check-out by selecting "Collection: Electronic Books" from the Collections/Media menu.
To limit your search to items available to Montgomery Library patrons only, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.
Audio/Visual Materials
| Reason and Faith: philosophy in the Middle Ages | B721 .R43 2007 |
| Modern Philosophy | B791 .M623 2005 |
| Ethics: what is right? | BJ71 .E845 2005 |
| No Dogs or Philosophers Allowed (Series) | Various |
| Find More Philosophy | Find More Ethics | Find More Political Philosophy |
To search the Library Catalog for books about Philosophy, go to www.lonestar.edu/library and select Library Catalog. Enter "Philosophy" or a related subfield into the "Subject" field and then limit your search to items you can check-out by selecting "Media: Videos, DVDs, films, slides, etc." from the Collections/Media menu.
To limit your search to items located at Montgomery Library, select "Location: LSC-Montgomery" in the Locations menu.
| Diogenes | Periodicals Collection |
| Free Inquiry | Periodicals Collection |
| Philosophy | Periodicals Collection |
| Skeptical Inquirer | Periodicals Collection |
| Teaching Philosophy | Periodicals Collection |
| Think | Periodicals Collection |
The periodical section is located in front of the circulating collection, next to the outdoor patio area. The periodical collection is organized by title. These items cannot be checked out, but there is a copy machine available adjacent to the periodical section.
Tips!
Requesting items not available at Montgomery Library:
If there is an item listed in the catalog, but it is not located at Montgomery Library, just select the “Request First Available Copy of this Item” button from the catalog record to have the item sent to Montgomery Library for pick-up. To complete your request, you need your library barcode and PIN number. Generally, your PIN number is the last 4 digits of the phone number you used to register for classes. If you have problems accessing requesting an item, contact the Circulation Desk in person, at 936.273.7387 or email mclr@lonestar.edu
If the item is not available in the catalog:
Just select the “Requests” tab located in the upper, right-hand side of the screen. Complete and submit the Inter-Library Loan Request Form – LSCS. Contact a librarian if you need help!Research Databases: Find journal, magazine, and newspaper articles
| Academic Search Complete | Multi-disciplinary database; full text of articles from over 5,300 journals, magazines and newspapers, plus image collections. |
| Biography Reference Bank | Over 140,000 biographical profiles of people present and past, many with photographs, articles and more. |
| JSTOR | Complete historical full text of all issues of journals in a wide range of humanities and social science fields. |
| Project Muse | Full text of 285 journals in literature, history, international/cultural studies and other humanities and social science fields. |
| Religion & Philosophy Collection | Over 300 full-text journals, including over 250 peer-reviewed titles, on theology, religious history, epistemology, and philosophy. |
| Films on Demand (Videos) | High-quality, educational streaming video from companies such as Films for the Humanities, BBC, and PBS. |
Tips!
Finding the right database:
If you’d like to explore a subject area: Access the Research Databases: www.lonestar.edu/library -> Research Databases -> Select a category that is relevant to your topic.
If you know the title of the journal you’re looking for, use the A to Z Electronic Journal Search to find out which database provides access to that journal: www.lonestar.edu/library -> Research Databases -> A to Z Electronic Journal Search -> Select “Search” tab
If you know the database title: www.lonestar.edu/library -> Research Databases -> Find Database by Title
If the full-text/PDF version of an article is not available, select the “Check LinkSource for more information” link to see if another database offers full-text access.
Accessing Databases from Home:
You can access these databases from home using your library barcode number. If you have problems accessing the databases, contact the Circulation Desk in person, at 936.273.7387 or email mclr@lonestar.eduInterlibrary Loan (ILL):
If you are not able to find a resource that you need in the databases or in the library catalog, you can request the item via the Interlibrary Loan Form: http://www.lonestar.edu/library/interlibrary-request.htmScholarly, Peer-Reviewed Sources
Scholarly articles are written by an authority on the subject and are meant to share primary research with others in the field. Unlike popular sources, scholarly sources generally have a narrow audience and include a clear author or sponsoring association. These documents are very structured and usually include a literature review, methodology, and extensive citations. Many scholarly sources are also peer-reviewed which means others in the field reviewed the work before it was published. Many databases will allow you to limit your search to scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources – look for this option.Websites
Occasionally the librarians at LSC - Montgomery library will find a website they consider exceptional or particularly useful for academic research.
| Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy | http://www.iep.utm.edu/ |
| Digital Librarian: Religion and Philosophy | http://www.digital-librarian.com/religion.html |
| Internet Public Library: Philosophy | www.ipl.org |
Getting research assistance . . .
Subject Librarian
Sarah Palacios-Wilhelm| Email: sarahpwilhelm@lonestar.edu | Phone: 936 273 7393 | Office: bldg. F-161 |
Reference Desk
| Email: mclr@lonestar.edu | Phone: 936 273 7390 |
Department Contacts
Department Home: https://www.lonestar.edu/philosophy-dept.htm
| Name | Phone Number | Office Number | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Buchanan, Dean | Barbara.L.Buchanan@lonestar.edu | 936.271.6155 | G120-B |
| Tim Cowan, Professor | Timothy.M.Cowan@lonestar.edu | 936.271.6170 | G221-D |
| Mark Whitten, Professor | Mark.W.Whitten@lonestar.edu | 936.273.7492 | G221-C |
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