When you are getting started on a research project, encyclopedias and reference handbooks give you an overview of the topic, current questions, and suggestions for further reading. Here are just a few sources I recommend. Browse IUCAT for more online anthropology encyclopedias and handbooks (all are ebooks accessible to members of the IU-Bloomington campus). For even more reference works, visit the virtual folklore reference collection in the tabs to the left.
The Handbook of Sociocultural Anthropology by The Handbook of Sociocultural Anthropology presents a state of the art overview of the subject - its methodologies, current debates, history and future. It provides the ultimate source of authoritative, critical descriptions of all the key aspects of the discipline as well as a consideration of the general state of the discipline at a time when there is notable uncertainty about its foundations, composition and direction. Divided into five core sections, the Handbook: examines the changing theoretical and analytical orientations that have led to new ways of carrying out research; presents an analysis of the traditional historical core and how the discipline has changed since 1980; considers the ethnographic regions where work has had the greatest impact on anthropology as a whole; outlines the people and institutions that are the context in which the discipline operates, covering topics from research funding to professional ethics.Bringing together leading international scholars, the Handbook provides a guide to the latest research in social and cultural anthropology. Presenting a systematic overview - and offering a wide range of examples, insights and analysis - it is an invaluable resource for researchers and students in anthropology as well as cultural and social geography, cultural studies and sociology.
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology by Written by leading scholars in the field, this comprehensive and readable resource gives anthropology students a unique guide to the ideas, arguments and history of the discipline. Combining anthropological theory and ethnography, it includes 275 substantial entries, over 300 short biographies of important figures in anthropology, and nearly 600 glossary items. The fully revised and expanded second edition reflects major changes in anthropology in the past decade.
Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology by Medical practitioners and the ordinary citizen are becoming more aware that we need to understand cultural variation in medical belief and practice. The more we know how health and disease are managed in different cultures, the more we can recognize what is "culture bound" in our own medical belief and practice. The Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology is unique because it is the first reference work to describe the cultural practices relevant to health in the world's cultures and to provide an overview of important topics in medical anthropology. No other single reference work comes close to marching the depth and breadth of information on the varying cultural background of health and illness around the world. More than 100 experts - anthropologists and other social scientists - have contributed their firsthand experience of medical cultures from around the world.
Fifty Key Anthropologists by Fifty Key Anthropologists surveys the life and work of some of the most influential figures in anthropology. The entries, written by an international range of expert contributors, represent the diversity of thought within the subject, incorporating both classic theorists and more recent anthropological thinkers. Names discussed include: Clifford Geertz Bronislaw Malinowski Zora Neale Hurston Sherry B. Ortner Claude Lévi-Strauss Rodney Needham Mary Douglas Marcel Mauss This accessible A-Z guide contains helpful cross-referencing, a timeline of key dates and schools of thought, and suggestions for further reading. It will be of interest to students of anthropology and related subjects wanting a succinct overview of the ideas and impact of key anthropologists who have helped to shape the discipline.
Archaeology of Food by What are the origins of agriculture? In what ways have technological advances related to food affected human development? How have food and foodways been used to create identity, communicate meaning, and organize society? In this highly readable, illustrated volume, archaeologists and other scholars from across the globe explore these questions and more. The Archaeology of Food offers more than 250 entries spanning geographic and temporal contexts and features recent discoveries alongside the results of decades of research. The contributors provide overviews of current knowledge and theoretical perspectives, raise key questions, and delve into myriad scientific, archaeological, and material analyses to add depth to our understanding of food. The encyclopedia serves as a reference for scholars and students in archaeology, food studies, and related disciplines, as well as fascinating reading for culinary historians, food writers, and food and archaeology enthusiasts.Moira Marsh (formerly Moira Smith) has been the subject librarian for Anthropology, Folklore, and Sociology at Indiana University Bloomington since 1997.
She is a folklorist specializing in humor studies.
She is a kiwi, amateur jackalope wrangler, former editor, and a former President of the Bloomington faculty.
She is a research whisperer. Her second favorite thing to do is consult with students, faculty, and researchers about their research questions, large or small.
Practically Joking by 
