- Welcome
- Books
- Journal Articles
- Databases
- Journals
- Archives & Primary Sources
- Data & Statistics
- Government Information
- Laws & Legislation
- Maps & GIS
- Media
- Websites
- Writing & Citing
Welcome
Start your research by consulting encyclopedias and dictionaries to get an overview of your topic and better understand explanations of key terms and concepts used in geography:
- Companion encyclopedia of geography : the environment and humankind
- Encyclopedia of paleoclimatology and ancient environments
- Environmental Encyclopedia
- International Encyclopedia of Human Geography
- International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences
- Modern Dictionary of Remote Sensing
- Oxford Reference Online: Earth & Environmental Science
- Our earth's changing land: an encyclopedia of land-use and land-cover change [print only]
- State of the World [print only]
Research Methods:
Handbooks provide detailed approaches on how qualitative or quantitative research can be linked to the broader concerns of geographers.
- Conducting Research in Human Geography
- The SAGE handbook of qualitative geography
- Methods in human geography: a guide for students doing a research project
- Quantitative geography: perspectives on spatial data analysis
- Practical statistics for geographers and earth scientists
- Elementary statistics for geographers
Books
Journal Articles
Always start with GEOBASE, or try broadening your search using SCOPUS. Click on the Databases tab to view the list of other sources for finding journal articles in geography.
Databases
Journals
Archives & Primary Sources
- Archives of Ontario
- City of Ottawa Archives
- Canada Museum of Science and Technology Archival Collection It consists of documentary, drawing, photographic, audio, film and video materials. The photographic collections focus principally on two subjects of interest to geographers; railway transportation and agriculture in Canada and amount to over one million images.
- Library and Archives Canada
- National Capital Commission Library Consult library archival material on site or arrange for an interlibrary loan by submitting a request through RACER. Call ahead if you think you may need help with your research. A photocopier and microfiche reader/printer are both available.
- Ottawa Room located at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library.
Data & Statistics
Government Information
Laws & Legislation
Maps & GIS
Good web sites to get started with finding maps:
- Canadian Communities Atlas Project
- FIND maps at Carleton
- GEOSCAN
- National Atlas of Canada
- Geography and Map Reading Room (US Library of Congress)
- Perry Castaneda Library Map Collection (University of Texas at Austin)
For creating maps:
- SimplyMap Canada is a web-based mapping application that lets users quickly create professional-quality thematic maps and reports using demographic, business, and marketing data for Canada. Also good for non-GIS users to create maps using Census data.
- GeoConnections Discovery Portal
- Geography Network (ESRI Canada's Portal)
- GeoGratis
- FIND GIS at Carleton
- Global GIS
- Natural Earth (free vector and raster map data)
- Regional GIS Data by Geography
Media
Proquest Illustrata: Natural Sciences - acts as a complement to existing CSA databases by making tables, figures, graphs, charts and other illustrations from the scholarly research and technical literature, searchable.
Why Geography Matters by Google Earth on Youtube
Films on Demand - is a collection of streaming educationtional videos that cover a wide spectrum of disciplines. It contains both clips and full-length videos. Many of the videos are part of the TED Talks series on ideas worth spreading.
Use WATMEDIA to search approximately 50,000 film/video titles that are held by other Ontario universities and can be borrowed by using this form.
The National Film Board of Canada's online screening room allows you to watch hundreds of films free online documentaries, animated and alternative drama films.
Check out the library's video collection - Find more video information.
Selected film titles:
- Blue Gold - deals with the fight to stop the corporate theft of the world's water.
- Dirt! the movie - examines the history and current state of living organic matter.
- Drowned out - village in India will disappear underwater because of giant dam.
- Exploring Qualitative Methods - provides insight into the issues relevant to collecting and utilizing qualitative data.
- Oil literacy - critical look at Canadian oil/tar sands debate.
- Slum Cities: a shifting world - looks at the lives & homes of people living in Mumbai & Rio de Janeiro.
- When the levees broke - emergency and recovery efforts of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, 2005.
Websites
General Gateways
Geographical News
Societies & Associations
- American Association of Geographers
- Canadian Association of Geographers
- Canadian Remote Sensing Society
- International Association for Great Lakes Research
- Royal Geographical Society
- Royal Canadian Geographical Society
- Royal Scottish Geographical Society
- Royal Geographical Society of Queensland (Australia)
Writing & Citing
Alternate Citation Guides:
Writing Guides:
- Communicating in geography and environmental sciences
- Making Sense; a student's guide to research and writing: geography and environmental sciences
Writing Literature Reviews:
The literature review : a step-by-step guide for students
Conducting research literature reviews: from the Internet to paper
Thesis Guides:
- Mapping your thesis; the comprehensive manual of theory and techniques for masters and doctoral research
- How to do your dissertation in geography and related disciplines
613-520-2600 x2018
