The ICPSR (Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research) database now includes multiple versions of the TIGER/Line Files.  TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing) data files, formerly made available by the U. S. Census Bureau provide users with appropriate data to prepare maps through geographic information system (GIS) software packages.  The TIGER/Line file versions available via ICPSR include those covering 1990-2006.

The cartographic information supplied by the TIGER/Line files covers all counties and equivalent entities in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Island Areas.  Researchers use these data to create shapefiles that contain geographic attributes for points, lines, or polygons.  Once these files are load into GIS software, researchers can input subject matter data, such as Census population and housing information, as overlays on the maps.

The ICPSR (Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research) web page provides search and browsing access to abstracts and data sets in the world’s largest archive of computerized social science data.  Search or browse title of study, principal investigator, words in abstract, or study number.  Browse major research categories.

Please contact Barbara Bishop of the Auburn University Libraries Reference Department for more information at bishoba@auburn.edu or (334) 844-1690.

The JSTOR database has recently been upgraded.  Changes include the following:

a)  Basic Search:  this type of search searches the full-text of all journals and can be entered directly from the home page by authorized users.  Basic searches can be limited by discipline.

b)  Advanced Search:  these searches can be limited by selecting discipline(s) or specific journal titles, or by directly entering a specific title into the form.

c)  Proximity Search is now available in the Advanced Search form, using NEAR 5, NEAR 10, NEAR 25 operators in the Boolean pull-down menus.

d)  Basic and Advanced Searches:  searches from an individual session are saved, and they can be rurun from a drop-down menu at the bottom of each of these search forms.  Users are able to search for both the singular and plural versions of a word by adding an ampersand (&) to the end of the singular form of the word.  Plurals now identify both regular (cat/cats) and irregular (knife/knives) plural forms.

e)  Article Page Viewing:  thumbnail images of articles make it easier to see articles at a glance and to select pages within articles.

f)  Simplified Print and Viewing of Article FDF Files:  JSTOR now offers articles in a single, improved format of PDF for printing.  The PDF versions of articles provide bookmarks for easier navigation, both throughout the article as well as the entire issue.

JSTOR provides access to several collections of backfiles of scholarly publications covering the social sciences, humanities, and sciences.  JSTOR includes the full runs of each journal, generally up to 1 – 7 years from the present.  Note:  Auburn University subscribes to the Arts & Science I & II Collections and the Health & General Science Collection.

The Microforms and Government Documents Unit, located on the First Floor of the Ralph Brown Draughon Library, is requesting your participation in a BRIEF online survey regarding the services and resources they provide.

Please click on this link to take the brief survey.  Thank you!