Libraries HomeGeography Research Guide
The following is a selected list of resources for starting research in Geography. For further assistance, contact the Geography Subject Specialist at jonjab@uoregon.edu. There is also extensive information on the MAP Library's homepage.
This guide concentrates on geography as an academic discipline. You may also be interested in looking at:
- How to find a map.
- Guide to UO GIS resources.
- Country guides (coming soon)
Starting Your Research
Geography has developed into a multifaceted subject encompassing human, physical, political, and historical geographies. These sources listed below represent both general and specific reference sources for conducting research involving geographic information.
General Geography
- The Dictionary of Human Geography [DOCS REF. GF4 .D52 2000]
- The Dictionary of Physical Geography [DOCS REF. GB 10 .D53 2000]
These are a great place to start your research. In addition to defining terms used in geography, these encyclopedic dictionaries have short articles on theories, methods, and and the history of geography.
Finding Articles
To find articles about topics related to Geography, the following databases and indexes will prove the most useful. You can find out if we have an electronic copy of any article by clicking 
from most databases.
- GeoBase
GeoBase is the best database for finding both physical and human geography articles. - GeoRef
Although mainly a geology database, GeoRef features many physical geography articles.
- All Academic
Includes conference papers from the Association of American Geographers. - Academic Search Premier
This is a general purpose database used in a wide variety of academic disciplines. - Web of Science
The Web of Science is a citation index, meaning that you can see what articles cite each other. This is especially useful to see how 'important' a given article might be. - You may also wish to browse the tables of contents of various geography journals. We have a guide to some of the most important.
Finding BOOKS
- UO Library Catalog
The advanced search page has advice on formulating exact searches. If the book you are looking for is checked out or we do not own it, try hitting the red summit button:
to borrow the book from one of our partner libraries.
- Summit Union Catalog
Summit can also be searched as a standalone catalog. Summit borrowing works only for book materials. If you want to request a journal article, you'll need to fill out an interlibrary loan form. - WorldCat
Worldcat provides access to library catalogs from around the world. Interlibrary loans can be initiated directly inside of WorldCat
People & Organizations
- The Association of American Geographers.
Is the main organization for academic geographers in the United States. The Annals of the AAG and The Professional Geographer are both available online to campus users.
- National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NOAA conducts research and gathers data about the oceans, atmosphere, space, and sun. NOAA produces navigational charts of the United States coasts and waterways. Their National Virtual Database System allows users to search for NOAA products by a variety of methods. - North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS)
NACIS is comprised of specialists from private, academic, and government organizations whose interest lies in facilitating communication in the map information community - Oregon Geographic Names Board
The state's organization that tracks place names and makes recommendations to the USGS on naming.
- United States Geological Survey
The USGS is the leading agency for mapping and conducting geographical research in the United States. - Western Association of Map Libraries (WAML)
WAML represents map collections from the leading academic institutions in the Western United States and Canada. Site contains numerous resources for the map librarian and geography student.
Web Resources
- Columbia Gazetteer of the World
- Geography Departments Worldwide
- Internet Resources in the Earth Sciences
- The Geography Exchange
- GeoSource
- Oddens Bookmarks has over 22,000 links, including extensive listing of journals by subject.
- University of Waterloo Library: Geography Subject Page
- GEONet Names Server
Last Modified: 07/01/2008