Typical questions

• • How can I find recent ethnographies?

• • Are there any films about the Yoruba?

Starting points

• • Anthropology is divided into a number of sub-fields: physical anthropology (which focuses on the study of human populations, often using biology or evolutionary theory) and social or cultural anthropology (which focuses upon the study of culture). These are quite different fields of study. Therefore it is always wise to ask what the student is interested in!

• • Social Anthropology is often associated with ethnography. This is a method of qualitative research. Researchers undertake fieldwork where they participate and/or observe their subjects in their real environment. It is also a term used to describe anthropological monographs and films.

• • Requests for lists of ethnographies are common from students. However, searches for the keyword ethnography may not be exhaustive as many databases only retrieve from the title and abstract. More extensive lists can often be retrieved from the websites of the main professional organisations.

• • Many social anthropologists focus upon particular regions of the world. Therefore, they will also be interested in using the broader geographical- based resources designed for area studies specialists. Further information on these can be found in the African Studies, Asian Studies, Latin American, Middle East and East European Studies chapters.

Recommended resources

Key organisations

Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland

www.therai.org.uk

Major scholarly association, dedicated to all aspects of physical and social anthropology. Its website is a key starting point for tracing new research and forthcoming events. It also has links to a detailed listing of ethnographic films, its library catalogue and the Anthropological Index to Journal Articles that it produces.

Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth (ASA)

www.theasa.org

Founded in 1946, a key professional body supporting the teaching and research of social anthropology. Its website includes events, publications and some free online articles.

American Anthropological Association (AAA)

www.americananthro.org

World's largest professional anthropology body, supporting over 20 key journals and numerous special interest groups. Its serials are available on subscription as an e-journal database called AnthroSource (anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley. com). The website includes career information for practising anthropologists, an extensive directory of courses, plus news, podcasts and blogs covering all aspects of research.