Research guides: Planning: Get started

About this guide

This guide will help students and faculty in the School of Planning navigate the library to meet their learning and research needs by:

linking to relevant databases to find articles
providing information about books, print and electronic
linking to additional resources and collections
showcasing tools that support academic goals and objectives

Find articles lists databases for specific topics, such as:

climate change
urban planners
healthy cities
planning theory
sustainability
transportation

A brief overview of databases on:

how to navigate
what databases contain
some of the functions and benefits

Find books provides information on:

direct link to search the library catalogue
how can I get my books during COVID-19?
how can I find my books?
library catalogue search function
placing holds and recalls
not in the catalogue?
should we order a copy?
on-campus book return bins locations
new books
core texts for the discipline
eReference material
eBooks and eBook collections
questions? Contact me

More resources links to:

library guides
- essential
- subject specific
- topic specific
- for advanced library users
unique collections
- data; statistics
- films
- Geospatial Centre
- Special Collections & Archives (SC&A)
  - Digital library
  - Special Collections / Rare books
publications of selected centres and institutes
- Heritage Resources Centre
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3)
- Southwestern Ontario Research Data Centre (SWORDC)
- Water Institute
- Waterloo Institute for Complexity & Innovation (WICI)
- Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation (WISIR)
- Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE)

The Research toolkit provides an overview of the research process and tips to help with:

academic writing, essays and research papers
help with references, citing your work
bibliometric tools
more than technical skills, soft skills
time management tips
the research process
saving your search strategy
setting up alerts
publishing your work?
need funding?

Access

Library services for Winter 2022

Access to the electronic resources requires your WatIAM credentials. You can login before you start your search from the library's homepage using the 'Get access from anywhere' link, located in the left navigation, or when the system prompts you to enter your credentials. If, for any reason, you encounter any difficulties with gaining access, please contact me directly or library staff through our Ask us service to resolve the issue.

The 2021 Environmental Sustainability Report, prepared by the President's Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability

NEW and TRIAL DATABASES

The Europa World Plus is a new addition to our databases webpage.

Europa World Plus
- Covers political, historical, and economic information on countries, regions, and organizations.
- Coverage: current

For a limited time we have access to the following database as a trial

SciFinder-n until January 31, 2022

Omni: your library catalogue

Current examples of potential research topics:

conversion of land from natural habitats to urban land use
creation, use, and preservation of natural spaces and parks
development of transportation networks and infrastructure
water and air quality
political theory and policy analysis
physical/natural environment
community sustainability
urban design
transportation
housing
social and demographic dimensions
economic development
regional planning
heritage and preservation
health
environmental planning includes:
- biology and ecology
- water and wetlands
- watersheds
- forests and parks
planning as a process includes
- policy-making
- research
- decision-making
- select disciplines in geography, social sciences, and pure and applied sciences
planners help:
- plan and design new communities, and developments within existing communities
- protect the natural environment as well as heritage buildings and neighbourhoods
- improve the existing conditions of urban areas
- create programs and policies that benefit individuals and communities
- assist in the creation, operation, and development of transportation infrastructure and systems - roads, transit, bikes and pedestrian ways - which allow for freight and people movements
- advise city governments and private companies on environmental issues

Need help?

You can email me with your question(s), or book a consultation. Email questions are answered within1-2 business days. Consultations can be booked up to a month in advance and could be up to an hour in length.