Scope

This Research Guide includes sources dealing with the definitions of death, attitudes towards death, grief and mourning, funerals, and life after death studies. Also see the Research Guides Suicide and Euthanasia.

Overview

Encyclopedia of Death and Dying
College Library Reference Collection: HQ 1073 E543 2001

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 1992 (updated daily)
Britannica Online is a searchable collection of authoritative references, including Britannica's latest encyclopedia articles. Basic instructions for Encyclopædia Britannica Online

Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics
College Library Reference Collection: BJ 63 A66 1998
Refer to "Death, Definition of" in volume 1

Encyclopedia of Bioethics
College Library Reference Collection: QH 332 E52 2004
Refer to "Death" in volume 2

Encyclopedia of Mental Health
College Library Reference Collection: RA 790.5 E53 1998
Refer to "Dying" in volume 2

Encyclopedia of Psychology
College Library Reference Collection: BF 31 E52 2000
Refer to "Death and Dying" in volume 2

Encylopedia of Religion
College Library Reference Collection: BL 31 E46 200F

Encyclopedia of Sociology
College Library Reference Collection: Hm 425 E5 2000
Refer to "Death and Dying" in volume 1

McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
College Library Reference Collection: Q 121 M3 1997
Refer to "Death" in volume 5

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center 1990 - to date (updated daily)
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) includes the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources and provides viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

death and dying
funeral* and (burial* or cremat*) and (cost or expense*)
funeral rites and ceremon* and United States
right to die and terminal* ill*
death and bereavement
near-death experience*
living wills
death and grief and child*

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

CQ Researcher November 1991 - to date (updated weekly)
Contains weekly reports from Congressional Quarterly that cover the most current and controversial issues. Basic instructions for CQ Researcher

Health Source: Consumer Edition 1984 - to date (updated daily)
Provides the full text since 1990 from approximately 280 periodicals covering nutrition, exercize, medical self-care, drugs and alcohol, and much more. Basic instructions for Health Source: Consumer Edition

Humanities Full Text 1984 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 400 scholarly journals on archaeology, classical studies, art, film, folklore, history, journalism, linguistics, literature, music, performing arts, philosophy and religion. Basic instructions for Humanities Full Text

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

Social Sciences Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 415 scholarly journals in economics, politics, public administration, public health, sociology, criminology, environmental and urban studies, psychology and anthropology. Basic instructions for Social Sciences Full Text

More Databases:

Business Source Elite 1984 - to date (updated daily)
Contains a full-text database of more than 900 business journals plus an indexing and abstracting database of approximately 1,570 scholarly and popular journals. The database covers many areas of business including management, economics, finance, banking and accounting. Basic instructions for Business Source Elite

General Science Full Text 1984 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 150 popular and scholarly periodicals, as well as the Science section of the New York Times. Subjects include biology, chemistry, earth sciences, environment, nutrition, genetics, medicine and health. Basic instructions for General Science Full Text

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Dates Vary (updated daily)
Contains the full-text articles from U.S. and international newspapers (including the New York Times, June 1980 - to date), as well as some news and business magazines and trade journals. The truncation symbol is an exclamation point (!). Basic instructions for Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on death and dying can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

"death and dying" and bereavement
"death and dying" and ethic?
"right to die"
"terminal care" and pain
death and funeral? and "United States"
"near-death experience?"

Internet Sites

With Eyes Open
http://www.pbs.org/witheyesopen/
This PBS site is a companion to the program with the same name. It offers resources about mourning, intensive care, caregiving, and the afterlife.

Death and Dying
http://litmed.med.nyu.edu/Keyword?action=listann&id=15
Site is part of a literature, arts and medicine database. It lists works in art, film, and literature which carry themes of death.

The End of Life: Exploring Death in America
http://www.npr.org/programs/death/
"Provided by National Public Radio, it covers a number of issues surrounding the experiences of death and dying in America." (Scout Report)

MedlinePlus: End of Life Issues
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endoflifeissues.html
National Library of Medicine's site provides links to journal articles, the latest news, and a glossary concerning dying and end of life service.

Statistics

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm
Fastats A to Z. Death/Mortality

Statistical Universe 1973 - to date (updated monthly)
Contains the full text of more than 800 U.S. government statistical publications. Lexis-Nexis Statistical Universe is available to UW-Madison registered users.

Videos

Overcoming the Fear of Death: A Conversation with Deepak Chopra
College Library Main Collection: BF 789 D4 C55 1995

An Appointment with Death: A Health Quarterly/Frontline Special
College Library Main Collection: R 726 A6 1994

On our own terms : Moyers on dying
College Library Main Collection: R726.8 O5 2000

Organizations

Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC)
http://www.adec.org/
One of the "oldest interdisciplinary organizations in the field of dying, death and bereavement."

Death with Dignity National Center
http://www.deathwithdignity.org/
A " non-partisan, non-profit organization that has led the  legal defense and education of the Oregon Death with Dignity Law for more than 10 years."

Growth House
http://www.growthhouse.org
San Francisco organization which provides resources for life-threatening illness, end of life care, bereavement and grief, death and dying.