Helen Miller Bailey Library
History 11
This research guide provides a list of resources and strategies which may prove helpful when you need to research materials for your assignments.
The resources covered in this guide will include some that are available through the ELAC Library, and others that are available freely on the Internet. This is only a starting point; for more detailed information come to the library and ask for a consultation at the Reference Desk.
Your research strategy might include some or all of the following:
How do I find an overview or background information about my topic?
Reference sources are a
great place to start a research project. You can use reference sources to
find topic summaries, overviews, and bibliographies for further reading on
your topic. If you haven't decided on a point of view, an overview will help
you focus your research and provide a context. Listed below are a few
encyclopedias available through the ELAC Library:
The A to Z of the Civil War
Reference Stacks (E 468 .J777 2006 Volumes 1-2)
Colonial
Reference Stacks (E 162 .C68 2006 Volumes 1-5)
Encyclopedia of African American history, 1619-1895
Reference Stacks (HD 8066 .H57 2003 ) The Encyclopedia of the American Revolutionary War
:
Reference Stacks (E 208 .E64 2006 Volumes 1-5) Encyclopedia of American history
Reference Stacks (E 174 .E53 2003 Volumes 1-11) The pageant of America : a pictorial history of the
United States
Reference Stacks (E 178.5 .P195 Volumes 1-15)
How do I find books on my topic? If
you want to locate specific books, or books on specific topics try using the
library's online catalog. From the ELAC Library's web
site, click the "Our Library Catalog" link to look for books on
your topic. You can try typing your search words in the text box and clicking
the "words or phrase" button (this is called a keyword Search).
Sometimes this method will bring back too many results, some of which might
be irrelevant. In that case, try doing a "Subject" search. You can
do a Subject search by typing your terms in the text box and clicking the
"Subject" button. If you don't get any results, try using some of
the examples of the Library of Congress Subject Headings listed below:
Try typing some of the following search terms to see what you find:
How do I find journal, magazine, newspaper, and other types of articles on my topic? You can find full-text articles and biographical information by using these electronic databases:
Θ Important note: You will need a special username and password in order to access these databases remotely. Please come to the reference desk at the library to pick up the necessary access codes.
How do I find credible web sources on my topic?
In this section, "web pages" means the "free web"--web sites anyone can access--not web-based research tools like the databases that the library provides. The free web has a lot of great things to offer, but not all the sources found there are appropriate for academic research. How can you determine if the sources you've found are credible? Ask yourself the following questions: · Who created the site? · Can you determine if the author is an expert in the field? · What kind of an audience was the site created for? General adult population? Scientists? 3rd graders? · Can you determine if there is any kind of bias expressed in the site? Is the site trying to sell you a particular point of view? · When was the web page last revised? · What is the date range of the materials covered in the site? · What other resources (print & non-print) are available in this area? · What is the relative value of the web site in comparison to the range of information resources available on this topic? Below
are some credible web sources you can try:
Access written and spoken words, sound recordings, still
and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American
experience. Here one can find Civil War maps, photographs of Native
Americans, documents from the Continental Congress and Constitutional
Convention and other materials that chronicle historical events, people,
places, and ideas that continue to shape
American History: A
Documentary Record
Find the key documents that shaped American History from the 15th to 21st century. Arranged chronologically by century, this site includes land grants, charters, proposals, resolutions, treaties, colonial state constitutions, acts by the British Parliament such as the Stamp Act, the Townshend Act
Includes and high resolution scans of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the bill of rights, and profiles of the founding fathers. An online exhibit focuses on the creation of these charters as well as their impact on westward expansion, the Civil war, immigration and more. From the National Archives.
Designed as an online textbook, this site offers a
multimedia history of the
The American Civil War Homepage This site contains
links Civil War biographies, diaries, maps, images, flags, letters and music.
From the
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Includes letters by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, speeches by Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, documents on slavery, audio podcasts from today’s leading historians, and more. Organized by time period and subject.
Religion and the Founding of the American Republic Find out how
religion influenced American history. Covers European religious persecution,
church reform, and American religious movements. Includes photographs of
How do I get more help finding sources for my topic?
If you feel like you need help getting started, finding more detailed materials, or if you have any questions in general, please feel free to come to the library and ask a reference librarian for help.
Last uptated 09/25/08 JA © Helen Miller Bailey Library
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