Research

General Research Process Advice

Remember to keep a detailed log or list of your research to be posted as your J5 journal entry

Articles, Databases, and Primary Sources: Begin with the resources in the History Subject Guide at the WSU Library. “US History in Context” or “World History in Context” are both good places to begin (searched together or separately); remember that if it seems like we don’t have an article, check just to be sure in Summon, E-Journal Finder, or Citation Linker. And if we really don’t have it, use “Request Forms” to request a (usually free) PDF to be emailed to you through ILL. Also – while ProQuest Research Library History is good, especially for recent scholarship, be sure to check JSTOR also (remember: we access partial JSTOR through WSU, but full JSTOR through the Boston Public Library for free).

Books and Library Catalog Materials: Explore a comprehensive online academic library catalog (e.g. Harvard’s Hollis or UMassAmherst) to identify recently-published books, noting their assigned Library of Congress subject headings (LOCSH). LOCSH are an important form of scholarly metadata that are standardized across all academic libraries and many scholarly databases and publications, so if you discover the right terminology to use it can unlock much better searching. And if you see a book you’re interested in, check if WSU has it as a paper or ebook; if not, use “Request Forms” to ask for it through ILL. Don’t rely on partial previews of books on Google Books or Amazon, because they’re not full text and you can’t know what you’re unable to see.

Searching on the Open Web: In addition to the links below, you might begin (but do not stop with) a Google search, but search smarter. Try your search term with “primary sources” added to it in the search string. In the results list, note the urls, prioritizing those that are .gov and .edu. If you stumble onto a Wikipedia entry, skip first to the bottom – what sources were used, and are there useful External Links? If a source reprints or excerpts an original source, look for the citation on the original and chase that down to see if the original can be located online.

If you get stuck (or hit a paywall) – ASK FOR HELP. I am available on email and in office hours, and the reference staff are standing by in the library! Don’t pay for content, and don’t struggle alone.

Some basic, good digital resources: – let me know what to add to this list!

Digital Public Library of America (dp.la)
Library of Congress Chronicling America (historic newspapers)
Making of America (Cornell University, 19th century periodicals)
Internet Archive
Native American Studies Library Guide (Michigan State)
Guide to Online Native American Primary Sources (UC San Diego)