HIST 117: Find Sources

Unlike Google, library databases can't understand an entire sentence. You'll need to break your topic down into the most important ideas: the keywords. Keywords are individual words or short phrases that represent the main ideas in your topic, thesis, or research question. 

Example Question: What is the history of the Diego Garcia island as a naval base? 

Keywords: Diego Garcia, island, naval base

After you've identified your main ideas and some keywords to start with, think of additional search terms for each concept. These can be synonyms, related ideas, broader terms, or narrower terms. Since a database will match only what you type, using different terms for similar ideas can help you find more articles. 

Example Search Terms: 

• Diego Garcia: Chagos Archipelago 
• island: territory, ocean territory, atoll
• naval base: naval station, naval facility, military base, marine base

Click on the research issue you're having below to see tips for addressing it:

I'm Not Finding Enough Sources

I'm Finding Too Many Sources

I'm Finding Irrelevant Sources

None of These Tips Solved My Research Issue

Not Finding Enough Sources

• Type the word OR between related search terms to get results containing either term. Put the related search terms in parentheses.
  • Example: island and "Diego Garcia" and ("naval base" or "military base")
  • Example: government and regulate and (internet or "social media")
  
• Use a truncation character (often the asterisk, *, but it can vary by search tool), which is a symbol added to the root of a word to tell the search tool that you want all forms of that word. 
  • Example: elect* will search for elect, election, elector, electoral, electorate, electing, etc.
• Use a wildcard character (often the hash sign, #, but it can vary by search tool), which is a symbol that replaces any character in a word.
  • Example: wom#n will search for woman or women.

Finding Too Many Sources

• Type the word AND between the main ideas in your search to get results containing all ideas.
  • Example: island and  "Diego Garcia" and naval base
  • Example: government and regulate and internet and "free speech"
  

Finding Irrelevant Sources

• Type the word NOT before a search term that you do not want your search results to contain.
  • Example: election not "united states"
  
• Type quotation marks around a specific phrase to get search results that contain only that exact phrase.
  • Example: "social media"
• Use the search tool's filters to target search results that will meet your needs. You'll find filters on the search results screen. The exact location and filtering options varies by search tool.
  • Example: use a publication date filter to find sources published in the last five years.
  • Example: use a source type filter to find only articles or only videos.

If the options above did not help you find useful results, you may want to:

• change your search terms,
• select a different search tool,
• make your topic broader or narrower, or
• get research help from a librarian.

Research Skills & Tips:

After you've selected your search tool, identified keywords, and fixed research issues, it's time to choose your sources. It is common to get more search results than you will use, so you must evaluate the sources you find to choose the best ones for your research.

Start by scanning the search results to locate sources that fit your research question or need. The search results page will include information about each source, such as the title, year, and abstract, to help you determine its relevance.

Once you've found a source you'd like to use, evaluate its credibility by considering the evidence, source, context, audience, purpose, and execution of the source. Learn more on the Evaluate Information and Fake News guide linked below.

Research Skills & Tips:

Scholarly books are nonfiction books usually based on academic research done by the author or authors. They can contain multiple chapters on different aspects of a particular topic, or they can focus entirely on one concept or idea.

When & Why to Use Scholarly Books:

• You need to understand a complex topic. Books are generally easier to read than journal articles.
• You need very in-depth analysis of a topic.
• You need a broad understanding of one or more topics.
• You need a summary of existing research on a topic.

Where to Go in the Library for Books on History:

General books on World History are organized chronologically in the section labeled "D."  World History in the 20th century is covered in the sections D410 to D860.

Books in sections DA - DZ are organized by geography first, then chronologically by time period. 

Books on American history are in the section labeled "E."  American history in the 20th century is in sections E740 to E909.

Browse the library shelves in these call number areas to find materials relating to the history of each region.

D 1 - 2009            History, general
DA 1 - DR 2285   History of Europe
DE 1 - 100            History of the Greco-Roman World
DS 1 - 937            History of Asia
DT 1 - 3415          History of Africa
DU 1 - 950           History of Oceania
E 11 - 143            History of America
F 1 - 975              History of the United States
F 1201 - 3799      History of Latin America

Search for Books and E-Books for HIST 117:

Research Skills & Tips:

Academic articles, sometimes also called journal articles or scholarly articles, are relatively short publications that academic researchers use to communicate new findings and ideas to other scholars. Articles are compiled in scholarly journals, which are essentially academic magazines that come out on a schedule. Many journal articles are peer-reviewed, which means they've gone through a formal review process before being published. 

When & Why to Use Articles:

• You need information based on research and expertise.
• You need detailed information that focuses on a narrow topic.
• You need to find peer-reviewed material or ensure that the information you find is accurate.

Search for Articles and Book Reviews for HIST 117:

Publication Information:

You can find very short reviews (usually one paragraph) in Books in Print, but these are not from scholarly journals. If you cannot find a review anywhere else, sometimes a reference to a review is listed on Title Reviews page in Books in Print.

Reviews from magazines like Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, or School Library Journal are intended for librarians and booksellers that are purchasing books for their library or bookstore.

Investigate the Historical Period in More Sources:

Newspapers are another good source of articles and reviews on current topics. 

Primary sources are original materials from people who have a direct connection with the event being investigated. Examples include speeches, diaries, letters, images, artwork, interviews, music, or other items created during the time of the event. 

When & Why to Use Primary Sources

• Scholarly research should be based on facts and observation. Primary sources bring you into contact with the first­hand accounts of an event.
• Primary sources expose you to multiple perspectives on issues of the past and present. Using primary sources encourages critical thinking and analysis in comparing sources that represent differing points of view.

Subject-Specific Collections:

MC Library has access to streaming videos and audio, as well as DVDs and CDs. Different types of video and audio include documentaries, educational videos, mainstream movies, radio interviews, and podcasts. Additionally, users have access to a variety of images that can be used in their research.

When & Why to Use Videos or Media:

• You need to include an expert's point of view, and a documentary or podcast on your topic includes an interview.
• You're doing a presentation and need to include a visual or audio element.
• You need to learn a concept that is best understood visually.

Search for Videos and Media for HIST 117: