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A Guide for Library
Research in History
This guide provides information on the many different
library materials available to you, some basic tips on how to do research,
and contact information if you need assistance from a librarian. Some
of this information is specific to the Mabee Library, Washburn University,
but many of the ideas and search strategies presented here apply to most
academic libraries.
Help
The reference staff is ready to assist in the use
of the Library's resources and services, in early and continuing consultation
on research projects, in the use of electronic databases, and with computer
searching. The Reference Desk is staffed most of the hours the Library
is open; select here
to see when the Library is open.
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Primary and Secondary Sources
Primary sources are first-hand accounts
created by participants in or witnesses to a particular event in history;
they are contemporary to the event. Articles in newspapers, magazines,
or journals written at the same time as the events may be used as primary
sources, as can the advertisements in those publications. Other examples
of primary sources include diaries, letters, speeches, memoirs, autobiographies,
interviews, tapes and transcripts of Oral History sessions, reports of
congressional hearings, treaties, state or county records, court testimony
and depositions, church records, archaeological artifacts, census records,
raw data, photographs, maps, and certain government publications. Many
government publications are housed at the School of Law Library on campus.
The Mabee Library Archives and Special Collections
contain many primary sources from Washburn University.
- The Washburn University Archives include
records of Lincoln College, Washburn College and Washburn University.
These records include Washburn Presidents' files from 1869 to the present,
Board of Regents minutes, financial reports, student publications, Washburn
publications, faculty and staff publications (articles, papers, etc.),
a large number of clippings, and many photographs. Access to these records
is provided by finding aids and an Archives
Index. These materials are available for use by appointment only.
Contact Martha Imparato, martha.imparato@washburn.edu or 670-1981,
the Special Collections librarian for assistance.
- The Rare Book Collection and Washburn Collection
include rare books, special editions, books by alumni, faculty and staff,
catalogs, yearbooks, student theses, and books about Washburn and Topeka
history. These Special Collections may be searched using the
library catalog. These materials are available for use by appointment
only. Contact Martha Imparato, martha.imparato@washburn.edu or 670-1981,
the Special Collections librarian for assistance.
An off-campus repository of primary sources is
the Kansas State Historical Society. Some of the holdings of the KSHS
may also be searched using the library
catalog. Conduct your search, limit/sort the results by where the
item is located, and choose Historical Society as the location. To retrieve
KSHS resources, you will need to visit the Historical Society, which is
located next to the Kansas History Museum or submit an interlibrary
loan request.
The Topeka Room at the Topeka and Shawnee County
Public Library contains many primary sources about the history of Topeka.
Examples of Primary Sources on the Internet
To find primary sources in
the Mabee Library, try keyword searches of the library
catalog on your subject and include phrases such as:
- personal narratives (example: civil war personal
narratives)
- letters of (example: emily dickinson letters
of)
- sources or historical sources
- documents or historical documents
- diary(ies)
- notebooks
- correspondence
- messages
- oral history(ies)
- manuscript(s)
- addresses
- memoirs
The Library also owns collections of primary sources,
including
- Documents of American History (WU Mabee Reference
E173 .C66 1968),
- Speeches of the American Presidents (WU Mabee
Reference J81.4 .S64 2001), and
- Women's Lives in Medieval Europe: A Sourcebook
(WU Mabee Stacks HQ1143 .W65 1993).
For the full-text of contemporary speeches, check
out Vital Speeches of the Day (WU Mabee Periodicals Lower level)
- Covers 1940 to 2006.
Secondary sources are documents based upon
or derived from primary sources. Examples of secondary sources include
magazine articles, journal articles, encyclopedia articles, reviews, theses,
dissertations, books which interpret or analyze primary sources, and books
which summarize previous research. There are many excellent Web sites
for historians that provide access to secondary sources. However, some
Web sites contain misleading or biased information, shoddy research, and
downright hoaxes. It is essential for researchers to use quality Web sites
and evaluate the contents to make sure the information is scholarly, accurate,
and unbiased. Here
is a guide for evaluating Web sites.
Here are some additional Web sites that provide
access to scholarly content:
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Finding Articles
Journal Articles
Journals are a great source of information on current
topics and lists of references at the end of articles can provide leads
to additional sources. Articles from scholarly journals often provide
the most current and detailed information on a subject. Scholarly journals
are also referred to as peer-reviewed journals or refereed
journals. The articles in a refereed journal are reviewed and evaluated
by experts in the field prior to publication. This process assures the
reader that the content is reliable and timely. The reviewers, or editorial
board, are usually listed in the front of the journal with their organizational
affiliation. Here you can find a research
guide that will help you identify refereed journals. In some electronic
databases, such as Expanded
Academic ASAP, you may limit your search to articles in peer-reviewed
journals.
Journal articles on specific subjects can be found
through specialized indexes. Some indexes include abstracts, or summaries,
of articles. Some indexes are print. Some indexes are electronic; these
are often referred to as electronic databases. Caution: Mabee
Library does not subscribe to all the journals found in these indexes.
Conduct a "periodical title"
search of the library catalog to find out if we subscribe to a journal.
Sometimes the Library subscribes to both the print and electronic versions
of a journal (see
the example).
- Print journals are located on the 1st floor
(lower level) of the library; they are arranged in alphabetical order
by journal title (disregarding a, an, and the at the beginning
of the title). Call 670-1483 if you need assistance on the 1st floor.
To see a list of history periodicals in the Library conduct a "subject"
search of the library catalog for the terms 'history periodicals.'
- Back issues of print journals may also be located
on microfiche cards or microfilm reels. These are housed in cabinets
on the 1st floor (lower level) at the north end. Call 670-1483 if you
need assistance with microfiche or microfilm.
- Electronic journals may be accessed by following
the link provided in the library catalog. Note: Remote users will
be required to enter their name and Washburn ID number. Call 670-1483
if you have problems with remote access to electronic journals.
Listed below are a few of the general and subject
oriented indexes and databases useful in history research. Washburn students,
faculty and staff may access electronic search services from off-campus
by using your Washburn ID number. Call 670-1483 if you have problems with
remote access to the electronic indexes/databases.
- Abstracts
in Anthropology - Find articles from hundreds of journals in the
fields of anthropology, cultural and physical anthropology, and linguistics.
- Academic
Universe Lexis-Nexis - Contains over 5,600 journal titles. Includes
full-text articles.
- America:
History and Life - Find scholarly articles about the history of
the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Indexes
over 2,000 history journals published in some 38 languages. Abstracts
are in English.
- C.R.I.S. : The Combined Retrospective Index
Set to Journals in History, 1838-1974 (WU Mabee Reference D1.A1
C18) - v.1-4. World history (subject index).--v.5-9. United States
history (subject index).--v.10-11. Author index
- Dissertation
Abstracts Online - Dissertation Abstracts Online contains citations
and abstracts since 1861 to theses and doctoral dissertations completed
in the U.S. and Europe. [To locate copies of theses written by Washburn
students, conduct a general subject search in the library catalog for
"Washburn Student Theses and Practicums."]
- Humanities
Index - Find articles about archaeology, food, philosophy, art,
journalism, religion, classics, linguistics, space, film, music, world
history, folklore, performing arts, and world literature. Indexes articles
from 1984 to the present.
- InfoTrac
One File - Thomson Gale's InfoTrac OneFile is a comprehensive periodical
resource that puts more than 39 million database records at researchers'
fingertips. More than 9,200 titles and backfile coverage from 1980 from
mainstream to specialized sources and an intuitive search interface
make this an unequaled source for virtually every popular, business
and professional topic.
- JSTOR
- JSTOR is a full-text archive of scholarly journals. Coverage is usually
from the first issue up until 3-5 years ago.
- Kansas
Library Catalog - The KLC is a catalog of books, journals, and other
materials in Kansas libraries.
- PAIS
Archives and PAIS International - PAIS is a database chronicling
global public policy and social issues. PAIS Archives covers 1915 to
1976. PAIS International covers 1972 to the present.
- PsycINFO
- PsycINFO contains citations and summaries of journal articles, book
chapters, books, and technical reports, as well as citations to dissertations,
all in the field of psychology and psychological aspects of related
disciplines, such as medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education,
pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, anthropology, business, and law.
Covers 1872 to the present.
- Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature
(WU Mabee Reference AI3 .R48) - Find articles in popular magazines,
such as Time, Newsweek, and The Reader's Digest, from
1900 to 2002.
- Recently Published Articles (WU Mabee
Periodicals Lower level) - Find citations to historical articles
grouped by geography or historical time periods. Find articles from
1976 to 1990.
- WorldCat
- WorldCat is a catalog of books, journals, videotapes, Web resources,
and other materials in libraries worldwide. It includes 52 million records
and manuscripts written as early as the 12th century.
- History
Databases by Title - http://www.washburn.edu/mabee/researchTools/elec_dbs.html#history
- Social
Science Databases by Title - http://www.washburn.edu/mabee/researchTools/elec_dbs.html#social
Newspaper Articles
The Library also provides access to newspaper indexes,
back issues of newspapers on microfiche, and back issues of newspapers
on microfilm. These may be viewed and printed (free of charge) using machines
located on the 1st floor (lower level) of the Library. Call 670-1483 if
you have problems with remote access to the electronic newspaper archives.
- Custom
Newspapers - Custom Newspapers is a full text database of over 160
U.S. newspapers and English language foreign papers.
- The
National Newspaper Index - The National Newspaper Index provides
quick access to the indexing of America's top five newspapers in one
seamless search: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian
Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post. Covers 1977
to the present.
- The New York Times Index (WU Mabee
Reference AI21 .N44) - Covers 1913 to February 2005.
- Newspaper
Abstracts - Newspaper Abstracts indexes significant items from over
50 U.S. national and regional newspapers. Covers 1989 to the present.
- The Topeka Capital-Journal (WU Mabee
Microfilm Lower level) - Covers 1980 to November 2005. The most
recent issues may be requested from the Circulation Desk.
- The
Topeka Capital-Journal - Follow the link for electronic access to
the Topeka Capital-Journal.
- The Topeka Daily Capital (WU Mabee Microfilm
Lower level) - Covers 1970 to 1980.
The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library maintains
an index to Topeka papers. Mabee Library does not have an index to Topeka
papers.
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Finding Books
Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
A good starting point for your research is in general
and special encyclopedias, dictionaries or handbooks. These sources provide
an overview of a topic, identify key people and concepts, define unfamiliar
terms, and often include a list of books and articles on a given topic.
They are also good for narrowing down a topic. You may want to browse
the Mabee Library Reference Collection to find titles about historical
research and historical time periods or ask a reference librarian for
assistance. You may want to browse these call numbers:
- D - general world history
- DA-DX - history of individual countries
- E - history of the United States
- F - history of individual states and regions
in the Americas
The Library Catalog
Books are generally not as current as journal articles,
but they provide a more comprehensive coverage of a subject. Search the
library catalog to find books on a
specific subject. You may search by book title, subject, keyword(s), or
a combination of author and title. Subject searching is most effective
when you already know the Library of Congress Subject Heading to use.
Computer terminals are located on all three floors of the library. Call
670-1483 if you need assistance on the 3rd floor.
Books with a
- LOCATION of WU Mabee Stacks are on the
3rd floor. Books are arranged by call number from A to Z.
- LOCATION of WU Mabee Oversize are on
the shelves at the north end of the 3rd floor. Books are arranged by
call number from A to Z.
- LOCATION of WU Mabee Reference are on
the shelves in the middle of the 2nd floor. Books are arranged by call
number from A to Z.
- LOCATION of WU Mabee Koch are in the
Koch Room on the 2nd floor. The Koch Art History Collection is a special
collection, which contains more than 12,000 monographs, exhibition catalogs,
periodical volumes, auction catalogs and ephemera generally covering
the history of visual arts, photography and architecture. Due to the
specialized nature of the collection, the items are available for in-library
use only. Ask a librarian for assistance.
- LOCATION of WU Mabee Washburn Room are
in the Archives and Special Collections Room on the 1st floor. Due to
the specialized nature of the collection, the items are available for
in-library use only. These materials are available for use by appointment
only. Contact Martha Imparato, martha.imparato@washburn.edu or 670-1981,
the archives librarian for assistance.
- LOCATION of WU Mabee Rare Book are in
the Archives and Special Collections Room on the 1st floor. Due to the
specialized nature of the collection, the items are available for in-library
use only. These materials are available for use by appointment only.
Contact Martha Imparato, martha.imparato@washburn.edu or 670-1981,
the archives librarian for assistance.
Here is a complete guide on how
to find books in the Mabee Library.
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Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery
If the Mabee Library does not own or have access
to a particular book or journal, you may request a copy of the article
or the book through Interlibrary Loan; this free service normally
takes 2-7 days. Washburn students and faculty may request books and journal
articles directly from lending libraries using the WorldCat
database. For journal article requests, type the article author, title,
volume, issue number, and page numbers into the "Comments" box
on the request form.
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Citing Your Sources
Style manuals provide the necessary information
for documentation and style in writing research papers and reports. APA,
MLA, Turabian, and Chicago style manuals are located at the Mabee Library
Reference Desk. Some style
guides are available online as well. The History Department uses the
Turabian style guide. Select here
to find a Turabian style guide from the Mabee Library.
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Guides to Historical Research
The following guides provide additional information
and resources on library research in history and writing history papers.
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http://www.washburn.edu/mabee/crc/courses/hn202/
January 2007
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