A Research Guide

Reference | Library Catalog | Primary Sources | Indexes | Internet Sites
Writing Papers | Citing Sources

Reference Works

Specialized reference works like the ones listed below are very useful for research. All of the titles here are located on the first floor of the Library. Browse around the same areas to find other useful titles.

• American Eras: Development of a Nation
  Reference E 178 .A59 1783-1815
• Dictionary of American History
  Reference E 174 .D52 2003
• Encyclopedia of Cultural and Intellectual History
  Reference E 169.1 .E624 2001
• Encyclopedia of the American West
  Reference F 591 .E485 1996
• Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century
  Reference E 169.1 .E626 2001

Library Catalogs

Use the catalogs below to locate print and audio-visual materials. These are only some suggested subject headings :

And some suggested subheadings:

For example: West (U.S.) -- History -- To 1848

• COD Library Catalog
  Items in the COD Library only.
• I-Share
  Materials at 65 Illinois libraries.
• WorldCat
  A large number of US and some world libraries.

Primary Sources

There are several ways to locate primary sources in the College of DuPage Library.

Some may be found in the Reference Section:

• Annals of America
  Reference E 173 .A793
• Makers of America
  Reference E 173 .M3

There are considerably more primary sources available in the General Collection. To locate them use the College's Library Catalog.

• Do an author search.
  Anything written by a participant would be a primary source. For example, for a primary source about the expedition, look up "Lewis, Meriwether . " as an author and you will find The journals of Captain Meriwether Lewis and Sergeant Ordway; kept on the expedition of Western exploration, 1803-1806 .
• Do a subject search.
  • Primary sources often contain one of these subheadings: sources, personal narratives, diaries, or correspondence. For example, look up "Clark, William " and scan the results for those subheadings.
  • Sometimes primary sources are found in broad collections with or without the subheadings above. Look up a broader heading such as "West ( U. S.) " and limit the search results to "source material" to find some useful collection.

Many of the Internet Sites mentioned below also have collections of primary sources. Using Primary Sources on the Web is an excellent guide to finding and evaluating web-based primary sources.

Indexes

In addition to online indexes specifically for history, many general sources cover the topic well. In many cases, the databases will have the full text article available online. If you are using these databases from off-campus, please be sure to have your library card available.

• History Databases
  • History Study Center
    Primary and secondary sources.
  • Military And Government Collection
    Covers all branches of the government. Sometimes contains primary sources such as hearings
• General Indexes
  • Academic Search Premier (1984-present)
    Indexes over 3,000 journals and magazines; sometimes includes primary sources.
  • Expanded Academic Index (1980-present)
    Indexes over 2500 journals and magazines.
  • JSTOR
    JSTOR is an archive of digitized journal articles ranging in date from the 1700's to the early 2000's. These collections span a variety of subjects in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Physical Sciences.

Internet Sites

The Internet is an excellent place to find primary sources for the study of history. Primary sources are original documents from the time period. These texts are the foundation upon which other studies and interpretations are made. The Internet is also a good place to find images on historical topics. While there are good sites with secondary information, they are often not in enough depth for academic research. It is best to critically evaluate these sites before using them. Some suggested sites include:

• American Journeys: Eyewitness Accounts of Early American Exploration and Settlement: Lewis and Clark Documents.
• Discovering Lewis and Clark
• The First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820
• Historical Maps Online
• Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, 1804 - 2004
• Lewis and Clark: Mapping the West
• Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
• Lewis and Clark: The Maps of Exploration
• Lewis and Clark: The National Bicentennial Exhibition

Writing Papers

Here are some helpful sources to help you research and write papers in history.

• Book Review Tutor
• Dartmouth Writng Program, Materials for Students: Writing the Academic Paper
• The History Handbook
  D 16.2 .B395 2003
• Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: a Guide for College Students
• Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog
• A Short Guide to Writing About History
  D 13 .M294 2002
• Some Tips for Writing History Papers
• A Student's Guide to History
  D 16.3 .B4 1998
• World History Matters
• Writing History: a Guide for Students
  D 16 .S864 1999
• The Writing Tutor

Citing Sources

The MLA format (Modern Language Association) is commonly used to create bibliographies or works cited pages. The sources below may help you.

• MLA List of Works Cited
• NoodleBib
• Using Modern Language Association Format

Professors in other disciplines or professors at other schools may prefer a different citation style. It's always best to ask to be sure what style they would like you to use. For professional writing in the field of history, the Chicago Manual of Style is the preferred citation format. These are some sources to help with that format

• Chicago Manual of Style
  Reference Z 253 .U69 1993
• Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide (Williams College)
• Research and Documentation Online: History

Marianne Berger, Reference Librarian
630-942-2338
berger@cdnet.cod.edu

12 September 2006