What is historical research?
Every day, history influences our lives. Unresolved issues and ill-resolved circumstances create turbulence and conflict, as well as unexpected opportunities for change in our world. As a student of history, you will be asked to assess the events of the past and their effects on the lives of people and nations past and present through a research paper or perhaps an oral presentation, a poster, or a website.
[You will use] secondary works like books, journals, and magazines [and] primary sources like government documents, oral testimonies, letters, and diaries or the vast array of research material available through the Internet...
The Information Literate Historian by Jenny L. Presnell (2013 p. 1)
Types of materials used in historical research
Vocabulary, Jargon, Lingo, Synonyms—Whatever You Want to Call It
(re-use on individual pages)
Books
Printed, bound pages containing text about a single topic or a variety of topics
A.K.A. monographs, volumes, tomes, titles
Associated words:
Bibliography: A list of books and/or articles on a specific subject
Borrow [a book]: Take a book out of a lending library. Books that circulate can be lent and borrowed.
Book Stacks / Stacks: Shelves where books are stored
Call Number: The address of the book on the shelf. Use in combination with the location and status information in the book's catalog record.
Catalog: The list or database of books and other materials the library owns
Circulate: Books and items that can be borrowed are circulating
Record: The webpage of a book in the catalog
Request / Hold / Page: Ask the library to get and save a book for you to check out
Articles
Articles are generally 2-25 or so pages of text about a very specific topic, and articles compose the content of periodicals, that is, anything published at a periodic interval (daily, monthly, quarterly)
A.K.A. references, citations, sources
Associated words:
Database
Index
Search engine
Journal
Newspaper
Magazine
Periodical
Bibliography
Secondary Sources
e-journals / collections of e-journals
Full text
Primary Sources
Primary sources are anything created during the historical time you are studying that provide an insight into life and human experience at that time.
Associated words:
Diaries
Newspaper articles
Government Documents
Clothing
Photographs
Oral Interviews
New broadcasts
Personal papers
Letters
Websites
The best websites you can use for historical research are those that contain or host primary sources, whether it be in database form, a virtual exhibit form, or other academic and historical presentation. Also use websites that come from Universities, nonprofits, and the government. Online bibliographies and research guides created by scholars and librarians can be extremely helpful. (Like this one!)
Associated words:
Digital collections
Digital library
Digital archive
Online repository
Research guides
Other materials (conference proceedings, dissertations, etc.)
Some other types of information you may encounter are conference proceedings, dissertations, reports, etc. They may need specialized treatment to access and evaluate.
Overview of SCU Library Tools
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