Welcome!

A Stack of Old Books on Table by Tryfonov, Adobe Education License - Standard Image

The Introduction to Historical Research Guide is designed to help you learn more about conducting research in the field of History.

This guide will introduce and define what primary and secondary sources are, provide research tips, and highlight some databases that these sources can be found in.

Not Sure Where to Start Your Search?

Is it your first time conducting research? Need some help brainstorming search strategies? Are you unsure as to where to start your search for sources? Fear not! The Research and Instruction Librarian team at the Velma K. Waters Library is here to help you with your research needs.

To view the list of Librarians available to help, please visit the Research and Instruction Librarians webpage. There, you can see which subject each Librarian specializes in, and reach out to the one that best fits your research needs. If you are unsure which Librarian to contact, please reach out to us via our Ask A Librarian form, and we will connect you with a Librarian. 

The Library's Role in Historical Research

So, how does the Library fit into your historical research? Why should you use the Library's databases and OneSearch?

As Historians, you can utilize Waters Library to locate both primary (firsthand documentation of information such as diaries, letters, interviews, newspaper articles, photographs, and more) and secondary sources (historians' interpretations and analyses of historical evidence, and often of the primary sources they are working with) by conducting your research in Waters Library's OneSearch and databases. 

Using the Library's databases and OneSearch offers you great advantages while conducting your research:

1. You don't have to pay! Yes, you read that correctly. The Library pays for these databases and OneSearch, so that you can have access to scholarly information. No paywalls for you!
2. The Library's databases and OneSearch have several filter and search options that allow you to limit or expand your search. This means you can conduct your research much more efficiently and effectively!
3. The sources available on the Library's OneSearch and databases are evaluated for authority and accuracy, meaning that they contain scholarly and peer-reviewed articles written by credible authors, such as journalists, researchers and experts in their field. On the Internet, content can be created by anyone, subject expert or not, and there is no knowing if that information was reviewed for accuracy, and can just outright be incorrect or misleading.

Why Not Just Use Google Scholar?

You might be thinking, "Well, why not just use Google Scholar?"

The answer to this often-asked question is that Google does not disclose what journals and online publishers it searches. This means that you as the researcher would not be able to see where Google Scholar is pulling its search results from when you conduct searches in it. Consequently, there is no way of knowing what sources Google is excluding from its search or even how Google selects what sources to search or not search. The issue with this is the bias that occurs with including or excluding certain sources. The search results that you receive are not truly comprehensive or reflective of the subject you are researching.

Note: This is not to discourage you from using Google Scholar altogether! Rather, it is to encourage you to focus on using Waters Library's databases or OneSearch to conduct your research, with Google Scholar acting as a supplement to your main search strategies.

Referenced Sources

The sources below were consulted in the construction of this Research Guide:

Arnold, Nicole. n.d. “Research Guides: History: Home.” Accessed August 26, 2024. https://guides.lib.uci.edu/history/home.
Haahr, Julianne. n.d. “Research Guides: Introduction to Historical Research: Home.” Accessed August 26, 2024. https://researchguides.library.wisc.edu/c.php?g=177946&p=1168950.
UIUC History, Philosophy and Newspaper Library. n.d. “LibGuides: Library Research for Undergraduate History Students: An Introduction: Home.” Accessed August 26, 2024. https://guides.library.illinois.edu/historicalresearch/undergraduate.
UIUC Teaching, Learning, and Academic Support. n.d. “LibGuides: Advanced Library Search Strategies: Home.” Accessed August 28, 2024. https://guides.library.illinois.edu/c.php?g=563215&p=3877580.
UNT Dallas Library. n.d. “UNT Dallas Library: History: Home.” Accessed August 26, 2024. https://library.untdallas.edu/HIST/home.
Mellone, James. n.d. “Research Guides: History Research Guide: Historical Research Introduction (Books, Articles, Etc.).” Accessed August 26, 2024. https://qc-cuny.libguides.com/historyresearch/allhistory.
Rodriguez, Michael. n.d. “LibGuides: Introduction to History Research at MSU: Home.” Accessed August 26, 2024. https://libguides.lib.msu.edu/c.php?g=95455&p=623857.