*History Research Guide*

Library Databases

Types of Databases: eBooks, articles, images, newspapers, videos, primary sources, statistics

Uses: background information, scholarly peer reviewed sources with original research; reference sources from credible publishers

The library subscribes to some history-specific databases, as well as some general subject databases, to help you with your research.

Database Search Strategies

Use these strategies to make your database searches more efficient.

• Always click the Full Text limiter.
• Click the Peer Reviewed limiter if your assignment requires scholarly peer-reviewed sources.
• Use the Date Range limiter to limit your results to a specific date range.
• Search with specific keywords, not questions or sentences.
• Search 2-3 keywords at a time.
• Put phrases in quotes to search it as a complete phrase instead of individual words (such as “Manifest Destiny”) 
• Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT
  • Use AND to search two unrelated terms. (Manifest Destiny AND Oregon border dispute)
  • Use OR to search two similar terms. (Manifest Destiny OR westward expansion)
  • Use NOT to exclude results from your search (Manifest Destiny NOT War of 1812)

Library Catalog

Content: Books, eBooks, videos, articles

Uses: Background information, historical events and perspectives, a comprehensive look at individual historical events.

Print books are located in the library. eBooks are accessed through our eBook databases and are available at any time without a library card. Searching the catalog for eBooks allows you to search many databases at once, instead of searching one database at a time.

You don't have to read an entire book for it to be helpful -- you may only need a chapter or even a paragraph to help you answer your research question!

Searching the Catalog for eBooks

1. Enter your keyword(s) in the catalog's search box (example: Manifest Destiny)
2. Using the filters on the right of your results, click Available Online and Books, then click Apply Filters.
3. Click on title of an online book in the catalog to open the record.
4. Scroll to the View Online section and click the name of the database under Full Text Availability to access the book. (More than one database may be listed.)

In the library catalog, you can find print books as well as eBooks. Enter your keywords and when you have your results, use the limiters on the right and select either Held by Library or Available Online. 

Online materials are found in library databases and available 24/7, most without a library card. To access an eBook, click the title of the book and then click the name of the database where that book is located.

The search box below will start a regular Google search.

This search box will search Google Scholar.