History Research

Finding Articles

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To find articles for historical research, use the following databases:

America: History and Life via EBSCOhost
This database is a complete bibliographic reference to the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Published since 1964, the database comprises over 530,000 bibliographic entries for periodicals dating back to 1954. Additional bibliographical entries are constantly added to the databases from editorial projects such as retrospective coverage of journals issues published prior to 1954.

Historical Abstracts via EBSCOhost
Provides a complete bibliographic reference to the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 to the present and currently covers over 1,700 journals published worldwide in over forty languages. The database comprises over 720,000 entries from periodicals, with full-text links to over 135,000 articles and dissertations and masters theses.

JSTOR
This scholarly database includes the full text of many of the core research and society-published journals in history. Please note that coverage dates vary from journal to journal.

The New York Times (Historical) via ProQuest
Offers full-text and full-image articles beginning with the newspaper's first issue in 1851. You can access news, editorials, letters to the editor, obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, historical photos, stock photos and advertisements.

Academic Search Premier via EBSCOhost
It lists articles from a few dozen history journals and contains some full-text articles. Please note that it only covers articles written since about 1990.

 

Finding Books and Films

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Books are still the primary source when it comes to historical research. Niagara University Library has a large collection of history books that cover both U.S. and world history, including biographies, memoirs and narratives.

Women and Social Movements in the United States includes archives, full-text documents, and access to Notable American Women and Commissions on the Status of Women.

The Library also has a collection of educational DVDs on historical topics.

To locate books and DVDs owned by Niagara University Library, use the Library Catalog.

American History in Video provides online access to newsreels, archival footage, public affairs footage, and important documentaries.

Films on Demand provides online access to history films and clips.

If you want to search for items owned by other libraries, too, then try searching WorldCat, a catalog that contains references to more than 57 million items owned by 9,000 libraries worldwide. Don't worry - if you need a book owned by another library, you can request it. To learn how, jump to the section called Obtaining Materials NU Library Does Not Own.

You may also wish to try Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1820. This database contains books, pamphlets, broadsides and other imprints listed in the renowned bibliography by Charles Evans.

 

Finding Facts, Statistics and Web Sites

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The Reference Collection has a good selection of books as well. For example:

  • African American National Biography (Ref E185.96 .A4466 2008)
  • Africana : The Encyclopedia of the African and African-American Experience (Ref DT14 .A37435 2005)
  • American National Biography (Ref E176 .A45 1999)
  • Encyclopedia of American History (Ref E174 .E53 2003)
  • Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture (Ref F1406 .E53 1996)

The Reference Collection is located on the first floor.

Public Opinion and Datasets

Roper Center Public Opinion Data (iPoll)
A comprehensive database of 500,000+ questions and answers asked in the US since 1935. Includes access to datasets.

For historical U.S. statistics try:

Historical Statistics of the United States
The is the standard source for the quantitative facts of American history and covers topics like American Indians, crime, health, poverty and slavery.

You may also want to explore the following history web sites:

 

 

Obtaining Materials NU Library Does Not Own

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If you need an article or a book that NU Library does not own, you can make use of Interlibrary Loan to obtain it.

Tip: In a hurry? If the article or book you need is owned by another library in Western New York, you can visit that library and use their resources on site (view a list of Western New York library web sites).

Please note: If you wish to borrow a book from another Western New York library, you can get an InfoPass card at the Reference Desk.

Citing Your Sources

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Check with your professor first, but the most commonly used style manuals in the History Department are:

  • The Chicago Manual of Style.(Ref LB2369 .C45 2003)
  • A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations / Kate L. Turabian. (Ref LB2369 .T8 2007)

Copies of these manuals are available in the Reference Collection. They are not available online.

You can try a Google search of "Chicago Style or Turabian Style" to see other guides. You will find many sites listed that provide examples of both of these styles. The first few that are listed tend to be reliable, but you will have to be careful.

Tip: Please talk to your professor if you have questions about how to cite your sources.

  • A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations / Kate L. Turabian. (Ref LB2369 .T8 2007)