Library Instruction for Historical Research
Frederic Murray
MLIS, University of British Columbia
BA, Political Science, University of Iowa
Instructional Services Librarian frederic.murray@swosu.edu

• Teaching &
Learning
• Providing free access to primary sources, building high-quality online teaching modules, and offering instruction on critical thinking skills.

“There are days when the result is so bad that no fewer than five revisions are required. In contrast, when I'm greatly inspired, only four revisions are needed."
--John Kenneth Galbraith

WRITING is essentially
REWRITING…
Boyer, Paul S., and Stephen
Nissenbaum. Salem Possessed; The
Social Origins of Witchcraft .
Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University
Press, 1974 .

• Research Strategies
– Process
– Thesis
– Boolean
– Keyword
– Limiters
– Citation Tracking
– Works Cited
• Resources
– Catalogs
– Bibliographies
– Databases
– Scholarly Journals
– WWW
– Primary Sources
– Secondary Sources
– Tertiary Sources

• GET A TOPIC
• DEVELOP YOUR SEARCH
STRATEGY
• SEARCH AND READ
• WRITE YOUR PAPER, SPEECH
PRESENTATION ETC.
• CITE YOUR SOURCES

1. Asks a good historical question
2. Tells how its interpretation connects to previous work by other historians, and
3. Offers a well-organized and persuasive thesis of its own.

• Thesis Statements
– Make an assertion
– Take a stand
– Explain what you’re going to write about
– Are narrow and specific
– Have one main point
• Think about questions your research might help you answer.
• State your topic as a question first, then revise it to be a statement.

• Think of your thesis as answering a question
• Have your thesis answer a "how" or
"why" question, rather than a "what" question
• “what” leads to mere description
• “how” & “why” leads to critical analysis

Exercise II)
1. Is specific
2. Addresses a potential contradiction and is arguable
3. Provides a logical way to structure the argument

• AND = Narrow • NOT = Exclude
• OR = Expand

- Correspondence
- Sources
- Diaries
- Interviews
- “Literary collections”
- “Personal narratives” “
- “Pictorial works”
- Posters
- Songs/Music
- Speeches, addresses, etc.
- Treaties
Tell the
Catalog/Database/SE what you seek:
Specifically!

Civil War and Diaries
Civil War and Sources
Civil War and Correspondence
WORKS FOR CATALOG/DATABASES/SE

Civil War and History
Civil War and ?
Civil War and ?

• Remember* Catalog defaults to relevance search
• Remember* Use a Keyword search and Boolean to help limit results
• Remember* Use Limiters to narrow your search.
• Remember* Use Subject links to focus on your topic.

• Meta search engine for online catalogs of libraries all over the world. Search for any book using a geographic location for the closest sources.
• Over 9000 libraries combined.
• If you find it in WorldCat , and it's not in our library, we can get it through
ILL.
• CREATE A USER ACCOUNT

• 24/7
• Full Text Searching*
• Highlight Markup
• Note Taking
• Changeable Font Size
• Multiplicity of Use
• CREATE A BOOKSHELF

- Correspondence
- Sources
- Diaries
- Interviews
- “Literary collections”
- “Personal narratives”
- “Pictorial works”
- Posters
- Songs/Music
- Speeches, addresses, etc.
- Treaties
Tell the
Catalog/Database what you seek:
Specifically!

Civil War and Diaries
Civil War and Sources
Civil War and Correspondence
In Open WorldCat this is a Gold Mine!

Topic: Russian Revolution
Try to find a Primary Source

• Books/Bibliographies
• Journal Articles
• Primary Documents
– Print documents and manuscripts
– First person accounts in newspapers
– Online digital collections
• CITATIONS

• Bibliographies
– Annotated
– National
– Subject
Traditional Reference Tools used to find sources.
• Indexes
– An open-end finding guide to the literature of an academic field or discipline.
• Abstracts
– A brief, objective representation of the essential content of a book, article, speech, report, dissertation.

“Civil War” and Bibliographies
“Civil War” and Indexes
“Civil War” and Abstracts
WORKS FOR CATALOG/DATABASES/WEB

• History Resource Center: United States
• History Resource Center: World
• New York Times, 1851–2004
• JSTOR Journal Archive/Project Muse
Use Advanced Search: Boolean/
Keywords/Limiters
• Oklahoma Historical Society
• OSU Library Electronic Publishing Center

• Title
• Author
• Source
• Date
• Abstract
• Full Text
• Subject/Keyword
Databases can be searched using any combination of the field headings.

• JSTOR is a full-text scholarly journal archive. JSTOR specializes in making available the back issues of journals in a wide variety of humanities and social science disciplines.

• Project Muse contains the full text of over 40 Johns Hopkins Press scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences

Shriver Jr., Donald W. “ Bosnia in Fear and
Hope .” World Policy Journal;
Summer2001, Vol. 18 Issue 2, p43, 11p
Formats: PDF (Portable Document Format)
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

Shriver Jr., Donald W.
“ Bosnia in Fear and
Hope.”
World Policy Journal;
Summer2001, Vol. 18
Issue 2, p43, 11p
PDF / HTML
Stacks

Shriver Jr., Donald W. “ Bosnia in Fear and
Hope .” World Policy Journal;
Summer2001, Vol. 18 Issue 2, p43, 11p

Topic: Tulsa Race Riot

POPULAR MAGAZINES SCHOLARLY JOURNALS
COME IN MANY FORMATS, BUT
USUALLY SOMEWHAT SLICK
AND ATTRACTIVE IN
APPEARANCE
RARELY CITE SOURCES. INFO. IS
USUALLY SECONDARY,
REPORTED FROM SOURCE
ARTICLES SHORT, WRITTEN IN
SIMPLE LANGUAGE AND FOR A
MINIMAL EDUCATION LEVEL
USUALLY LOT OF ADVERTISING
AND PICTURES
PAGINATION RESTARTS IN EVERY
ISSUE
HAVE A SOBER, SERIOUS LOOK
ALWAYS CITE THEIR SOURCES IN
FOOTNOTES/BIBLIOGRAPHIES
ARTICLES WRITTEN BY A
SCHOLAR OR RESEARCHER
“HORSE’S MOUTH”
PEER-REVIEWED BY SCHOLARS
LANGUAGE OF JOURNAL ASSUMES
SOME SCHOLARLY
BACKGROUND ON THE PART
OF READER
ADVERTISING IS SPECIALIZED TO
THAT DISCIPLINE
PAGINATION IS CUMULATIVE

• Global source for periodicals since 1932.
• Bibliographic database providing authoritative information on serials published throughout the world.
Exercise VII:
What Makes a Journal Scholarly

• Primary sources are original records created at the time historical events occurred or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories.
– Print documents and manuscripts
– First person accounts in newspapers
– Online digital collections
National Archives &
Records Administration

PRIMARY SECONDARY TERTIARY
DEFINITIONS
TIMING OF PUBLICATION
CYCLE
Sources that contain raw, original, non interpreted and unevaluated information.
Primary sources tend to come first in the publication cycle.
Sources that digest, analyze, evaluate and interpret the information contained within primary sources. They tend to be argumentative.
Sources that compile, analyze, and digest secondary sources. They tend to be factual.
Secondary sources tend to come second in the publication cycle.
Tertiary sources tend to come last in the publication cycle.
FORMATS--depends on the kind of analysis being conducted.
Often newspapers, weekly and monthly-produced magazines; letters, diaries.
Often scholarly periodicals and books. (Professors like these.)
Often reference books.
EXAMPLE: Historian (studying the Vietnam War)
Newspaper articles, weekly news magazines, monthly magazines, diaries, correspondence, diplomatic records.
Articles in scholarly journals analyzing the war, possibly footnoting primary documents; books analyzing the war.
Historical Dictionary of
Vietnam ; The Vietnam
War, An Almanac

• TWO PARTS
• Primary
• Secondary
• Be sure to divide your sources into primary and secondary.

•
•
Library of Congress
An outstanding and invaluable site for American history and general studies. Contains primary and secondary documents, exhibits, map collections, prints and photographs, sound recordings, and motion pictures.
The LOC's American Memory Historical Collections, a must-see, contain the bulk of digitalized materials, but the Exhibitions Gallery is enticing and informative as well.
National Archives and Records Administration
The NARA offers federal archives, exhibits, classroom resources, census records, Hot Topics, and more. The
Online Exhibit Hall has features on the New Deal, WWII, and photographs from 1864 to 1921.

• American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library
• Avalon Project: Documents in Law,
History and Diplomacy
• Making of America: 19th c. books and magazines

• The Internet History Sourcebooks
– The Internet History Sourcebooks are collections of public domain and copypermitted historical texts. The Sourcebooks include an Ancient History Sourcebook, a
Medieval Sourcebook, and a Modern
History Sourcebook, as well as assorted other Sourcebooks on topics such as
Women's history, Islamic history, and East
Asian history.

• Chronicles of Oklahoma
– The first 40 volumes of the Oklahoma Historical Society's journal, digitized by
Oklahoma State University.
• Eastern Oklahoma County Regional History Center
– This project of Rose State College was established to preserve the unique history of the communities of Eastern Oklahoma County, including Tinker Air Force Base, and to promote the understanding of the importance of the region to the State of
Oklahoma, the southwestern region of states, and the United States. Collections include oral histories and historic photographs of Tinker Air Force Base.
• Oklahoma Crossroads
– Oklahoma Crossroads: Documents and Images consists of selected digital collections of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries spanning more than 100 years of rich, vibrant history. These collections include documents, photographs, newspapers, reports, pamphlets, posters, maps, and an author database ranging in date from the late 1800s to present.
• Western History Digital Collections
– The Western History Collection is a special collection within the University of
Oklahoma Libraries system. Its purpose is to enhance the University Libraries general collection on the history of the American West; to support the research and teaching programs of the University of Oklahoma; and to provide opportunities for research through the acquisition, preservation, and access of materials relating to the development of the Trans-Mississippi West and Native American cultures.
• OSU Library Electronic Publishing Center

- Correspondence
- Sources
- Diaries
- Interviews
- “Literary collections”
- “Personal narratives”
- “Pictorial works”
- Posters
- Songs/Music
- Speeches, addresses, etc.
- Treaties
Tell the Webpage what you seek:
Specifically!

• Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. Search across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.

• Works best for citations
• Restrictions to Content
– Fee-based
– Often your Library already owns material
– We’re working on improving access

Wiki:
A Web application that allows users to add content to a collaborative hypertext Web resource
(coauthoring), as in an Internet forum, and permits others to edit that content (open editing).

• Jimmy Wales January 15, 2001
• No Original Research
• NPOV (Neutral point of view)
• No owners, multiple anonymous authors
• Anyone with Internet access can create or edit an entry…Anyone

• Participation maps popular, not academic concerns
• It is a working community…but is it a good historical resource?
• Lack of Critical Analysis
• Problematic as a sole source of information
• Like all encyclopedias…ok to start, terrible place to stop.
• Benefits are to its active participants, not its readers.
• Anyone can edit a page…..Anyone

• A site listing pages in Wikipedia which are receiving the most edits per unique editor over various periods of time.
• Wikipedia is a disruptive tertiary information source.

PRIMARY SECONDARY TERTIARY
DEFINITIONS
TIMING OF PUBLICATION
CYCLE
Sources that contain raw, original, non interpreted and unevaluated information.
Primary sources tend to come first in the publication cycle.
Sources that digest, analyze, evaluate and interpret the information contained within primary sources. They tend to be argumentative.
Sources that compile, analyze, and digest secondary sources. They tend to be factual.
Secondary sources tend to come second in the publication cycle.
Tertiary sources tend to come last in the publication cycle.
FORMATS--depends on the kind of analysis being conducted.
Often newspapers, weekly and monthly-produced magazines; letters, diaries.
Often scholarly periodicals and books. (Professors like these.)
Often reference books.
EXAMPLE: Historian (studying the Vietnam War)
Newspaper articles, weekly news magazines, monthly magazines, diaries, correspondence, diplomatic records.
Articles in scholarly journals analyzing the war, possibly footnoting primary documents; books analyzing the war.
Historical Dictionary of
Vietnam ; The Vietnam
War, An Almanac

Archives and Manuscript Collections - [ New Window ] - This is a selective guide to finding archives and manuscript collections. It includes catalogs and finding aids at Columbia, as well as national catalogs and databases. It also includes a list of national archives and libraries, college and university collections, and historical society archives.
Footnote - [ New Window ] - Search for original historical documents online.
Gateway to Resources and Information on Preservation - GRIP - [ New Window ] - GRIP is a a fully searchable database of information on preservation of the documentary heritage. It contains selected and annotated references to literature on preservation-related topics, links to websites, projects, organizations and discussion groups. GRIP presents a core of accessible and recent materials selected by experts and provides an introduction to a great many aspects of preservation. The database can be searched by category, keywords (descriptors) and free search.
Histor eSearch.com
- [ New Window ] - History research resource links for high school and college students.
History Buff - [ New Window ] - Provides a searchable library of historical information.
History Guide - [ New Window ] - An Internet-based subject gateway to scholarly relevant information in history with a focus on Anglo-American history and the history of Central and Western Europe.
Internet Modern History Sourcebook - [ New Window ] - Directory of modern history resources.
Repositories of Primary Sources - [ New Window ] - A listing of over 5000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar. All links have been tested for correctness and appropriateness.
UNESCO Archives Portal - [ New Window ] - The UNESCO Archives Portal gives access to websites of archival institutions around the world. It is also a gateway to resources related to records and archives management and to international co-operation in this area.
WTJ Portal - [ New Window ] - Directory of online military resources for researchers, hobbyists, military professionals and all others with an interest in military history, science and defense. The directory is composed entirely of sites relating to the active prosecution of warfare and military issues.
WWW Virtual Library: Labour and Business History - [ New Window ] - Links to organizations, archives, libraries, museums, research institutions and resources around the world in the field of labour and business history.

• Works Cited Page
• Divide into Primary/Secondary !
• NO ENCYCLOPEDIAS !
• 20% of your grade is based on critiquing your fellow classmates

• Stress analysis: Do not simply parrot your sources i.e. “radical leaders” “Marxist
Professors.”
• Who says they are radical? Marxist?
• Watch your assumptions.
• Do your own analysis.

• And finally……
• Professor Bromert hates “felt.”
• Example: President Kennedy felt he had no choice but to invade Cuba.
• How can anyone know what the President felt & who cares anyway.

• Writing Center
– Located in the basement of the library
– Call for appointment #774-7083
• Turabian Style
– Style Sheets
– Turabian Handbook at Reference &
Circulation Desk

• Contact me:
• Frederic Murray
• 774-7113
• frederic.murray@swosu.edu
• http://faculty.swosu.edu/frederic.murray/

• Exercise I: Research Puzzle
• Exercise II: Thesis
• Exercise III: Class - Keywords
• Exercise IV: Catalog/WorldCat
• Exercise V & VI: Periodical/Database
• Exercise VII: Scholarly Tutorial