The Information Literate Historian: A Research Primer for
Students
Purpose
In these increasingly electronic times, undergraduate history students need to
be more sophisticated than ever about their research methods. The
Information Literate Historian is the only book available designed
specifically to teach students of the information age how to most effectively
select and use sources--secondary, primary and electronic—to investigate
and present their research. Historians are no longer bounded by the
traditional research paper, but must translate those same skills into a new era
of research. “Information Literacy is defined as a set of abilities requiring
individuals to ‘recognize when information is needed and have the ability to
locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information’”1 (Cecelia, this
needs help. Information Literacy is the buzz word in higher ed as well as in
libraries these days. There are lots of convoluded definitions floating
around, but it needs to be in her some way)
Overview
As a reference librarian serving both undergraduate and graduate students in
an increasingly electronic environment, I have seen first-hand the
difficulties they face as they grapple with the breadth and variety of
available historical information. In the past, a solid knowledge of a core of
bibliographic tools was sufficient because the research resources were
primarily available in print, on microform, or at a library. Today, the
information explosion that has resulted from the power of and access to the
Internet has complicated traditional methods of research by heightening
students’ expectations and raising new questions about retrieving, applying,
and presenting information.
The Information Literate Historian is the only guide available that will teach
students how to understand, find, and utilize both traditional and lesstraditional sources in their research and writing. At a time when students as
well as younger faculty are beginning to ask questions about more creative
1
Association of College and Research Libraries. “Information Literacy Defined,”
Information Literacy Standards Toolkit.; available from
http://www.ala.org/acrl/il/toolkit/intro.html; accessed 31 March 31, 2003.
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historical research and its applications, the available textbooks are no longer
adequate. Mainly written by history faculty, these volumes, while
knowledgeable about traditional methods of scholarship, have not yet
incorporated the newer, electronic possibilities which are now a crucial and
central component of students’ lives and education. (can’t exactly say this
see books below) They also generally fail to incorporate new electronic
methods of accessing and presenting primary source materials.
Additionally, these books generally spend more time discussing how to take
notes and construct a paper than how to conduct research. As a librarian, I
am perfectly situated to offer insights into the most effective search
strategies as well as provide concrete solutions and guidelines to today’s
students’ most pressing research-related questions and concerns.
The Information Literate Historian will give students all the tools
necessary, (since I’m not talking about how to construct the traditional
research paper, I think I can’t say this.) …..to select, evaluate and
associtate traditional and non-tradtional sources and research methods. (can
you fix this sentence?)
Audience
Undergraduate students undertaking a research paper, or senior thesis,
primarily in the discipline of history are the primary audience for this book.
However, it will also be used by graduate students who do not have a strong
undergraduate history research background as well as high school students
engaged in history research especially at the advanced placement level..
Additionally, students in other disciplines, both undergraduate and graduate,
who are conducting a research project or writing a thesis with a significant
historical bent would also find this guide very useful.
The Information Literate Historian is the kind of book that history students
will want to have as part of their personal reference library. It will also,
however, take its place as a comprehensive textbook for classes on history
research.
Examples of classes which might use The Information Literate Historian
1) Many universities require senior thesis/papers for graduation.
Miami University calls these classes capstones. Capstones are
conducted like seminar classes and have enrollment of around 15
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in each class. Miami has about 12 classes per year for about 180
students per year. Some examples of capstones:
History 400.2 Senior Capstone: Violence in the United States
History 400N: Senior Capstone: US Youth and Culture
2) Some Universities offer credit courses which teach research skills
to undergraduate history majors
HST 281: Historical Research: Libraries and Beyond
(MiamiUniveristy—Taught by Jenny Presnell) enrollment up to
24
Similar course taught at University of Washington (Seattle)
3) Example of Possible High School Market:
Cincinnati Country Day School (private, college prep) Ap history
class. Librarian talks to their class about using primary sources.
This book could be used as a text. The teacher and librarian would
also find it useful as a teaching tool.
Market and Competition
The books that can be cited as competition for The Information Literate
Historian almost universally lack concrete methodologies for searching for,
selecting, and evaluating primary sources as well as discussions of how and
when to use the Internet. Most have been written by history faculty who are
not up-to-date on the newer techniques of research in the electronic
information age. None discuss the Web page as a new way of delivering
historical research.
Some examples follow:
 Student’s Guide to History. Eighth edition. Jules R. Benjamin.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s 2001. Longstanding text for history
students aimed at the construction of a research paper from research
and notetaking through paper construction.. Benjamin peripherally
touches on many of topics that The Information Literate Historian
would examine in greater detail. He spends several pages exploring
the uses of a catalog and journal articles, whereas my proposed
volume would expand these into longer chapters with more specific
search strategies. His discussion of the internet is basic, again I would
elaboarate and suggest more indept search strategies. His dicussion of
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primary sources is limited to their use in a paper rather than locating
them. He does have a nice bibliography of basic reference resources
but does not explain the types of reference resources (ie.
encyclopedias vs guidebooks vs bibliographies), does not suggest how
to find similar sources not included in his lists, nor does he include
many websites. My text would not include his discussion on writing a
research paper. It has been my experience that each faculty member
has their own style in teaching paper construction. . This book also
has a web component. at:
www.bedforstmartins.com/history/benjamin
 Going To the Sources: a Guide to Historical Research and Writing.
3rd ed. Anthony Brundage. Wheeling, IL: Harlan Davidson, 2002.
Brundage, History professor at California Polytechnic University,
Pomona, has only recently updated his text first published in 1989. It
explores the use of primary sources in historical research from It is
an excellent volume at assisting students in conceptualizing primary
sources and how they behave. However, his methods for searching
for both primary and secondary sources include shelf browsing,
suggest avoiding using subject headings in the online catalog, and
mention of a few basic indexes. None of these strategies are realistic
in this age of information overload. Students must learn to use
technology smartly. He provides few bibliographies of standard
resources for students to begin their research. His bibliographic
suggestions are embedded in the text and difficult for students to
discern without re-reading the text. His discussion of the internet is
periferial and includes a very short list of sites which seem to be
selected at random. He does not discuss how to search the internet for
information. To be fair, the intent of this volume is to integrate
primary sources into the traditional written research paper.
 History: Illustrated Search Strategy and Sources. Elizabeth Frick.
2nd edition. Library Research Guide Series No. 13 Ann Arbor,
Michigan: Pierian Press, 1995, 197pp. Frick, then professor at
Dalhousie University and leader in the library field in bibliographic
instruction couples her unique style of teaching critical thinking with
research technique. Her text concentrates entirely on looking for
secondary sources, using online catalogs and indexes. Although she
does explore topic selection, reference resources and government
documents, she does not explore primary sources in any way, nor
does she provide evaluative skills for selecting secondary sources.

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 )
 Historical Research: A Guide. W. H McDowell. London:
Longman, 2002. 273pp. Geared to a British audience, the text lacks
specific resources, but does discuss research strategy. Concentrates
heavily on the construction of the research paper. Very text heavy.
Electronic Companions
As is the case with many reference books, The Information Literate
Historian would be an obvious candidate for a companion website or
CDROM. Perhaps access to some fee based databases can be arranged with
an access fee to the textbook
Author Biography
Jenny PresnellJenny Presnell is an Information Services Librarian and
Histoy, American Studies, and Women’s Studies Bibliographer at Miami
University in Ohio. Aside from her Master’s in Library Science (1984,
Indiana University), she also has a MA in Histoyr (1991, Xavier University,
Cincinnati, Ohio). She teaches a course to undergraduate History majors
using the ideas contained in this proposal. She has contributed to many
encyclopedias, reviewed books for Library Journal, written articles for the
American National Biography (Oxford University Press, 1999), and is
currently one of the senior assistant editors for the History volume to be
included in the forthcoming set of Best Books For Academic Libraries Vol 4
(Best Books Inc. http://bestbooksfor.com/).
Presentation and Format
The volume will be about 250 pages and will be completed in January
2004.Each chapter will contain an introduction, search strategy, and a list of
resources as well as guidelines on how to use those resources. The chapters
will attempt to strike a balance between text and graphics, providing
examples that are universal enough to speak to a wide range of students with
a variety of different resources. Each chapter will have an website with
suggested class activites, links to websites and other appropriate materials
for further class exploration.. (. Certain chapters would have extensive
bibliographies and a few will include maps and images.
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Chapter Outline
Introduction
The Nature of Historical Discourse, or How Historians Communicate
In general students do not understand how scholars communicate. This
introduction provides a short overview of how materials get into print,
including a very brief and simple look at the editorial process. Also
included is a discussion of how historians can take the same evidence and
come to different conclusions and how history is more interpretive than
students often think.
Part I
Basic Types of Resources
Chapter Two
Historians and Sources
This chapter will discuss the differences between primary and secondary
sources and how historians build their research, using primary sources to
look for trends.. A more lengthy definition of primary sources will be
undertaken in Chapter Seven
Part II
Laying the Foundations: Secondary Sources
Chapter Three
Reference Sources
Every student should have a basic familiarity with both print and online
resources for historical research. Using guides, encyclopedias, association
web sites, biographical information, book reviews, maps, statistics, historical
surveys, chronologies, etc., each type of source will be described and major
examples provided.
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Chapter Four
Finding Books and Using Catalogs
While most libraries today are online, using the electronic catalog effectively
can be as complicated as manipulating the card catalogs of the past. In this
chapter, students will be taught basic search strategies. Included will be a
discussion of the differences between keyword and subject searching and
how to make each effective.. Also discussed will be the differences between
books and journals in terms of currency and breadth of topic and what this
means for the searcher.
Chapter Five
Finding Journal Articles and Using Indexes
This chapter will explore what a periodical index is, how to locate one that is
appropriate for your subject, and how to perform an effective search. Search
strategies that will students think through a topic will be included as well as
a bibliography of the major indexes as well as their available formats (print
and electronic). Additionally, this chapter will help students understand the
difference between journals and magazines (the referee process will be
discussed) and how they differ from writing that appears on the Internet.
Chapter Six
Evaluation of Materials (Jenny, I wonder if this chapter should be included
above in Part I, Basic Types of Resources, as Chapter Three, since it seems
to be a general discussion of identifying and integrating both primary and
secondary materials? What do you think?No, Logically we usually discuss
evaluation of sources in a more concrete form—which would be here. After
chapter three would be before they have located anything to evalute-)
Information Literate historians must be able to select and integrate primary
and secondary materials effectively. Evaluation includes selecting the best
sources to reflect the issues that students wish to highlight while proving
their thesis. It also includes knowing the source of the information, the
credibility of the author, and the accuracy of the text. A list of criteria will be
presented and a discussion of bias, propaganda and the purposes and
intentions of both will be included..
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Part III
Finding and Using the Evidence: Primary Sources
Chapter Seven
The Thrill of Discovery: Primary Sources
Primary sources often present many challenges to the modern student.
Students must learn to think like their ancestors, in terminology that is
foreign to them as well as look for materials in cultures that are organized in
ways unthinkable to their twenty first century mind. (this really needs help).
This chapter will be begin with a thorough discussion of what primary
sources are, how they can be identified, and where they can be found. Infused
throughout the sections below will be specific strategies for helping students
locate, use, and identify primary materials.
*Sources Published for Mass Consumption (Books, Journals,
Magazine Articles)
*Unpublished Sources and Manuscripts
*Business and Corporate Records
*Oral Testimony
*Government and Other Official Bodies Documents
*Public Records and Genealogical Resources
*Media | Audiovisual
*Artifacts
*Special Dilemma: Ancient, Medieval, and Artifacts
Part IV
Historians, The Internet and Non-Traditional Projects
Chapter Eight
Historians and the Internet
With the inception of the American Memory Project (http://memory.loc.gov)
from the Library of Congress, projects such as the Valley of the Shadow
(http://www.iath.virginia.edu/vshadow2/) and the Center for History and the
New Media (http://chmn.gmu.edu/index1.html), a new era of using the
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Internet for the delivery of primary and secondary information for historical
instruction and research was initiated. This chapter will teach students when
the Internet is an appropriate tool for research for both secondary and
primary sources. Students will learn how to search for and evaluate Internet
sites, why scholarly journals are seldom freely available online,what
constitutes a good online collection and how the missing pieces of a
collection can be determined, and what to look out for in terms of bias in
presentations, among other things Websites whose purpose is to deceive will
be highlighted and the “deep web” and hidden information will be
discussed. The “deep web” refers to the areas of the Internet which cannot
be readily searched by typical search engines such as Google. An example
of the “deep web” would be a bibliographic database mounted on a web
site,whether free or fee based. That information is essentially hidden
because Google will not search WITHIN that bibliographic database, only
on the homepage of the database. (Jenny, I think these two terms—deep
web and hidden information need to be explained a bit more clearly).
Further, communication among historians, such as h-net, the cluster of
subject listservs, and its value to research will also be discussed.
Chapter Nine
Maps: From the Simple to the Complex: Using Geographical Information
Systems in Historical Research
There are simple ways for students to use maps to enhance historical
research. This chapter will discuss using maps from an atlas and historical
maps as well as simple ways to create custom maps. Suggestions for how
software and Geographical Information Systems or GIS can be used in
creating a visual, interactive look at a region or phenomenon will also be
provided..
Chapter Ten
The Web Page or the Traditional Research Paper ?
In this new information age, technology affords students with new and
sometimes better ways of presenting their research. This chapter will
explore the web as the means of delivery of their research. Design and
navigation of web site, commonly called “Information Architecture” will be
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discussed. Incorporating multimedia and images with interpretive text
requires different skills than those for traditional paper writing.. Younger
faculty are beginning to explore these options with their students. This
chapter will not teach html or xhtml encoding or text editors such as Front
Page or Dreamweaver
Chapter Eleven
Incorporating Images, Audio, and Moving Pictures into your Research
Visual and audio material can be important and effective components of
historical research. With new technologies, historians are no longer limited
to textual descriptions of an audiovisual medium. This chapter will suggest
ways to find and incorporate multimedia into a web- researched history
project. Software suggestions as well as editing pitfalls will be included. A
bibliography will suggest texts that will help the student enhance his or her
skills.
Conclusion
The conclusion will briefly outline what skills students should be confident
with and what steps they can take if they are interested in pursuing advanced
research.
(Jenny, you just need to provide a few sentences that tell us what conclusion
will address/state)
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