Title Text
HIST
Library Workshop
Me, your librarian
Finding and evaluating information
John Dingle
Help with....
Refining a research topic
Managing and citing sources
- Library spaces
- Library research tools
- Search strategy and techniques
- Finding primary sources
- Managing your sources
Today:
Library Spaces
Map, Data, & GIS Library
Makerspace and Digital Scholarship Lab
Archives & Special Collections
James A. Gibson Library
Library Research Tools
Broadest search
Get to know the filters
Ask Button for help
SuperSearch - tips for history
- Use advanced search
- Put 'history' in SU Subject Terms
Books and ebooks
Good way to find related books
Subject-specific search engines
Find under "Research" tab
Databases
-
Historical Abstracts
- world history
-
America: History and Life
- history of North America
-
JSTOR
- multidisciplinary
- Primary Source databases
Search Strategy
1. Search techniques and keywords
2. Finding related items with subject headings
Activity
Go to SuperSearch
With a partner, compare the results of each pair of searches.
Which returns more results? Can you explain the difference?
1. colonial america VS "colonial america"
2. canad* VS canada
3. indigenous OR native VS indigenous AND native
Techniques
- Use quotation marks for phrase searches: “colonial america”
-
Use truncation for variant word endings: child* retrieves child, children, childhood, childlike, childish
-
Use OR for synonyms: indigenous OR native
-
Use AND to combine two different concepts: slaves AND missionaries
Example
Subject Headings
Subject headings are a powerful way to find related items
Troubleshooting
You are searching in SuperSearch and finding most results coming back from another discipline. (e.g. Psychology or Medicine)
What could you do?
Troubleshooting
You are finding it difficult to get ANY articles or books on your topic.
What could you do?
Primary sources
- Published collections
- Primary source databases
Primary source collections
Add one of the following terms to your search in SuperSearch or the catalogue. They work best when you add them to an "SU Subject Terms" box:
- personal narratives
- sources ***
- diaries
- letters
- correspondence
- interviews
Primary sources
Primary Source Databases
Help > History Research Guide > Primary Sources
Research > Databases > History
Globe & Mail
Managing your sources
Zotero
- Add sources as you find them
- Store, organize, take notes on them
- Generate and format citations in Chicago style
Research Guide
Research Help
Thank you!
Questions?
History Library Workshop
By jdingle
