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
History Library Workshop
- 661