This webpage provides resources to help you find more information on the themes and topics of the course.

Most of the databases on this page are restricted to UW students, staff and faculty. These are marked with a lock . To connect to these databases from home you will need to first click on the Off-Campus Access link in the upper-right hand corner and login.

Have questions or need research help? Please contact Theresa Mudrock, the history librarian via email at mudrock@u.washington.edu.

Background Sources

Encyclopedias and dictionaries provide background information and can be used to identify key people, events and dates which can then be used as search terms when searching research databases and catalogs. More importantly, because encyclopedias often cover the major issues surrounding the subject, they can help you narrow your research from a broad “who, what, where, when” topic to a “how or why” question. In addition many encyclopedia articles include short bibliographies that will lead you to the major works on the topic.

Cambridge Encyclopedia of Japan      Suzzallo Reference, East Asia -- DS805 .C36 1993 Cambridge History of Japan      Suzzallo Reference, East Asia -- DS835 .C36 1988 Historical dictionary of Osaka and Kyoto      Suzzallo Reference -- DS897.O814 R67 1999 Historical dictionary of Tokyo      Suzzallo Reference -- DS896.1 .C93 1997 Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan

Books

Use the following catalogs to locate books in the UW Libraries and in other libraries around the region, nation and world. Books unavailable at the UW can be requested through Summit (if available at one of the member libraries) or through Interlibrary Loan.

UW Libraries Catalog Use the catalog to find books in the UW Library system as well as to find out if the library has a subscription to a magazine or journal. Summit Use Summit to request books that are not available, or are checked out, from other Northwest academic libraries. Beta Catalog/WorldCat Local Beta version of the catalog that simultaneously searches the UW Libraries Catalog, Summit and OCLC WorldCat plus an article database. Best used for topical searches; facilitates requesting books from other libraries.

Journal Articles

Use research databases to find articles on a topic. Since most databases cover a specific subject area, choose those that best fit your research topic. See Other History-Related Databases for additional options.

To find a copy of the article, use the Check for UW Holdings button available on most databases to locate a copy in the library. If there is no button, search the UW Libraries Catalog for the title of the journal to locate a copy. Be sure to have the complete citation (author, title, journal name, volume, pages and year) of your article.

Articles from journals which the UW does not own can be requested via Interlibrary loan.

Bibliography of Asian Studies Best database to find articles and book chapters dealing with all aspects (and all countries) of Asian studies. Historical Abstracts This is the best database to find articles dealing with modern world history (1450 onward) excluding American and Canadian history. JSTOR JSTOR is a collection back issues of more than 50 full-text history-related journals. For another collection of searchable electronic journals related to history see Project Muse. Both databases include journals such as the Journal of Japanese Studies and Monumenta Nipponica.