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 button in the upper-right hand corner and login with your UWnetid.
Have questions or need research help? Please contact Theresa Mudrock, the history librarian, via email at mudrock@u.washington.edu or Emily Keller, the political science librarian at emkeller@u.washington.edu
Looking for Background Info? Start here.
Encyclopedias and biographical dictionaries provide background information and can be used to identify key people, events and dates which can then be used as search terms for finding additional information. 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. Many also provide a jumpstart on your research by listing related readings. Two searchable collections of encyclopedias are
- Encyclopedia of American cultural & intellectual history -- Suzzallo Reference E169.1 .E624 2001
Looking for Books? Start here.
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 libraries worldwide plus an article database. Best used for topical searches; facilitates requesting books from other libraries.
Looking for Articles? Start here.
Academic articles, those published in scholarly journals, are the bedrock of most academic disciplines. In the field of historical research, they are considered secondary sources. They provide an indepth analysis of narrow topics. Prior to publishing, articles are vetted through a process called peer-review. Most articles include footnotes which can lead you to other material on a topic. Use the following databases to identify articles on your topic. To find the actual article (either in print or electronic), 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.
Multidisciplinary Databases
This is a good general beginning database to find articles on all subjects. Includes some fulltext.
JSTOR is a collection of backissues of 100s of academic journals including more than 40 full-text history-related journals. (Can be also used to find articles published early in the 20th century.) For another collection of searchable electronic journals related to history see
Index to major journals in the sciences, social sciences and humanities. Not fulltext.Specialized Databases
For other specialized databases see the librarian recommendations for each discipline on the Resources by Subject page.
Best database for identifying articles in the field of American and Canadian history. Some fulltext.
Best database for identifying articles and book chapters in the field of literature. Not fulltext.Looking for Primary Sources? Start here.
Using Secondary Sources to Find Primary Sources
One of the quickest ways to identify primary sources (as well as additional secondary sources) on a topic is to scan the footnotes and bibliography of a secondary source such as a book or article. You will have the best luck finding published primary sources such as books, government reports, newspapers and magazines within the UW Libraries. Use the UW Libraries Catalog to determine if we have the primary source. Finding Primary Sources -- Books
The UW Libraries has a strong collection of books that can be considered primary sources for history. These include books written during the period for your topic (i.e., during the 1870s to the present), books written by participants, published collections of correspondence and other personal writings, memoirs and reprints of collections of primary source material. Use the UW Libraries Catalog to search for these materials. Most of the material dealing with the Pacific Northwest, both published and unpublished, is kept in Special Collections.
Finding Primary Sources -- Articles
- Limit your search by publication date.
- Search for books written by key participants and organizations.
- Browse the shelves in the appropriate subject area.
- Use special subject terms that designate primary sources:
sources, personal narratives, diaries, correspondence, interviews- Example:
- vietnam war and veterans and interviews
- civil rights workers and correspondence
- vietnam war and personal narratives
The UW Libraries has a strong collection of magazines, journals and newspapers from the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Newspapers
Newspapers are a primary source providing a first rough draft of events. Newspapers with their advertising, illustrations and editorials are especially useful in getting a feel for life of the time. Since most newspapers are local in scope, there is good coverage of local issues. The UW Libraries has a strong collection of local newspapers.Most of the older newspapers in the UW Libraries are on microfilm with little indexing. Usually you will need to browse through issues of a newspaper to discover it's content.
Newspapers can be found in the Microform and Newspaper Collections (mcnews) on the ground of Suzzallo. The best way to check and see if we have a specific newspaper is to use the card catalog located in mcnews. In addition to microfilmed newspapers, we have digitized versions of some major newspapers going back to the 19th century. For more current newspaper coverage (generally from the 1990s onward) use the databases linked from the News subject page.
Digitized collection of mostly 19th century American newspapers.
Digitized version from 1851 to 2003.
Digitized version from 1881 to 1996.
Digitized version from 1905 to 1975.
Digitized version from 1889 to 1989.
- Magazines
Magazines are similar to newspapers. Popular magazines (news, fashion, sports, etc.) provide a good feel for the period. Unlike newspapers, there is indexing to identify specific articles on topics. Since most magazines are national in scope, there is limited coverage of local topics.Most magazines are kept in Suzzallo Periodicals on the 3rd floor of Suzzallo Library.
- Alternative Press Index - Suzzallo Reference AI3 .A48
Printed index to articles published in alternative publications, dates from 1969 to the present. Also see
The best database for finding 19th century magazine articles. Fulltext. Includes some early 20th century magazines.
Fulltext database to articles from ethnic newspapers and magazines with some coverage back to 1960.
Index to older American and European journals in the humanities and social science fields.
Index to political/economic journals and selected books and government reports from 1915 to the present.
The best database for identifying 20th century American magazines articles. No fulltext.
History Subject Page | Chicago Styleguide | Research 101 tutorial
Images: World War I posters courtesy of the Library of Congress World War I Posters collection and cartoons from British Cartoons Archive.
20 June 2008
