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Welcome to the History Student Research Guide for the University of Alabama Libraries!
You can find primary and secondary sources through this guide, as well as answers to common questions about historical research and the UA Libraries. You can access most of the resources from an off campus computer if you are a current student, staff, or faculty of The University of Alabama.
Depending on your topic, you may also wish to consult research guides for other areas in addition to this history guide. The UA Libraries offer guides for related subjects like gender & women's studies, religious studies, classics, American Studies, and Latin American Studies that might also help you.
The Department of History's home page is at http://www.as.ua.edu/history/new/html/mstatement.html. The University Libraries' home page is at http://www.lib.ua.edu/.
Please feel free to ask for help with your research at any time:
- You can email , History Reference Librarian, for a one-on-one research consultation in the Gorgas Library.
- You can connect to the Libraries' online live reference and email service at Ask A Librarian.
- You can come to the Information Desk on the first floor of Gorgas Library or call (205) 348-6047.
SOURCES FOR YOUR PAPERS:
GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT HISTORICAL RESEARCH:
- What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?
- What should I look for when reading primary sources?
- How do I write a history research paper?
- How do I format my paper and cite sources in Turabian or Chicago Style?
- What are some guidelines for avoiding plagiarism?
GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT UA LIBRARIES:
- When is the Gorgas Library open?
- What if I have trouble accessing the library's electronic resources from my home computer?
- How can I find a reserve item for one of my history courses?
- What if I need to design a web page, check out cameras for a field trip, or do some other multimedia project?
- How long can I check out books and other materials?
- How can I recheck books from my home computer?
- How can I obtain a book or article that UA does not have?
- How do I perform searches in the library's electronic resources?
WRITER'S SHELF:
- The Elements of Style--by William Strunk Jr., is a highly recommended guide to grammar.
- Turabian/Chicago--a set of web sites about citing sources and formatting your paper.
- Oxford English Dictionary--the largest dictionary of the English language, includes the formal vocabulary as well as the slang of earlier historical periods.
- Oxford Reference Online Premium--search hundreds of scholarly encyclopedias at the same time for a concise essay and mini-bibliography on your topic.
- Thesaurus.com--excellent quick reference, includes synonyms from Roget's.
- Infoplease.com--a good free almanac
S Secondary Sources
Secondary sources are materials created by a person who was not at the event but who analyzed or commented on primary sources at a later time. Secondary sources include scholarly journals articles, books, conference proceedings, dissertations, and class lectures. Secondary sources usually have bibliographies of primary sources, a formal writing style, and a critical approach. They provide a framework for your interpretation of primary sources.
This section lists resources that you can use to find secondary books, articles, web sites, and dissertations. If you would like to search multiple resources at the same time, try using Extreme Search.
You can use the Libraries' Catalog to find books at UA. However, you can also use WorldCat and Google Books to search for books outside of UA.
Libraries Catalog--Use the online catalog to locate book and journal holdings for all of the University Libraries. Please note the Hoole Special Collection contains many materials that are not cataloged.
WorldCat--searches the catalogs of thousands of Libraries across the United States. You can use Interlibrary Loan to order many books that are not available at UA.
Google Books--find citations to thousands of online books. Some charge a fee, but others are fully available online for free.
Questions?
- "How can I improve my book searches?"
Use the Crimson Navigate tutorial.- I have the call numbers for the books that I want at Gorgas Library. Now, how do I find them in the Library?"
Use the Map to locate the Gorgas Library (or other libraries on campus).
Then, use the How To Read Call Numbers tutorial (requires headphones or speakers) to learn how to navigate the Gorgas Library.Secondary Articles for American History:
- Academic Search Premier -Very useful for starting an article search. Contain citations and full-text entries from hundreds of scholarly and popular periodicals.
- America: History and Life-the premier database for secondary sources in American history.
- American National Biography Online-this database offers biographical essays on famous American figures. It also gives you a short list of primary sources on that person.
- Black Studies Center-offers primary and secondary sources on African-American history.
- Google Scholar--University of Alabama's portal for Google Scholar. Google Scholar is a special part of Google that only finds scholarly articles. As a UA student, you can access the texts of many of these articles by clicking the links that say "Full-Text @ UAlabama".
- JSTOR-contains thousands of articles from key journals in history, political science, sociology, women's studies, and African-American studies.
- HeinOnline--full-text of legal periodical articles.
- Please see also the guides for American Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, and Religious Studies.
Secondary Articles For European, British, or Russian History (including ancient, medieval, Renaissance, Early Modern Period, Modern Periods):
- ABSEES Online-over 36,000 records covering articles, books, book chapters, book reviews, dissertations, and selected government publications on East-Central Europe and the former Soviet Union published in the United States and Canada.
- Academic Search Premier-Very useful for starting an article search. Contain citations and full-text entries from hundreds of scholarly and popular periodicals.
- Année Philologique-scholarly material about Greco-Roman language, literature, archaeology, history, law, science, and philosophy from prehistory to 800 A.D.
- AnthroSource—index to anthropological periodicals, useful for studying ancient societies.
- Brepolis Medieval Bibliographies-a cluster of databases for medieval studies. International Medieval Bibliography Online - a leading bibliography of the Middle Ages. Interdisciplinary coverage of the European Middle Ages (c. 400-1500 A.D.) Some coverage of the Middle East and North Africa (c. 400-1500 A.D.). Comprises 300,000 articles derived from regular coverage of 4500 periodicals and 5000 miscellany volumes.
- Dictionary of National Biography-offers biographical essays on famous British figures. It also gives you a short list of sources on that person.
- eHRAF Collection of Archaeology--especially useful for studying ancient societies.
- Google Scholar--University of Alabama's portal for Google Scholar. Google Scholar is a special part of Google that only finds scholarly articles. As a UA student, you can access the texts of many of these articles by clicking the links that say "Full-Text @ UAlabama".
- Historical Abstracts--the premier database for secondary sources in world history. Offers many specialized and local journals that you won't' find in JSTOR or other databases.
- Iter-includes literature pertaining to the Middle Ages and Renaissance (400-1700).
- JSTOR-contains thousands of articles from key journals in history, political science, sociology, women's studies, American Studies, and African-American studies.
- Patrologia Latina-contains the full text of the writings of the Latin Church Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers from Tertullian in ca. 200 A.D. to the death of Pope Innocent III in 1216.
- Royal Historical Society Bibliography- an outstanding resource for British history, this database offers nearly 433,000 citations drawn from 590 journals in addition to books and other sources. Many of the citations come from premier bibliographies created by the Royal Historical Society, Oxford University Press, the British Library, Irish Online, and London Past Online.
- Please see also the guide for Classics.
Secondary Articles For Asian History:
- Academic Search Premier-Very useful for starting an article search. Contain citations and full-text entries from hundreds of scholarly and popular periodicals.
- Bibliography of Asian Studies-principally western-language articles and book chapters on all parts of Asia.
- Google Scholar--University of Alabama's portal for Google Scholar. Google Scholar is a special part of Google that only finds scholarly articles. As a UA student, you can access the texts of many of these articles by clicking the links that say "Full-Text @ UAlabama".
- Historical Abstracts--the premier database for secondary sources in world history.
- JSTOR-contains thousands of articles from key journals in history and Asian Studies.
Secondary Articles For African History:
- Academic Search Premier-Very useful for starting an article search. Contain citations and full-text entries from hundreds of scholarly and popular periodicals.
- African Journals Online--a repository of African research journals related to history and several other fields.
- African Women's Bibliographic Database--"everything the compiler can find published in English about African women."
- AnthroSource-index to anthropological periodicals.
- Black Studies Center--offers primary and secondary sources on African-American history, including the Schomburg Collection.
- eHRAF World Cultures--essays focused on specific nations and tribes.
- Google Scholar--University of Alabama's portal for Google Scholar. Google Scholar is a special part of Google that only finds scholarly articles. As a UA student, you can access the texts of many of these articles by clicking the links that say "Full-Text @ UAlabama".
- Historical Abstracts--the premier database for secondary sources in world history.
- JSTOR-contains thousands of articles from key journals in history, political science, sociology, women's studies, and African studies.
- World History Archives--African Section--offers materials related to African development and social progress.
Secondary Articles For Latin American History:
- Academic Search Premier-Very useful for starting an article search. Contain citations and full-text entries from hundreds of scholarly and popular periodicals.
- AnthroSource—index to anthropological journals. Useful for studying Native American societies.
- Google Scholar--University of Alabama's portal for Google Scholar. Google Scholar is a special part of Google that only finds scholarly articles. As a UA student, you can access the texts of many of these articles by clicking the links that say "Full-Text @ UAlabama".
- Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS)--the single most valuable resource for citations appearing in journals, as well as chapters in edited volumes, books, and some government documents. Useful scholarly annotations accompany citations. Essays for each discipline identify principal works and research trends. Topical and geographic subdivisions. A project of the Hispanic Division, Library of Congress.
- Historical Abstracts--the premier database for secondary sources in world history. Most of the articles are not full-text.
- JSTOR-contains thousands of full-text articles from key journals in history and Latin American Studies.
- Latin American Network Information Center--University of Texas site that offers links to a variety of scholarly materials.
- Please see also the Latin American Studies subject guide.
- How can I learn a step-by-step process for finding articles?
Use the Crimson Navigate tutorial.- I think I understand how to find articles, but can you give me some tips for improving my searches?
Try the Boolean Searching and Truncation tutorials.- I have the citation for the article that I want, but the full text is not on the computer. How do I find the text?
Use the From a Database to the Catalog tutorial.- I am having trouble accessing the Libraries' databases from home. How do I fix this problem?
Use the Online Access Troubleshooting Guide and contact the Libraries for help.You can use famous search engines like Google, Yahoo, Altavista, or Ask Jeeves to find web sites. However, remember that finding web sites is easy; finding credible web sites is not. Here are some search tools that focus only on credible sites.
A search tool that specializes in finding information that Google and Yahoo cannot.
Infomine's Social Sciences and Humanities Search
Locates high-caliber sites, eliminating most of the junk sites.
Access to the very best Web resources for education and research. The service is created by a network of British universities and partners.
Librarians' Index to the Internet
This search tool finds only hand-picked web sites selected by librarians.
- How do I know if a web site is credible?" Consult the Crimson Navigate tutorial.
Secondary Source Dissertations
Dissertations can be helpful in research because they show you what other scholars have done. Dissertations also offer very intensive coverage of a topic, and include large bibliographies that you can mine for additional sources. Fortunately, many recent dissertations are now available online.
Dissertations & Theses--this resource finds the full-text of dissertations published from 1995-present from most major universities in North America. Also, offers citations and abstracts for many dissertations published from 1861--present
Libraries Catalog--the UA Libraries keep a copy of each dissertation and thesis written at the University. They are kept in the regular book stacks. If you know the title or author of a dissertation written at UA, you can find its location and call number in the Libraries' Catalog.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Primary sources are original materials created by a person who was involved in an event. The author was usually an eyewitness or first recorder. Primary sources include diaries, memoirs, letters, contemporary newspaper or magazine articles, photographs, and manuscripts. Government materials, such as legislation or speeches, are often considered primary sources as well. Historical research papers are based on primary sources.
This section lists resources that you can use to find primary books, articles, microfilm, and archival materials. If you would like to search multiple resources at the same time, try using Extreme Search.
Primary Source Books
Libraries' Catalog gives the call number and locations of books in the University Libraries. Select "Advanced Search" for the most effective searches. Here are some techniques for locating primary sources using the Catalog:
- Combine keywords describing your subject with such words as sources, letters, speeches, writings, documents, diaries, papers, etc. For example, searching for “World War II ” and diaries will locate diaries written during World War II.
- Search for contemporary people as authors. For example, let us say that you are researching the Civil Rights Movement. Searching for Martin Luther King, Jr. as an author will locate writings and speeches of King.
- Find secondary sources on your topic. Scan their bibliographies for primary sources.
*Remember to try several of these techniques and consult a librarian to ensure that you are searching as thoroughly as possible.
You can also find many primary source books online through Google Books. Please use the "Publication Dates" feature to limit to the appropriate historical era.
- How can I improve my book searches?" Use the Crimson Navigate tutorial.
Primary Sources in Databases
Primary Sources for 1900--present
- African-American Mosaic-a Library of Congress resource guide for the study of African-American history and culture. Documents on colonization, abolition, migration, and civil rights. Contains materials from the WPA project.
- Alabama Mosaic-a database of Alabama's culture and history. Several libraries and archives in the state digitized items in their collections to build Alabama Mosaic. Offers newspaper clippings, photographs, books, other materials from Alabama's earliest days to the present.
- ARTFL Project-primarily French texts in the areas of literature, criticism, biology, history, economics, and philosophy. Genres include novels, verse, theater, journalism, essays, and treatises. The eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries are about equally represented, with smaller sections devoted to seventeenth-century and medieval/Renaissance texts.
- Black Studies Center--offers primary and secondary sources on African-American history. Includes the Chicago Defender, a leading African-American newspapers of the 1900s.
- Congressional--provides primary sources from the U.S. federal government--including laws, bills, agency reports, and other government documents--from 1789--1969.
- Congressional Record--the official record of the debates held in Congress. Read speeches and discussions about foreign policy, wars, education, law, taxation, labor, politics, and many other issues.
- Documenting the American South--collection of sources on Southern history, literature and culture from the colonial period through the first decades of the 20th century. It is organized into the projects listed above. The Academic Affairs Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sponsors DAS, and the texts come primarily from its Southern holdings.
- Foreign Relations of the United States--official government memos, plans, records, dispatches, treaties, studies, and other materials about U.S. foreign policy.
- Google News Archive--This special tool from Google allows you to search a variety of news sources from past years. You can limit to the appropriate date. Also, please note that you can limit to free sources using the "Price" feature. Most of Time magazine's archives is searchable through Google News Archive.
- Hispanic American Historical Newspapers, 1808-1980--Including many newspapers published bilingually in Spanish and English, Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980 offers a diversity of unabridged voices, ranging from intellectuals and literary notables to politicians, union organizers and grassroots figures. Coverage begins in 1808 when the first Spanish-language newspaper in the United States was printed in New Orleans.
- Historical Statistics of the United States--data on topics ranging from migration and health to crime and the Confederate States of America. Fully searchable, this resource permits users to graph individual tables and create customized tables and spreadsheets reflecting their own particular areas of interest.
- House of Commons Parliamentary Papers-- the most detailed primary source for the past two centuries, for Britain, its colonies and the wider world. They are a major part of the historical record. The Parliamentary papers influenced public opinion and social and political philosophy, and provided a forum for ideas for hundreds of thinkers, among them Marconi, Keynes, and Beveridge. They are the working documents of government for all areas of social, political, economic and foreign policy, showing how issues were explored and legislation was formed.
- LexisNexis Academic--an exceptional resource for news topics from the past twenty years. Includes foreign newspapers, news wires, TV and radio news transcripts, college newspapers, and polls. Users must first choose the type of information they want to search from the menus before searching.
- Library of Congress American Memory Project--Gateway to rich primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. Offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections.
Nation Archive--one of America's most popular magazines, covering politics, culture, and the fine arts, 1865-present.
- NewspaperARCHIVE.com--an extensive database of local papers from cities as well as small towns around the United States. Contains several Alabama newspapers.
- North American Women's Letters and Diaries--largest collection of women's diaries and correspondence ever assembled. Spanning more than 300 years, it brings the personal experiences of 1,500 women to researchers, students, and general readers to life.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers—a highly recommended resource. includes major papers of the 20th century, including the New York Times (1851-2001), Wall Street Journal (1877-1988), Washington Post (1889—1987), Atlanta Constitution; 1923-2003 . Offers feature articles as well as classifieds and advertisements.
- Reader's Guide Retrospective--classic index to older issues of popular magazines like Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated. Covers 1890--1982. Most of the entries are only citations, you can check the UA Libraries Catalog to see if UA owns the issue of the magazine that you need.
- Television News Archive--huge archive of video clips from 1968--present. Features news shows from CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC. You will need RealOne media software to view the clips. Some of the news items are only available as written excerpts.
- Women and Social Movements in the United States: 1600 to 2000--documents from women's groups and conferences. Includes the Women's Christians Temperance Union and the General Federation of Women's Clubs.
Primary Sources for 1800-1900
- African American Newspapers: The 19th Century --wealth of information about cultural life and history during the 1800s and is rich with first-hand reports of the major events and issues of the day, including the Mexican War, Presidential and Congressional addresses, Congressional abstracts, business and commodity markets, the humanities, world travel and religion. The collection also provides a great number of early biographies, vital statistics, essays and editorials, poetry and prose, and advertisements all of which embody the African-American experience.
- African-American Mosaic-a Library of Congress resource guide for the study of African-American history and culture. Documents on colonization, abolition, migration, and civil rights. Contains materials from the WPA project.
- Alabama Mosaic-a database of Alabama's culture and history. Several libraries and archives in the state digitized items in their collections to build Alabama Mosaic. Offers newspaper clippings, photographs, books, other materials from Alabama's earliest days to the present.
- American Civil War: Letters and Diaries --knits together more than 400 sources of diaries, letters, and memoirs, to provide fast access to thousands of views on almost every aspect of the war. This extraordinary electronic collection includes 100,000 pages of re-keyed and indexed text, including 4,000 facsimile pages of previously unpublished manuscript material.
- American Periodicals Series Online, 1740-1900--over 1,100 periodicals that first began publishing between 1740 and 1900, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines, and many other historically-significant periodicals. Offers feature articles as well as classifieds and advertisements.
- ARTFL Project-primarily French texts in the areas of literature, criticism, biology, history, economics, and philosophy. Genres include novels, verse, theater, journalism, essays, and treatises. The eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries are about equally represented, with smaller sections devoted to seventeenth-century and medieval/Renaissance texts.
- Civil War 1860-1865: A Newspaper Perspective-- contains the full text of major articles gleaned from over 2,500 issues of The New York Herald, The Charleston Mercury and the Richmond Enquirer, published between November 1, 1860 and April 15, 1865. Coverage begins with the events preceding the outbreak of war at Fort Sumter, continues through the surrender at Appomattox and concludes with the assassination and funeral of Abraham Lincoln.
- Congressional--provides U.S. federal laws, bills, agency reports, and other government documents from 1789--1969.
- Congressional Record--the official record of the debates held in Congress. Read speeches and discussions about foreign policy, wars, education, law, taxation, labor, politics, and many other issues.
- Documenting the American South--A collection of sources on Southern history, literature and culture from the colonial period through the first decades of the 20th century. It is organized into the projects listed above. The Academic Affairs Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sponsors DAS, and the texts come primarily from its Southern holdings.
- Early American Newspapers, 1690-1876--early American Newspapers from The American Antiquarian Society, private collections and The Library of Congress, Brown, Harvard, et al. Based on the microfilm collection of the same name.
- Foreign Relations of the United States--official government memos, plans, records, dispatches, treaties, studies, and other materials about U.S. foreign policy.
- Google News Archive--This special tool from Google allows you to search a variety of news sources from past years. You can limit to the appropriate date. Also, please note that you can limit to free sources using the "Price" feature. Most of Time magazine's archives is searchable through Google News Archive.
- Hispanic American Historical Newspapers, 1808-1980--Including many newspapers published bilingually in Spanish and English, Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980 offers a diversity of unabridged voices, ranging from intellectuals and literary notables to politicians, union organizers and grassroots figures. Coverage begins in 1808 when the first Spanish-language newspaper in the United States was printed in New Orleans.
- Historical Statistics of the United States--data on topics ranging from migration and health to crime and the Confederate States of America. Fully searchable, this resource permits users to graph individual tables and create customized tables and spreadsheets reflecting their own particular areas of interest.
- House of Commons Parliamentary Papers--the most detailed primary source for the past two centuries, for Britain, its colonies and the wider world. They are a major part of the historical record. The Parliamentary papers influenced public opinion and social and political philosophy, and provided a forum for ideas for hundreds of thinkers, among them Marconi, Keynes, and Beveridge. They are the working documents of government for all areas of social, political, economic and foreign policy, showing how issues were explored and legislation was formed.
- Library of Congress American Memory Project--Gateway to rich primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. Offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections.
- Making of America--a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. The collection currently contains approximately 10,000 books and 50,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints.
- Making of Modern Law - digital images on every page of 22,000 legal treatises on US and British law published from 1800 through 1926. Excellent primary source material. Society and its changing morality can be studied through titles on the morality of the law. Discussion of cases, procedures and reasons for a change in the law, offer the historian a fascinating insight into attitudes, predominant prejudices and the manner in which society functioned.
Nation Archive--one of America's most popular magazines, covering politics, culture, and the fine arts, 1865-present.
- NewspaperARCHIVE.com--an extensive database of local papers from cities as well as small towns around the United States. Contains several Alabama newspapers.
- Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers--a highly recommended resource. Offers a trove of American newspapers and magazine, including feature articles, editorials, classifieds, advertisements.
- North American Women's Letters and Diaries-- largest collection of women's diaries and correspondence ever assembled. Spanning more than 300 years, it brings the personal experiences of 1,500 women to researchers, students, and general readers to life.
- Official Records of the Civil War--the orders, battle plans, memos, and other materials of the Union and Confederate armies in the American Civil War.
- Poole's Plus--An index to nineteenth century literature. Contains the noted indexes: Poole's Index to periodical Literature, New York Times Index, Palmers Index to The Times, Harper's Magazine Index, Descriptive Catalogue of the Government Publications, and others. A few full-texts but mainly citations.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers—a highly recommended resource. includes major newspapers of the 20th century, including the New York Times (1851-2001), Wall Street Journal (1877-1988), Washington Post (1889—1987), Atlanta Constitution (1923-2003). Offers feature articles as well as classifieds and advertisements.
- Women and Social Movements in the United States: 1600 to 2000-documents from women's groups and conferences. Includes the Women's Christians Temperance Union and General Federation of Women's Clubs.
Primary Sources for Early Modern Period (1500--1800)
- African-American Mosaic-a Library of Congress resource guide for the study of African-American history and culture. Documents on colonization, abolition, migration, and civil rights. Contains materials from the WPA project.
- American Archives--primary sources for the American Revolution. Peter Force devoted sixteen years to collecting thousands of pamphlets, booklets, and newspaper articles pertaining to the "Origin, Settlement, and Progress of the Colonies in North America" from the Revolutionary Era in order to preserve them for future generations. He published them in a set of nine large volumes that he called the American Archives. By the late twentieth century Force's collection of materials from the years 1774-6 had become a valuable scholarly resource, as it contained the only surviving copies of many important documents.
- American Periodicals Series Online, 1740-1900--Over 1,100 periodicals that first began publishing between 1740 and 1900, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines, and many other historically-significant periodicals. Offers feature articles as well as classifieds and advertisements.
- ARTFL Project-primarily French texts in the areas of literature, criticism, biology, history, economics, and philosophy. Genres include novels, verse, theater, journalism, essays, and treatises. The eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries are about equally represented, with smaller sections devoted to seventeenth-century and medieval/Renaissance texts.
- Congressional--provides U.S. federal laws, bills, agency reports, and other government documents from 1789--1969.
- Documenting the American South--A collection of primary sources on Southern history, literature and culture from the colonial period through the first decades of the 20th century. It is organized into the projects listed above. The Academic Affairs Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sponsors DAS, and the texts come primarily from its Southern holdings.
- Early American Newspapers, 1690-1876--early American Newspapers from The American Antiquarian Society, private collections and The Library of Congress, Brown, Harvard, et al. Based on the microfilm collection of the same name.
- Early English Books Online--(EEBO) contains copies of virtually every book printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700 - from the first book printed in English by William Caxton, through the age of Spenser and Shakespeare and the tumult of the English Civil War.
- Eighteenth Century Collections Online--(ECCO) a digitized library of approximately 138,000 primary sources, representing most of the significant English- and foreign-language texts published in Great Britain in the eighteenth century.
- English Short Title Catalogue--finds citations for all surviving letter press material published in the British Isles and North America before 1801.
- Evans Digital Edition--(Early American Imprints, Series I)--excellent collection of primary sources for American history topics from 1639-1800. Based on the renowned American bibliography by Charles Evans and enhanced by Roger Bristol's Supplement to Evans' American bibliography. Serves as the foundation for research on every aspect of 17th and 18th century American life. Upon completion, Evans Digital will consist of over 36,000 works and 2,400,000 images. Excellent for studying the American Revolution.
- Historical Statistics of the United States--statistics on topics ranging from migration and health to crime and the Confederate States of America. Fully searchable, this resource permits users to graph individual tables and create customized tables and spreadsheets reflecting their own particular areas of interest.
- Library of Congress American Memory Project--Gateway to rich primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. Offers more than 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections.
- North American Women's Letters and Diaries-- largest collection of women's diaries and letters ever assembled. Spanning more than 300 years, it brings the personal experiences of 1,500 women to researchers, students, and general readers to life.
- Women and Social Movements in the United States: 1600 to 2000-primary sources from women's groups and conferences. Includes the Women's Christians Temperance Union and General Federation of Women's Clubs.
Primary Sources for Ancient Times--1500
- Internet Medieval Sourcebook--links to many key primary collections to medieval history available on the free internet.
- Internet Ancient History Sourcebook--links to many key primary collections to ancient history available on the free internet.
- Internet Classics Archive-- 441 classic texts.
- Persues Digital Library--Greco-Roman texts and secondary sources.
- Please see also the UA Libraries' guide to Classics.
- I think I understand how to search these resources, but can you give me some tips for improving my searches? Try the Boolean Searching and Truncation tutorials.
- I have the citation for an article that I want, but the full text is not on the computer. How do I find the text?" Use the From a Database to the Catalog tutorial.
- I am having trouble accessing the Libraries' databases from home. How do I fix this problem? Use the Online Access Troubleshooting Guide and contact the Libraries for help.
- What should I look for when I read primary sources?" See the Library of Congress Learning Page.
Primary Source Web Sites
An increasing number of primary sources are available for free on the web. To discover them, go to a search engine like Google, and combine your topic with terms for primary sources such as memoirs, diaries, accounts, narratives, documents, autobiographies, online archives, correspondence, speeches. You can link the terms together with a capitalized OR. Here are some examples:
Gettysburg (memoirs OR diaries OR accounts)
George Washington (speeches OR addresses)
Renaissance "online archives"
Also, see the American Library Association's Primary Sources on the Web guide for more advice on mining the internet.
Primary Sources on Microfilm
Many older newspapers and magazines are kept on microfilm. The microfilm section is located on the second floor of Gorgas Library near the Circulation Desk on second floor. Please ask Circulation Desk staff for help in loading the microfilm on the readers. You can print from the microfilm readers for .05 per page using Bama Cash on your Action Card. One reader also allows you to download or email images.
Please check the Libraries' Catalog for exact holdings of microfilm.
Special Note:
Alabama Newspapers on Microfilm You can find many older copies of Alabama newspapers on microfilm on the second floor of Gorgas Library. The Library holds various years of the Tuscaloosa News, Alabama Journal, Anniston Star, Birmingham News, Birmingham Post, Birmingham World, Dothan Eagle, Florence Times, Huntsville News, Huntsville Times, Mobile Register, Montgomery Advertiser, Selma Times Journal, and other newspapers.
GUIDES TO ARCHIVES
There are several guides that can help you search the collections of other libraries and archives. Please contact an archives directly to verify that they own a particular item.
Archives USA--holdings and contact information of more than 5,480 repositories.
National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections--another guide to archives in the United States.
State Archives Collections Online-a directory of digital collections
WorldCat--searches the catalogs of thousands of libraries as well as many archives across the United States.
Here are links to some of the main archives used by UA history students:
W. S. Hoole Special Collections Library--located on the UA campus.
Alabama Department of Archives and History --search the online catalog and find out about hours and services of the state archives in Montgomery.
National Archives--the official site of the National Archives in Washington DC.
Public Records Office--the national archives of the United Kingdom.
In Alabama many historical societies exist that have their own archives, or can point you to local archives. The Alabama Historical Association offers a list of historical societies on its web site.
Many public libraries in the state also have their own archives. The Alabama Public Library Service offers a directory of public libraries on its web site.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?
Historical research papers are based on primary sources. Secondary sources provide a framework for investigating primary sources.
Primary sources are original materials created by a person who was involved in an event. The author was usually an eyewitness or first recorder. Primary sources include diaries, memoirs, letters, contemporary newspaper or magazine articles, photographs, manuscripts. Government materials, such as legislation or speeches, are often considered primary sources as well.
Secondary sources are materials created by a person who was not at the event but who analyzed or commented on primary sources at a later time. Secondary sources include scholarly journals articles, books, conference proceedings, dissertations, and class lectures. Secondary sources usually have bibliographies of primary sources, a formal writing style, and a critical approach. They discuss the context of primary sources.
For example, let's say you are writing a paper about the battle of Gettysburg (1863).
Examples of primary sources include:
--a diary entry of a soldier who fought in the battle.
--an account of the battle from the memoirs of one of the generals.
--a 1863 newspaper article written by a reporter who witnessed the combat.
--an original photograph or map depicting the fighting.
--reports of the battle in government records.
Examples of secondary sources include:
--a 2007 book discussing the tactics of the battle.
--a journal article analyzing the generals.
--a dissertation using several hundred primary sources.
--a web site that offers current discussions of the Civil War.
Here are some links from other libraries about the differences between primary and secondary sources:
Primary vs. Secondary (Bergen Community College)
Understand the Difference: Primary versus Secondary Sources (University of Houston Victoria)
Primary Sources (University of California Berkeley)
What should I look for when reading primary sources?
Please see the lesson about primary sources on the Library of Congress Learning Page.
How do I write a history research paper ?
An Introduction to Historical Methods by Martha Howell and Walter Prevenier is available through Google Books. This book covers such topics as comparing sources, using statistics, interpreting documents, and the question of objectivity.
A Student's Online Guide to History by Jules Benjamin is a great quick guide to starting a history research paper.
How do I format my paper and cite sources in Turabian or Chicago style?
Please ask your instructor how they would like you to format your paper and cite your sources. Some history instructors allow you to use MLA or APA to cite papers. However, most historical papers use Chicago or Turabian styles. The following web sites provide some tips and examples on Chicago/Turabian, but double check your citations with the official style manuals (copies are available at the Information Desk on the first floor of Gorgas Library). Please consult your course instructor for the most accurate advice on citing sources.
Turabian Citation Style--lists examples of citations to books, journal articles, web sites, and major types of sources.
Chicago Citation Style--lists examples of citations to books, journal articles, web sites, and major types of sources.
Chicago/Turabian Documentation--good starter guide to citing sources.
Citation Machine--interactive tool that allows you to type in the publication information and tries to make a standard citation for you. Please click "Turabian" or "Chicago" on its left sidebar.
Chicago/Turabian Style General Guidelines--a quick guide to references as well as margins, title page, formatting.
Crib Sheet--talks about Chicago/Turabian references as well as tips on title page, tables, quotations, headings, dates, abbreviations, capitalization.
What are some guidelines for avoiding plagiarism?
These pages offer guidelines about avoiding plagiarism. Please consult your course instructor as well.
TurnItIn--UA's web site for TurnItIn, a system that instructors can use to detect plagiarism.
Code Of Academic Conduct--UA's guidelines about academic honesty.
Citations and Plagiarism--a UA tutorial that covers the basic of avoiding plagiarism. Also discusses Turabian and other citation systems.
Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources (University of Wisconsin--Madison)--tips on how to use information ethically and effectively.
When is the Gorgas Library open?
Please click here to view the Gorgas Library's hours.
What if I have trouble accessing the Library's electronic resources from my home computer?
You can consult the Troubleshooting Guide (originally designed for distance users, but offering helpful information to anyone accessing the Library from off campus). The Libraries also provide a Login Problem Report form. You can also contact via email or phone (205) 348-1200 for help.
How can I find a reserve item for one of my history courses?
Most reserve items are available online at the Reserves Search Page.
- Select your Instructor's name from the drop-down box
- Click on the reserve item that you would like
- Click on the "Linked Resources" link.
However, for some reserve items you may need to come to the Gorgas Library.
For more advice about finding reserves, please see the E-Reserves Tutorial.
What if I need to design a web page, check out cameras for a field project, or do some other multimedia production?
In addition to the traditional research paper, many history classes now assign multimedia projects. Some history students need digital or video cameras for field work. Others wish to develop a web page, edit graphics, or create handouts or slide shows for class presentations. The Gorgas Library offers the Sanford Media Center on the second floor to meet these kinds of needs.
How long can I check out books and other materials?
Please go to the Borrowing Materials page and scroll down until you see the type of material that you would like to check out, such as "Books and Government Documents".
How can I recheck books from my home computer?
Please see the Renewing Materials page.
How can I obtain a book or article that UA does not have?
You can order materials from other libraries through the Interlibrary Loan System (ILL). To do this, you can set up an Interlibrary Loan account.
How do I perform searches in the library's electronic resources?
Most of the Libraries' electronic resources use Boolean searching. For a guide to Boolean searching, please visit the Crimson Navigate tutorial.
Please feel free to ask for help with your research:
You can email , History Reference Librarian, for help.
You can connect to the Libraries' online live reference and email service at Ask A Librarian.
You can come to the Information Desk on the first floor of Gorgas Library.
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Last modified:
09/23/08
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