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HIST 1302 for Prof. Ball

The purpose of this research guide is to help students in Prof. Ball's HIST 1302 classes to find information sources for their research papers.

What Are Primary Sources

What Are Primary Sources?

The above video explains the differences between primary and secondary sources.

In the study of history, primary sources refers to first-hand accounts of events. For example, some of your sources for research in World War I and World War II include:

  • Letters written by participants in the wars
  • Speeches and proclamations by leaders of these wars
  • Laws and regulations issued during these wars
  • Images, such as propaganda films and posters, made for these wars

Primary Sources for World War I

Here is an assortment of primary sources for research in World War I.

Primary Sources for World War II

Here is an assortment of primary sources for research in World War II.

Introduction to Databases

Database Basics

Now that you have keywords, it's time to search the databases. Have you used the databases before? If you don't have recent experience with our library's databases, then I suggest watching this introductory video.

Secondary Sources in Databases

How to Find Secondary Sources in the Library Databases

Secondary sources are sources of information written by people who are citing primary (or even other secondary sources) as their sources of information.

That's a complicated definition, so let's simplify it. Historical books and articles written by people who weren't actually there are secondary sources.

Here are some good databases for finding secondary sources about historical topics.

eBooks

How to Search eBooks

We have two excellent ebook databases. These let you read full-text books online. The interfaces can be confusing, so I have included a tutorial video for each one.

The video above shows you how to search the ebook database titled EBSCO eBook Collection.

The video above shows you how to search the database ProQuest EBook Central.

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