Research Guides: Ideas in History

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Before beginning your research you may want to review information in these Research Guides

Primary Source Document Research

Evaluating Internet Resources

Research Strategy

Reference Books

Reference books can be an excellent place to start your research, verify facts and provide statistical and informative background information. If you need to find a reference book on your topic ask the Reference Librarian on duty. Although there are Reference books on most topics and historical periods sometimes they can be difficult to locate. Some types of general books that may help your research are:

New Dictionary of the History of Ideas - REF CB9.N49 2005 (6 volumes)

Chronology of World History REF D11.M39 1999 (4 volumes)

Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History REF E169.1E62 2001 (3 volumes)

Historical Statistics of the United States: Earliest Times to the Present - REF HA202.H57 2006

The Value of a Dollar: Colonial Era to the Civil War, 1600-1865 - REF HB235.U6 V35 2005

General Biographies, Autobiographies and Narratives in Paper

There are a large number of general biographical information and personal papers of leading individuals influencing the history of the United States and the world in all subject areas.

To find books in the Whitworth Library Collection check the Library Catalog . To find out how to borrow books directly from Gonzaga, the Spokane Community Colleges or the Northern Idaho Academic Libraries use Winborrow. If books are not available from those libraries you may also get them through Interlibrary Loan.

Subscription Resources for Your Research

Find Links to the leading databases for research on this subject on the History Database Page . They are divided between providing access to secondary literature and primary source document reproduction. Most of the sources available through these databases are not freely available from the internet.

Web Resources for Your Research

View the free online resources linked from the History Database Page . Although there are many resources available through a Google search it is usually prudent to start with the leading history resources and primary source document repositories for finding original and well-reproduced information. Remember that knowing where the information comes from is essential when doing reputable research.

American Memory -- Source: Library of Congress

The Archives Library Information Center -- Source: National Archives and Records Administration

Making of America has primary Source documents, books and magazines from the 19th century. There are two sites each with half the collection and not a good connection joining them. University of Michigan and Cornell University

To find additional good History Websites use

The Best of History Websites REF D16.255.C65 D33 2007

The History Highway: A 21st Century Guide to Internet Resources REF D16.117.H55 2006

Regional Resources for Primary Source Document Research

To locate repositories of primary source documents in the Pacific Northwest use a book entitled Primary Source Collections in the Pacific Northwest F851.B86.P75 2005 also in REF F851.B86.P75 2005.

For access to online finding aids and descriptive resources use the Northwest Digital Archives at http://nwda.wsulibs.wsu.edu/

Updated NB 3/08