Research Guides: Historical Methods- Prof. Manning: Background Information

Finding Keywords

Take the time to think about your topic and find resources to help you better define it. Searching for "the Civil War" is too broad, but it can be your starting point to finding a specific person, battle, or group of people you want to learn more about. When you do this background information searching it will be easier to create your research questions.

Timelines

Use a timeline to get a perspective on your topic:

World Digital Library (Library of Congress)
British Library: Timelines
Currently unavailable (May 2024). Allows users to view British Library collection items chronologically.
Digital History Timelines

Reference Sources

You can use on of the library's databases of Reference Sources to find some helpful background information for your general topic:

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive reference collection (dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographies etc.) for all academic disciplines.
Credo Reference provides a complete reference collection including encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, quotation books, bilingual dictionaries, measurement conversions, and more.
Britannica Academic This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive college-level encyclopedia.
Modern World History Online This link opens in a new window
Online encyclopedia of modern world history.
Covers the people, places, and events in the broad expanse of history from the mid-15th century to the present.
Encyclopedia of American Studies This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedia articles covering the field of American Studies.
The term American Studies encompasses a vast range of disciplines, all of which describe the cultures of the United States. In recent years comparative studies of Canada and Latin America have been incorporated.
American History This link opens in a new window
Online encyclopedia of American history.
Spans more than 500 years of political, military, social, and cultural history, highlighting the important people and events of the American experience. Includes biographies, events and topics, primary sources, timelines, images and videos, maps and charts. All full text.
Congress and the Nation This link opens in a new window
Online collection of reference works about the U.S. Congress.
An invaluable resource for research and study of the U.S. Congress, with coverage from 1945 to 2008.
African-American History This link opens in a new window
Online encyclopedia of African-American history.
Features thousands of cross-referenced entries, covering the entire spectrum of African-American history over the past 500 years.
American Indian History This link opens in a new window
Online encyclopedia of the history of the American Indian.
Offers access to more than 600 Native American groups and over 15,000 years of American Indian culture and history.
American Women's History Online This link opens in a new window
Online encyclopedia of the history of women in the United States.
Covers the important people, events, legislation, and issues relevant to the study of women's history in the United States. Includes biographies, events and topics, primary sources, time-lines, images and videos, maps and charts. All full text.
Ancient and Medieval History This link opens in a new window
Online encyclopedia of ancient and medieval history.
Focuses on Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Islamic Empire from prehistory through the 1500s.