History

Hello, this is the library research guide for HIST 400 Junior Seminar in Methods and Historiography with Professor Andrew Wiese. The purpose of this guide is to serve as a primer on bibliographic tools and using the library for research.

You'll see a section with information about the worksheet that you'll complete during the library session, as well as sections on the top databases to find relevant articles and tips on using OneSearch.

Our FAQ on Getting books from other libraries. You can request articles through the Illiad system or through OneSearch.

Need help? Email Laurel Bliss at lbliss@sdsu.edu

During the library session, you'll be working on a couple of practice questions. Please right click the link to this Google doc and open it in a new tab. It will prompt you to log into your @sdsu.edu email account and then save a copy. 

When you've completed the questions, please rename the document to something that includes your name and HIST 400, and email it as an attachment to lbliss@sdsu.edu.  

• Use OneSearch to find books, including ebooks. Stick with subject databases to find articles.
• One exception: OneSearch works well when you have a citation to an article and need to know if we have it in full text.
• Use the Advanced Search option for the most control over your search.
• Two of the most helpful ways to "Tweak my results" are limiting by resource type (aka books) and publication date.
• Expand your search by clicking the "Other Collections" radio button. You can request books from other CSU libraries and pick them up at the Circulation Desk.
• Once you've found a book that looks interesting, click the "Cite" icon for the book's citation formatted in any style you choose.
• Logging into "My account" allows you to save records for later or you can email them to yourself.

• Generate keywords to describe your topic, being mindful of synonyms.
• Keep your search simple at first, using only a couple of words. Try different combinations of words.
• Use quotes for phrases such as "new york" to keep the words together. 
• Use the asterisk for truncation, so that photo* will bring up photographs, photographers, etc.
• Limit your search by filters such as date of publication, language, or peer-reviewed articles.
• If you find a source that seems directly on topic, look closely to see what words they use. These can be in the title, table of contents, subjects, or summary.
• Try your search in different databases.