Picking a topic IS Research!
Academic Research & the Scholarly Conversation (Clemson Libraries)
Looking for . . . Library Research Guides
- Library Catalog This link opens in a new windowSearch our library catalog (aka OneSearch) for all types of sources. It combines results from many of our databases. (Ex Libris)
- WorldCat (FirstSearch) This link opens in a new window
Search a catalog of library holdings from around the world. Find which libraries have copies of a certain book, DVD, or other material. The FirstSearch interface was designed more with librarians in mind. (OCLC)
- Google BooksThese are digitized books. Most have only a limited portion of their text online, but the full text is searchable and you may find the full text in the UR Library catalog
- Research Guides @ URSearch Research and Subject Guides to locate resources in specific subject areas.
- Research Databases A-ZA-Z list of all UR databases -- use Research Guides to find databases in specific subject areas.
- OneSearch This link opens in a new windowUse this discovery tool to search most of the University Libraries' collections, including books, journal articles, newspapers, dissertations, music, and video recordings. (Ex Libris)
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles on most topics. This multi-disciplinary database is a good place to start if you don't know where else to begin. (EBSCO)
- Google ScholarSearch scholarly pages, articles, white and conference papers.
- Identify and Locate Scholarly JournalsHelpful chart and tips for how to select scholarly journals in Ebsco databases, such as Academic Search Complete from University of Maryland's Library.
- Peer Review in 5 MinutesNCSU Libraries (video)
Tips for Library Research in History
- History Research begins at the library web site found at http://library.richmond.edu/ for books, articles, and newspapers. For specific history-related databases, check the History subject guide for individual databases related to your topic. You can access other subject areas, e.g., Art, Anthropology, Literature, Political Science, Women studies etc, when appropriate to your research.
- Catalogs, like the UR Library Catalog and WorldCat, are useful for finding books, primary sources, bibliographies, and reference works. To find journal or newspaper articles you will need to use online indexes and full-text databases.
- A good book or journal article can be a bridge to more research sources if it has footnotes or a bibliography. When looking for books, be sure to browse the shelves --physically or virtually-- around the book you are looking for in the collection. Often you will find other books related to your topic are nearby!
- Where available, use the subject heading features in the library catalog and databases to discover other similar headings used, because the same topic may have been assigned different subject headings over time.
- Keep in mind that many useful resources, and not just primary sources are print works in addition to electronic and internet resources. The Research Guides by Subject/Major library web page, focus primarily on electronic resources. OneSearch and WorldCat (for finding materials to Interlibrary Loan) are your best sources for materials.
- If you can’t find what you need, please contact your History liaison librarian, Lynda Kachurek at 289-8458 or lkachure@richmond.edu. You can also schedule an appointment using the button on the front page of this LibGuide. Don't forget that librarians are available to assit you in-person and via email, text, and chat by using the links on the library homepage.
Think Like A Historian
- Think Like a Historian ChartStuck on how to get started selecting a research topic? This chart from the Organization of American Historians offers some suggestions for asking questions about your topic to kick-start your research!