Library Research Databases
Primary Sources
- British Literary Manuscripts II, Medieval & Renaissance This link opens in a new windowSearch this primary source database for manuscripts dating roughly from 1120-1660. It includes letters, poems, stories, plays, chronicles, religious writings, and more. (Gale)
- Index of Medieval Art This link opens in a new windowSearch an archive images and descriptive data of medieval art from late Antiquity to the sixteenth century. (Princeton)
Secondary Sources
- Historical Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new windowSearch for journal articles on all aspects of world history (excluding the US and Canada) from 1450 to the present. (EBSCO)
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowSearch for journal articles on topics in the arts, humanities, social sciences and some math/science. Most journals have volumes/issues dating from the 19th century to within 3-5 years of present day. (ITHAKA)
- Project Muse This link opens in a new windowSearch for journal articles on topics related to the arts, humanities, and social sciences. (Project MUSE)
- 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)
Non-UR Internet Resources for Primary Sources
- Avalon ProjectTranslations of ancient, medieval and modern legal documents, complete with additional context and definitions from scholars in the field. Hosted by Yale Law School's Lillian Goldman Law Library.
- Del Re Militari - Primary SourcesDe Re Militari: the Society for Medieval Military History is a scholarly society dedicated to the study of warfare, broadly construed, in the Middle Ages. You can find primary sources, book reviews, and blog posts on medieval topics.
- EuroDocs - History of Medieval and Renaissance EuropeCollection of websites and sources for medieval primary source documents.
- Internet Medieval SourcebookHosted through Fordham University's Center for Medieval Studies, this features a collection of online resources all on Medieval history and its associated topics, some going as far back as 1996.
- The Mackinney Collection of Medieval Medical IllustrationsHosted by UNC University Library's Special Collections team, this collection features scans of medieval medical illustrations.
- Manuscripts OnlineManuscripts Online enables you to search a diverse body of online primary resources relating to written and early printed culture in Britain during the period 1000 to 1500. The resources include literary manuscripts, historical documents and early printed books which are located on websites owned by libraries, archives, universities and publishers.
- Middle English Texts SeriesCollection of medieval literature from the University of Rochester's Robbins Library Digital Project.
- Online Medieval Source BibliographyProvided by Fordham University's Center for Medieval Studies, this site provides contextual information on key medieval primary sources, and shows links to the full documents/translations.
- World Digital LibraryCollection of primary sources and other material from the Library of Congress. Use the database filters to narrow down to specific time periods.
Image Research Guide
Reference Sources
While primary sources and scholarly articles will be the main focus of your research in this course, don't leave out the value of reference sources. These include items like encyclopedias and subject dictionaries that can provide basic definitions to key terms, and provide "who/what/where/when/why" style answers to a research topic.
Additionally, literature reviews can be tremendously helpful in providing context for your research topic and give you clear starting places for articles and scholars to search for. Because they discuss the articles and books published about a topic, they can offer a 10,000 foot view of which scholars are talking about which topics in scholarly literature (articles, books, etc.).
As you begin your research assignments for this class and any other research-intensive courses, before diving right into scholarly articles and/or primary research, consider searching for reference sources first to provide a more focused approach to your research.
Electronic Reference
The sources below do not feature primary source collections or scholarly articles. However, they do provide helpful definitions and historical context for your research topics, making them invaluable in the research process.
- Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new windowSearch these ebooks (often spanning multiple volumes) that provide both a broad and deep overview of historical eras and ideas. (Cambridge)
Very Short Introductions
The Middle Ages: a Very Short Introduction by Call Number: D117 .R83 2014ISBN: 9780199697298Publication Date: 2014-12-01
The Crusades: A Very Short Introduction by Call Number: D157 .T88 2005ISBN: 9780192806550Publication Date: 2006-01-12
*Note: only 5 users are allowed to access each of these books at the same time. If you are unable to access a book, wait about an hour and try again, or contact Kyle Jenkins.
Print Reference Materials
- Encycopedias are available in the first floor reference area:
- Medieval France REF DC33.2 .M44 1994
- Medieval England REF DA129 .M43 1998
- Medieval Germany REF DD126 .M43 2001
- Medieval Italy REF DG443 .M43 2004
- Dictionary of the Middle Ages REF D114 .D5 1982
- Reference works on specific topics are available as well, including:
- Handbook of English Medieval Costume REF GT732 .C84 1973
- A Companion to the Medieval Theatre REF PN2152 .C66 1989
- Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A guide to Technical Terms REF ND2889 .B76 1994
- Classical Myths and Legends in the Middle Ages and Renaissance: A dictionary of Allegorical Meanings REF PN669 .B78 1998
- Oxford Companion to British History REF DA34 .O93 1997