LibGuides: History Resources at Gumberg Library: Home

Getting Started With Research in History

Getting Started in History Research

Research Guides

A good first place to look for information on historical topics is in our collection of Gumberg Library research guides. A "research guide" is a webpage made by a librarian with experience in a subject in order to connect library users to all the best resources on the subject accessible through the Gumberg Library or for free on the Internet. We only link to authoritative sources. So, at the start of research always check the list of research guides on historical topics to see if there is a guide on your subject It will jumpstart your resarch process!.

All History Research Guides

Guides specifically of interest to Dr. Simpson's Environmental History course:

Reference Works (Also known as "Background Sources")

There are numerous types of reference works, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, companions, handbooks, etc. They are important because they supply us with the most basic facts about topics, in easily accessible formats. Gumberg Library offers access to thousands of such works, in both the tradition print format, as well a electronically. The vast majority of our reference works these days are available as ebooks.

Some reference works have a very broad focus, and some of devoted to a very narrow subject area. There are a number of ways to access reference works:

Research guides point to reference works specific to the subjects of the guides
You can search for reference works in the DUQSearch conline catalog, which will give you call numbers for printed reference works and direct links to those that are ebooks
You can search databases of reference works that will connect you to possibly hundreds of background sources

Here are links to some research guides that will connect you to numerous reference works:

And you can search databases of reference works through the links on this page (You'll find the links to these databases under "Electronic Reference Works"):

Research Process: Background Sources

A useful reference work from the Internet:

Spartacus Educational

Local History Resources

Pittsburgh & Western Pennsylvania History Resources

Follow the links on the guides below to find primary and secondary source materials on various aspects of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania history:

Primary Sources

Primary Sources

The research guide below will connect you to all primary source content available through Gumberg Library. To use most of the indiviaual databases/resources, you will need to enter your Multipass username and password when prompted, and authenticate using DUO.

"Primary Sources in the Liberal Arts" Research Guide

Book Resources

Resources for Finding Books

Whether they be primary or secondary sources, books will be of major importance to you. In History, they cannot be ignored.

The DUQSearch Online Catalog

Find print and eBooks available through the Gumberg Library. You will find the search box on the Gumberg Library homepage. Click the Advanced search link below the search box to see options to take control of your searching. Once on the Advanced search interface, choose the search limit "All Gumberg Specialized Collection Catalogs" to limit your search result to print and eBooks owned or accessed through Gumberg Library.

Learn how to find books in any discipline in DUQSearch

To use DUQSearch, you will need to enter your Multipass username and password when prompted, and authenticate using DUO.

The Classic Catalog

Using Library of Congress Subject Headings, the Classic Catalog breaks down a subject using standard alphabetically-arranged subdivisions. Contains print books only, but it can quickly get you to books on a narrow aspect of a larger topic.

How to Access Print Books from the Gumberg Library

You have two options for getting print books at Gumberg Library. First, when you find the book in DUQSearch copy down the call number (the unique number for the book) Then stop at the front desk and ask if someone can help you find the book with that call number. We are moving materials around from floor to floor now, so finding books on you own, at this point, might be difficult. Front desk staff will be happy to help you.

You can also request that a book be pulled from the book stacks and held for you, or even mailed to you. Click "How to Access Print Books from the Gumberg Library" above to learn how to do these things.

WorldCat

WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog. We would use this to find any books that had been written on a topic, that are not available at Gumberg Library. WorldCat will tell us which libraries own these items, which can then be borrowed through EZBorrow or Interlibrary Loan.

Journal Databases

Journal Databases

To use these databases, you will need to enter your Multipass username and password when prompted, and authenticate using DUO.

History Databases

America: History and Life This link opens in a new window Published since 1964, the definitive bibliographic reference covering the history, culture, area studies, and current affairs literature of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. Content Includes indexing for over 1,800 journals from 1895 to the present; citations and links to books and media reviews; coverage for some titles goes back to the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window Reference guide to the history of the world from 1450 to the present (excluding the United States and Canada, covered in the EBSCOhost database "America: History and Life"). Over 2,000 journals published throughout the world are covered; includes a targeted selection of hundreds of journals in the social sciences and humanities.

General Databases Covering History

Academic Search Elite (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window Offers full text for more than 2,000 serials, including more than 1,500 peer-reviewed titles. This multi-disciplinary database covers virtually every area of academic study. More than 100 journals have PDF images back to 1985.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window In-depth coverage of the most important issues of the day, written by experienced journalists, footnoted and professionally fact-checked. Full-length articles include an overview, historical background, chronology, pro/con feature, plus resources for additional research. Graphics, photos and short "sidebar" features round out the reports. Shorter "Hot Topics" articles provide a solid introduction to subjects most in demand by students. Coverage: 1923 - Present.
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window Broadly search for scholarly literature across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, pre-print repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window A reliable and comprehensive archive of important scholarly journal literature, including searchable and browsable tables of contents and full text articles from both multidisciplinary and discipline-specific journal collections.
Periodicals Archive Online This link opens in a new window An archive with backfiles of scholarly periodicals in the arts, humanities and social sciences that provides access to the searchable full text of hundreds of titles. The database spans more than two centuries of content, 37 key subject areas, and multiple languages.
Project Muse This link opens in a new window Provides 100% full-text access to over 300 high quality humanities, arts, and social sciences journals from 60 scholarly publishers.
ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window ProQuest Central is the largest single periodical resource available, bringing together complete databases across all major subject areas, including thousands of full-text newspapers from around the world.
Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature Retrospective: 1890-1982 This link opens in a new window Provides indexing of over 3 million articles from more than 550 leading magazines, including full coverage of the original print volumes of Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. This important resource offers a wide range of researchers access to information about history, culture and seminal developments across nearly a century.
Scopus This link opens in a new window The largest abstract and citation database of research literature and quality web sources. indexes content from 24,600 active titles and 5,000 publishers which is rigorously vetted and selected by an independent review board, and uses a rich underlying metadata architecture to connect people, published ideas and institutions.