Outline of this guide: Reference Works Secondary Sources Primary Sources

Other useful links: Course Reserves/E-Reserves for this class Book Review Sources Narrowing or Broadening a Topic RefWorks: A Guide Research Log Research Planner Scholarly Articles: How to Identify Them

• Style Guides & Citation Manuals
  • The Bedford Handbook. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006.
    Reference R 808.02 H118B7
  • Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago, IL: Univ. of Chicago Press, 2003.
    Reference R 808.02 C53 2003
  • The Elements of Style. William Strunk, Jr. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999.
    Reference R 808.04 S927e
  • A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. Kate Turabian; rev. Wayne C. Booth et al. 7th ed. Chicago, IL: Univ. of Chicago Press, 2007.
    Reference Desk 808.02 T929m7
  • A Pocket Guide to Writing in History. Mary Lynn Rampolla. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007.
    Reference Desk R 907.2 R177p
• Biographical Works
  • American National Biography. Ed. John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes. 24 vols. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999-2002.
    Reference R 920.073 A512
  • Biography Reference Bank. H.W. Wilson, 2003-
  • Celebrating Women Coaches: A Biographical Dictionary. Nena Rey Hawkes and John Seggar. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2000.
    Reference R 927.96 H392c
  • Great Athletes. Rev ed. 8 vols. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 2002.
    Reference R 796 G786
  • Notable American Women, 1607-1950: A Biographical Dictionary. Ed. Edward T. James. 3 vols. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 1971.
    Reference R 920.7 N899
  • Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives: Sports Figures. Ed. Arnold Markoe. 2 vols. New York: Scribner's, 2002.
    Reference R 796 S434
• Cultural & Social History
  • Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History. Ed. Ed. Mary Kupiec Cayton and Peter Williams. 3 vols. New York: Scribner's, 2001.
    Reference R 973.04 E564
  • Encyclopedia of American Social History. Ed. Mary Kupiec Cayton et al. 3 vols. New York: Scribner's, 1993.
    Reference R 301.097 E56
  • Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century. Ed. Paul Finkelman. 3 vols. New York: Scribner's, 2001.
    Reference R 973.5 E56
  • Encyclopedia of the United States in the Twentieth Century. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 4 vols. New York: Scribner's, 1996.
    Reference R 973.03 E562
  • Encyclopedia of Women and Gender. Ed. Judith Worrell. 2 vols. New York: Academic Press, 2001.
    Reference R 305.4 E56
  • Encyclopedia of Women in American History. 3 vols. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, 2003.
    Reference R 305.409 E56
  • Gale Virtual Reference Library
    A collection of over 120 electronic reference works. Includes:
    • Datapedia of the United States: American History in Numbers. George Thomas Kurian. 3rd ed. Lanham, MD: Bernan, 2004.
      R 317.3 K96d3
    • Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 10 vols. New York: Scribner's, 2003.
      Reference R 973 D554 2003
    • Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice. Ed. Gary Anderson and Kathryn Herr. 3 vols. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2007.
    • Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History. Ed. Colin Palmer. 6 vols. Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference, 2006.
    • Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society. Ed. Paula S. Fass. 3 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2004.
      Reference R 305.23 E56
    • Encyclopedia of Education. Ed. James. W. Guthrie. 2nd ed. 8 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2003.
      Reference R 370.3 E561
    • Encyclopedia of Leadership. Ed. George Goethals et al. 4 vols. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2004.
    • Encyclopedia of Social Welfare History in North America. Ed. John Herrick and Paul Stuart. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005.
    • Encyclopedia of War and American Society. Ed. Peter Karsten. 3 vols. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005.
    • Historical Dictionary of the 1940s. Ed. James Ryan and Leonard Schlup. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2006.
    • Social Change in America: The Historical Handbook. Ed. Patricia Becker. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2006.
    • ... and many more!
  • Girlhood in America: An Encyclopedia. Ed. Miriam Forman-Brunell. 2 vols. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001.
    Reference R 305.23 G525
  • Handbook of American Women's History. Ed. Angela Howard Zophy. New York: Garland, 1990.
    Reference R 305.4 H236
  • Statistical Abstract of the United States.
    Reference R 317.3 U54
    Government Document Stacks C 3.134
    Online (1995 to present)
    A compendium of statistics on a wide variety of subjects. Particularly useful for its source notes, which will direct to statistical publications that contain additional information. Also useful for retrospective information; the Library has a long run of this title, so you can consult tables in earlier volumes if you need to chart historical trends.
    Supplemented by County and City Data Book (Reference R 317.3 S797) and State and Metropolitan Data Book (Reference R 317.3 U54c).
• Sports
  • American Women in Sport, 1887-1987: A 100-Year Chronology. Comp. Ruth Sparhawk et al. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1989.
    Reference R 796 A512
  • Encyclopedia of International Sports Studies. Ed. Roger Bartlett et al. 3 vols. New York: Routledge, 2006.
    Reference R 796.03 E561
  • Encyclopedia of North American Sports History. Ralph Hickok. New York: Facts on File, 1992.
    Reference R 796.09 H629e
  • Encyclopedia of Title IX and Sports. Nicole Mitchell and Lisa Ennis. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2007.
    Reference R 306.48 M682e
  • Encyclopedia of Women and Baseball. Ed. Leslie Heaphy and Mel Anthony May. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2006.
    Reference R 796.357 E561
  • Encyclopedia of Women and Gender. Ed. Judith Worrell. 2 vols. New York: Academic Press, 2001.
    Reference R 305.4 E56
  • Encyclopedia of World Sport, From Ancient Times to the Present. Ed. David Levinson and Karen Christensen. 3 vols. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1996.
    Reference R 796.03 E56
  • ESPN Information Please Sports Almanac. Boston: Information Please, 1993, 1995-1996, 1998- .
    Reference R 306 E56796 I43
  • International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports. 3 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2001.
    Reference R 796 I61

• Books & Videos
  See also the guide for Book Review Sources.
  • Library Catalog
    Includes information about books, government documents, and journals, magazines, and newspapers in the Library.
    • To locate videos, do a keyword search and limit your search by the format "video materials (VHS/DVD)."
    • To locate works about a person, do a subject search for the person's name (last name first).
    • To locate appropriate Library of Congress Subject Headings, start with a keyword search and then browse records. Relevant subject headings include:
      • Athletics
      • College athletes
      • Discrimination in sports United States
      • Physical education and training
      • Professional sports
      • Sex discrimination in sports
      • Sports
      • Sports social aspects
      • Women athletes
      • Women athletes United States
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use a dollar sign $
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • WorldCat
    Indexes books, periodicals, and other materials held by libraries around the world. Search WorldCat to identify additional books on your topic and then order the books on interlibrary loan.
    Note: It can be helpful to identify relevant Library of Congress Subject Headings in the Library Catalog first; you can then do a subject search in WorldCat to find additional items with these subject headings.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: insert a "w" between the words in a phrase (for example, "cold w war")
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
• Articles & other Information Sources
  Starting Points | Subject-Specific Databases
  • Starting Points
    • Academic Search Premier
      (1975 to present) Indexes popular and scholarly articles in a broad range of subject areas; also includes citations to book reviews and citations to articles in several national newspapers.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
      • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
    • LexisNexis Academic
      (Approx. 1980 to present) Includes the full text of articles from local, national, and international newspapers, magazines, and trade journals as well as articles from law reviews and federal and state cases.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an exclamation point
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
      • Wildcard: use an asterisk *
    • OmniFile Full Text Mega
      (1982 to present) Indexes articles from over 3,000 scholarly and popular periodicals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences; also includes the full text of selected articles from over 1,650 of these periodicals.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
      • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
    • Readers' Guide Abstracts
      (1890 to present) Indexes articles in popular U.S. periodicals; also includes citations to book and film reviews.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
      • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
    • Westlaw Campus Research
      Includes the full text of news articles and federal and state court cases.
      Note: you will need to accept the terms of the Westlaw "Agreement" before you can search Westlaw Campus Research.
      Search Syntax (for "Terms and Connectors" searches):
      • Truncation: use an exclamation point !
      • Phrase searching: use double quotations marks " "
      • Wildcard: use an asterisk *
  • Subject-Specific Databases
    Be sure to consult the indexes & databases pages too!
    Gender, Race, & Social Issues | History | Sports | Other Databases
    • Gender, Race, & Social Issues
      • ASSIA: Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts
        (1987 to present) Indexes articles on topics related to health, economics, education, psychology, race relations, social services, and sociology. International in scope.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: automatic
        • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
      • Contemporary Women's Issues
        (1992 to present) Indexes popular articles, scholarly articles, books, newsletters, and reports on all aspects of women's studies, including gender, sociology, education, political science, and health.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: automatic
        • Phrase searching: automatic
      • PsycINFO
        (1887 to present) Contains citations and summaries of journal articles, book chapters, books, and technical reports, as well as citations to dissertations, all in the field of psychology and related disciplines.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: use a dollar sign $
        • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
      • Social Sciences Abstracts
        (1907 to present) Indexes journal articles and some book reviews on all social sciences subjects, including history, political science, international relations, law, economics, area studies, gender studies, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
        • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
      • Sociological Abstracts
        (1963 to present) indexes journal articles in sociology and related fields, including anthropology, economics, education, philosophy, political science, and social psychology.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: automatic
        • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
      • Web of Knowledge
        (c. 1900 to present) A multidisciplinary resource that provides citations to articles in thousands of journals in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: use double quotations marks " "
        • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
    • History
      • America: History & Life and Historical Abstracts
        (Time period covered: 1450 to present [world history]; prehistory to present [U.S. and Canadian history]. Publication coverage: 1954 to present). Indexes journal articles, book chapters, doctoral dissertations, and book reviews. (Each database can also be searched separately.)
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
        • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
      • Humanities Abstracts
        (1907 to present). Indexes articles in over 500 English-language journals in the fields of archaeology, art, classics, communication, film, folklore, history, languages and literatures, music, philosophy, religion, and theatre. Also includes citations for book, theatre, and film reviews as well as interviews, obituaries, and some original creative works. Includes the full text of selected articles from 1995 to the present.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
        • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
    • Sports
      • Physical Education Index
        (1970 to present) Indexes articles in scholarly journals, popular magazines, and trade journals; also includes citations to reports, conference proceedings, and patents. Provides broad coverage of physical education and sports, including sports medicine, sports sociology, sports psychology, training, coaching, and kinesiology. Also covers dance.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: automatic
        • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
    • Other Databases
      • Education Abstracts
        (1983 to present) Indexes over 500 English-language education periodicals, books, and yearbooks; covers a wide variety of education-related topics.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
        • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
      • General Science Abstracts
        (1984 to present) Indexes articles in over 250 English-language periodicals in a variety of science disciplines, including physics, astronomy, biology, chemistry, environmental science, mathematics, and medicine.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
        • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
      • JSTOR
        Includes pdf copies of scholarly articles from a core collection of journals; also includes book reviews. Note:JSTOR does not contain articles from the most recent 3-5 years.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: use a plus sign +
        • Phrase searching: automatic
      • Project Muse
        Contains full-text articles from journals published by university and scholarly presses.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
      • Social Sciences Abstracts
        (1907 to present) Indexes journal articles and some book reviews on all social sciences subjects, including history, political science, international relations, law, economics, area studies, gender studies, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
        • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
      • Web of Knowledge
        (c. 1900 to present) A multidisciplinary resource that provides citations to articles in thousands of journals in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: use double quotations marks " "
        • Wildcard: use a question mark ?

• General Tools
  • Library Catalog
    To locate primary sources, do a keyword search and add one or more of the following words:
    • sources
    • correspondence
    • diaries
    • interviews 
    • personal narratives
    • pictorial works
    You can also do a keyword search and limit your search by publication date.
  • WorldCat
    To locate primary sources, do a keyword search and add one or more of the following words:
    • sources
    • correspondence
    • diaries
    • interviews 
    • personal narratives
    • pictorial works
    Note: Rare and archival materials cannot be borrowed on interlibrary loan. If you want to consult manuscripts or archival resources, you will need to contact the holding institutions directly.
    You can sometimes locate microfilm or microfiche copies of these documents in WorldCat; try doing an advanced search, enter your keywords or subject terms, and then apply a "subtype limit," choosing "Microform" as the format.
• Periodicals & News Sources
  The Little Library has many magazines, newspapers, and journals from this time period. As well as articles about presidents and first ladies, they also contain interviews, profiles, editorial cartoons, reprints of speeches, and much more.
  1. Popular Magazines
     Including weekly and monthly consumer, news, and opinion magazines.
     • Bibliographies and Guides to 20th Century Popular Magazines
     • Indexes to 20th-Century Popular Magazines
     • 20th Century Popular Magazines in Little Library
  2. Newspapers
     • Indexes to 20th-Century Newspapers
     • 20th Century Newspapers in Little Library
     • Newspapers held by Other Libraries: How to Find Them
  3. Other Periodicals
     To find articles in other types of periodicals, such as journals, search the following:
     • Humanities & Social Sciences Index
       (1907 to present). For the period 1907-1984, this database indexes journal articles in both the humanities and social sciences; it also includes the International Index to Periodicals (1907-1965). From 1985 to the present, the focus is on the humanities.
       Search Syntax:
       • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
       • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
       • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
     • PAIS International
       (1915 to present) Indexes journal articles, books, government documents, and conference papers in political science, public affairs, and economics.
       Search Syntax:
       • Truncation: use an asterisk *
       • Phrase searching: automatic
       • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
     • Periodicals Index Online
       (c. 1665-1995) Indexes journal and magazine articles as well as book reviews in a broad array of humanities, social sciences, and science subjects.
       Search Syntax:
       • Truncation: use an asterisk *
       • Phrase searching: automatic
• Image Collections
  • AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive
    (1826 to present [images]; 1997 to present [text]) A collection of image, graphics, and text databases from the Associated Press (AP). Over 700,000 AP photographs dating from 1826 to the present are available in two collections: the International Archive (U.S. state, regional and national photographs; international photographs) and the Euro/Asian Archive. The Graphics Database contains diagrams, maps, and charts dating from 1999. The text database contains the full text of AP reports from 1997 to the present.
    Note: Photographs and graphics from the Archive cannot be sold, syndicated, loaned or used for advertising or for trade without the written consent of AP. In addition, users cannot republish any of the photographs on a Web page.
  • American Memory, from the Library of Congress
    Contains a wealth of primary source material for American history, including photograph collections, broadsides, posters, sheet music, video clips, sound files, and more.
  • ARTstor
    A collection of over 500,000 images covering art, architecture, and archaeology from a wide range of cultures and time periods as well as tools to manipulate and analyze those images. For technical requirements, see the Quick Start Guide.
  • CAMIO: The Catalog of Art Museum Images Online
    A collection of over 80,000 images of fine and decorative artworks dating from prehistoric times to the present.
  • Davidson College Library Archives: Digital & Photograph Collections
    • Digital Collections
      Includes college publications, including the Davidsonian (1914-2006), postcards, and more.
    • Photograph Database
      A finding tool for photographs in the Archives.