Mr. P’s Class Term Paper All the Steps on the Path to an “A” Term Paper in World History

Where to Research o SF Library o Books (list Dewey Decimal System reference numbers). o Newspapers o Periodicals o DVDs o Speeches o Photos o SF Online Databases o Infotrac o Ancient & Medieval History o Religion & Philosophy o Perseus Digital Library o World Wide Web o What are legitimate websites for scholarly research? o Outside Libraries o Universities o State o Public

What to Research  Primary Sources  Primary sources were either created during the time period being studied or were created at a later date by a participant in the events being studied (as in the case of memoirs). They reflect the individual viewpoint of a participant or observer. Primary sources enable the researcher to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an historical event or time period.  Secondary Sources  A secondary source is a work that interprets or analyzes an historical event or phenomenon. It is generally at least one step removed from the event and is often based on primary sources. Examples include scholarly or popular books and articles, reference books and textbooks.

How to Research  Learn about the Assigned Topic.  Think about what types of primary sources might have been produced that would be relevant to your topic; think also about which persons or organizations might have produced materials.  Gather the information you have about your topic and consider what you still need to know before you start researching, including: dates, places, names of persons involved, names of organizations, government agencies, societies, etc.  Discovering Background Information  Reference works and secondary sources can help you find background information on your topic, including names, dates, and other information you can use to search library catalogs and article databases.  You may find reference sources by: browsing the reference collection at the SF library, searching by the appropriate subject headings and adding additional subject terms such as: encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies.

 Searching for a Type of Primary Source  Books from the time period you're writing about  Search the library catalogs by subject and limit by date of publication  Memoirs, letters, interviews, autobiographies, diaries  Search the library catalogs for the name of an individual as an author (last name, first name)  If you do not have the name of an individual, search the library catalogs by subject and add the appropriate subject terms to the subject heading: correspondence, diaries, interviews, and personal narratives.  Ask for assistance in locating bibliographies and other reference tools that may help you find other titles.  Magazine or journal article from the time period you're writing about  Use an article database to locate the citations (title, author, name of the magazine/newspaper, date, volume, page numbers) of relevant articles.  Newspaper article from the time period you're writing about - for a specific event or date  Use a newspaper database to locate the citations (title, author, name of the newspaper, date, volume, page numbers) of relevant articles  If you need to determine the dates of events before you can find newspaper articles, use a reference book, secondary source, or the New York Times database.

 Specific newspaper or magazine title (example: Chicago Defender)  Search library catalogs by magazine/newspaper title  Newspaper titles by city or by subject  Search library catalogs using subject headings and add the additional subject term: -newspapers (ex: subject keywords african americans los angeles newspapers)  Search the California Newspaper Project database for newspaper titles located at libraries throughout California. You may search by city, years, title, etc.  Records of or materials published by an organization  Search library catalogs by the name of the organization as author Research is fun!

 Finding most library materials- use library catalogs  To find most library materials (but not articles), use a library catalog. Catalogs list books, government documents, maps, videotapes, sound recordings, music scores and many other types of materials.  Catalogs also list collections of manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, and records of organizations, but they do not list individual items in those collections.  Most catalogs allow you to search by: title keywords, official subject headings, names of authors, organizations as authors, and more. You may also limit your searches by date of publication, format (videos, manuscripts, etc.), language, and library location.  To find articles - use an article database  Look carefully at the description of each database. Note what years of publication are included, what types of materials are included, and whether the database covers a particular academic discipline (such as History) or whether it is interdisciplinary.  Start with a keyword search, using a few key terms. Enter phrases (example: spanish-american war), or two or more key terms connected by "and" (example: disabled and berkeley). Look at the full version of relevant records to find official subject terms (also known as descriptors) to use in a subject search.