LibGuides: History: Find Sources

Find Sources

Written by scholars or experts in the field. Scholarly articles, also called academic articles, can be found using databases and cover a wide range of topics and can either be original research or analysis of an issue or topic.

Features of Scholarly Sources

Usually take the form of books or journal articles.
Often peer-reviewed.
Generally, present in-depth analysis or summaries of a topic.

Finding Scholarly Sources:

JSTOR Archival Journal & Primary Source Collection This link opens in a new window
The JSTOR Archival Journal & Primary Source Collection provides access to all licensed JSTOR archival journals and primary sources content in a single collection. It includes all 2,800+ academic journals on JSTOR that span more than 60 disciplines across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, along with millions of primary sources across four collections.
America: History & Life This link opens in a new window
The main article database for researching American history. Use to find journal articles, book reviews, and dissertations on all periods of North American (U.S., Canada, Mexico) history. Includes some links to full text. Indexes publications from 1964-present.
Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
This database is a great place to get started with your research! It is a multidisciplinary database containing full-text articles from academic journals, popular magazines, and newspapers.
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from scholarly journals in history, the humanities, the social sciences, and the sciences. Disciplines covered include literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and many others. Searches can be conducted across the full text of all journals in the database.
Ancient Europe, 8000 B.C. to A.D. 1000: Encyclopedia of the Barbarian World This link opens in a new window
This full-text encyclopedia explores the many peoples of early European civilizations. TOC: Discovering barbarian Europe -- Postglacial foragers, 8000-4000 B.C. -- Transition to agriculture, 7000-4000 B.C. -- Consequences of agriculture, 5000-2000 B.C. -- Masters of metal, 3000-1000 B.C. -- The European Iron Age, C. 800 B.C.-A.D. 400 -- Early Middle Ages/migration period.
Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Web of Science Core Collection is our premier resource on the platform and the world's most trusted citation indexes for scientific and scholarly research containing Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, Arts & Humanities Citation Index. Web of Science indexes core journal articles, conference proceedings, data sets, and other resources in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.

What is a Primary Source?

Primary sources of materials are integral in the study of history. Most primary sources are created at the time an historical event occurred, while others, such as autobiographies, are produced long after the events they describe. Among the many types of materials that may be primary sources are: letters, diaries, speeches, newspaper articles, autobiographies, oral histories, government and organizational records, statistical data, maps, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings, advertisements, and artifacts. The creators were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Some types of primary sources include:

Original documents: diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, official records
Creative works: poetry, drama, novels, music, art
Relics or artifacts: pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings

Primary Sources at UIS

Since a primary source can be almost anything, it can make locating them difficult. Often times the best place to start is with a citation from a secondary source. However, Brookens Library maintains a number of resources that contain primary sources:

Historical New York Times This link opens in a new window
The full-text of the New York Times from its first issue in 1851. Images of the actual texts of articles and of the full page on which the articles appear are presented. Has a two year lag from the present.
Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
An electronic collection of non-fiction, primary source writings by major American black leaders—teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other figures—covering over 250 years of history.
Women and Social Movements This link opens in a new window
Full-text primary resources and supporting secondary resources tracing women's reform activities. It has books, images, documents, pamphlets, scholarly essays, commentaries, and bibliographies. Limited to the United States. Coverage from 1600-2000.

Additional Assistance

The list above only covers a small fraction of the primary sources the Library can provide access to. There are many more options in the the Database A-Z list as well as the Library catalog and the general internet.

If you need additional assistance, contact a Librarian or your professor.

This video is a brief introduction to the scholarly and popular sources you will come across while researching. What are they and how do you know what to use for your assignment?

You can search the library website for books and other materials and request them for pick up at the library. UIS Library is also a member of I-Share, which means our students can access materials available at other Illinois colleges and universities. Watch this short video to learn more about how to search and request materials.

Library Website
From the library homepage you can search the library catalog for books.
How long can I check out items?
See the loan periods for various items depending on your status.

More Databases

A-Z Databases
Complete list of available databases.