Course Instructor
- Prof. Melinda Gormley
Finding Books
OSU Library Catalog: check if OSU has a book or a government publication, verify if OSU subscribes to a journal; repeat your search in Summit.

Finding Scholarly Journal Articles
In general, start your searching with just one or two keywords. Add more as needed.
Be sure to try your topic in more than one database.
Read citations and abstracts to get ideas of different keywords that represent your topic.-
Academic Search Premier
A multi-disciplinary database of citations and full text scholarly and non-scholarly. Click Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journals to limit your search. Type islam* to find the words islam or islamic. Use quotes, "A'isha Bint", so the terms are searched as a phrase.
Coverage Dates: 1975 - present -
ArticleFirst
Citations from journals in all disciplines. Use quotes, "Abu Muslim", so the terms are searched as a phrase.
Coverage Dates: 1990 - present -
Historical Abstracts
Scholarly citations and articles covering world history. Type islam* to find the words islam or islamic. Use quotes, "A'isha Bint", so the terms are searched as a phrase. Can limit by language (recommended). Can limit by Historical Period. You may find a few articles here, but don't be surprised if there aren't very many.
Coverage Dates: 1955 -
JSTOR
A multi-disciplinary archival collection of scholarly journal articles. Type islam* to find the words islam or islamic. Use quotes, "A'isha Bint", so the terms are searched as a phrase. Under the advanced search, check mark articles to limit to scholarly articles. Again, you may find a few articles here, but don't be surprised if there aren't very many.
Coverage Dates: Varies by Journal -
Project Muse
Interdisciplinary collection of full-text, peer reviewed journals. Type islam* to find the words islam or islamic. Use quotes, "A'isha Bint", so the terms are searched as a phrase. Use parentheses to search for multiple concepts ("muslim" or islam*) and history. Use the limit to articles on the Advanced Article Search page.
Coverage Dates: Varies by journal -
Google Scholar
Google Scholar searches a variety of academic publishers. Some articles are available in full-text; others you can link to and get through OSU's print or electronic journal subscriptions. If the article is not available through OSU, you can request it from InterLibrary Loan. Use quotes, "A'isha Bint", so the terms are searched as a phrase. Use parentheses to search for multiple concepts ("muslim" or islam*) and history.
Coverage Dates: Unknown
More Journal Articles
You may find relevant literature by or about your person in by looking at literature from another discipline. Two examples:
Find a scientist
American Men and Women of Science: the physical and biological sciences Ref Q141 .C2
American Men and Women of Science: the social and behavioral sciences Q141 .C21
Note: some years are shelved in compact and some in storage.
Dictionary of Scientific Biography Ref Q141 .D5
Dictionary of Scientific Biography online
The DSB provides information on the history of science through articles on the professional lives of scientists. All periods of science from classical antiquity to modern times are represented.
Go here for more titles specific to History of Science or browse the Q140 section of the reference collection.
Try the term naturalist or naturalists in Google or the Dictionary above.
Browse these pages for ideas:
- Picture History
- Women biologists-Wikipedia
- African-American biologists
- Mexican natural scientists & biologists listed in DSB
- Biologists listed in DSB
- Natural scientists listed in DSB
What are Primary Sources?
Primary sources are materials produced by participants or observers at the time of an event or during a particular span of years. They are "original" in that the recording of the event or experience originates with the participants or direct observers. Some examples of primary sources are:
- Diaries, journals, memoirs, letters, autobiographies
- Official documents or records from government or private organizations (minutes, reports, etc.)
- Books, magazines, and newspapers produced at the time of the event
- Court decisions, transcripts, and other legal papers
- Research data (reports, market surveys, public opinion polls, statistics)
- Films, photographs, paintings, video recordings
- Novels, poetry, and plays
What are Secondary Sources?
Secondary sources are materials that interpret, analyze, describe, or explain primary sources. Textbooks, encyclopedias, biographies, and journal articles are examples of secondary sources. These sources are "secondary" in that usually they are one step removed from the event about which they comment or analyze. Use catalogs and databases to find secondary source books and articles. These sources will build your background knowledge about your topic. Use them to inform yourself about what scholar's say about your topic.
Northwest Digital Archives
The Northwest Digital Archives (NWDA) is a searchable database of archives in the northwest. Some materials are digitized. Most results will be finding aids, that is, detailed descriptions of the collections held by the archives.
Search by subject, by the type of material you're looking for, or by the "repository" or institution you want to visit.
Historical Oregon Newspapers
Here is a list of historical Oregon newspapers in microfilm on the 3rd floor of The Valley Library.
Current Newspaper Articles
Alternative Press Index Citations to 200+ alternative, radical and left periodicals, 1991-present.
Lexis Nexis Academic Full-text to hundreds of national and international newspapers, some from 1980's-present. For the full-text of The Oregonian, 1987-present, choose News and checkmark The Oregonian as a Source. Tutorial.
Oregon Index Citations to Oregon newspapers,1975-present.
PressDisplay Full-text to international and some U.S. newspapers, last 60 days.
Government Publications
Use the LexisNexis Congressional Index to identify congressional publications (hearings, serial set, house/senate reports and documents, etc) from 1789-present. Once identified, then find the full text in print, microfiche, or online depending on availability.
OSU Libraries' guide to Government Information, gives an overview of government publications and how to get them. See this guide for information about Congressional Publications at OSU. Includes links to Congressional Hearings.
Writing & Citing Resources
Cite U Like: manage your citations
Slate Citation Machine: style information
Plagiarism? It's Your Call: website with examples of how to cite correctly. From Western Michigan University's online tutorial SearchPath, "learn to find and critically evaluate information sources."
Suggest a Primary Source
Last Update: October 08, 2009 17:29 | Tagged with: History of Science History Charles Darwin evolution

