This document provides an overview of research methods for history. It discusses what history is, the importance of being objective and considering the context and source of information. It outlines the differences between primary and secondary sources and describes various ways to find sources, including in print materials, online databases, and digital libraries. It also addresses image sources, plagiarism, citation styles, and how the library can help with research.

1. Research Methods in U.S. History
1
AMH 3170
Civil War and Reconstruction
Farley Jenkins
1Library
of Congress, Civil War Maps Collection. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3824g.cw0331000 (accessed
November 6, 2011).

2. What is history?
2
• History is what happened
• Concerned with the broad overview of events
• Synthesis of many different forms of inquiry
2Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USP6-2415-A DLC.
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ppmsc/00000/00052v.jpg (accessed November 6, 2011).

3. Historical Research
3
• Must be objective
• Consider the source
• Consider the context
3Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS VA,44-RICH,146-
1. http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/va/va1600/va1628/photos/162402pv.jpg (accessed November 6, 2011).

4. Types of Resources
4 5
Primary Sources Secondary Sources
• Produced during the time • Produced after the
period time period
• Authors have first-hand • Authors will be
knowledge historians or other
• Letters, diaries, scholars
newspaper articles • Books, scholarly
journal articles
4Library of Congress, African American Odyssey, aaohtml 0413.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/odyssey/archive/04/0413001r.jpg (accessed November 6, 2011).
5Frederic L. Paxson, The Civil War (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1911), http://books.google.com/ (accessed
November 6, 2011).

5. Finding Sources
6 7
In Print Online
• Allows browsing • Exact searching
• More in-depth • Quick facts
• Less volatile • Easily transferrable
6Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection, LC-D4-42760 DLC.
http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/det/4a20000/4a20000/4a20400/4a20433v.jpg (accessed November 6, 2011).
7Creative Commons image by Flickr.com user laffy4k. http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-182219003 (accessed
November 6, 2011).

6. How can the library help?
8
• Lots of books and other print resources
• Many database subscriptions
• Help with finding what you need
8CreativeCommons image by Flickr.com user Athanasius. http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithpatterson/444003440/
(accessed November 6, 2011).

7. Finding Resources in the Library
9
• Circulating non-fiction
• Reference
• Special collections
9Creative Commons image by Donald Tetto. http://photos.tetto.org/4131/ (accessed November 6, 2011).

8. Searching the Catalog
• Log in to http://www.lib.usf.edu/
• Find items in library or in databases
• Enter a few words to start, then more to narrow it
down

9. Library Databases
10
• Authoritative and trustworthy resources
• Both primary and secondary sources
• Remotely accessible, can be downloaded
10Editorial,
"Hang Out Your Banners," New York Times, April 10, 1865. ProQuest Historical Newspapers (accessed
November 6, 2011).

10. Google Scholar
• Limits results to scholarly resources
• Can be used to find items in library databases
• Can be searched just like Google Web, the more
words in your search the more specific the results
will be

11. omg u can txt ur ?s!
• Stop by 1st floor reference desk
• Call (813) 974-2729
• Text (813) 344-2795
• Visit the Website to email a question, get help via
instant messaging or schedule a time to meet with a
librarian for in-depth research assistance

12. Pathfinder
• List of library resources on a topic and where to
find them
• http://fjenkins.myweb.usf.edu/pathfinder.html

13. Digital Libraries
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• Library collections of downloadable files
• e.g., Library of Congress American Memory
Project at
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
11New York Historical Society, Civil War Treasures, nhnycw/ad ad36013.
http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/nhnycw/ad/ad36/ad36013v.jpg (accessed November 6, 2011).

14. Images
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• A picture is worth 1,000 words
• Must be cited like any other resource
• Most images on the Web subject to copyright
12New York Historical Society, Civil War Treasures, nhnycw/aj aj14027.
http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/nhnycw/aj/aj14/aj14027v.jpg (accessed November 6, 2011).

15. Plagiarism
• Using someone else’s words or ideas and not
giving them credit
• Can result in failing a course or dismissal from the
university
• When in doubt, cite!

16. Turabian Style
• Used for history papers
• Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research
Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed.
(Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2007).
• Quick guide available from
http://www.libs.uga.edu/ref/turabian2009.pdf.

17. Google Books
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• Great place to look for primary sources
• All books published prior to 1923 can be
downloaded free
13CharlesH. Lynch, Civil War Diary (Hartford, CT: Case, Lockwood & Brannard, 1915). http://books.google.com
(accessed November 6, 2011).

18. Discussion Questions
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• Why is an objective understanding of history
important?
• What is the difference between scholarly and
popular history?
• Why did you choose to study history?
14CreativeCommons image by Flickr.com user Susan Sermoneta. http://www.flickr.com/photos/en321/28927666/
(accessed November 6, 2011).

19. Presentations
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• 3 resources for your topic
• At least 1 primary source, 1 secondary source, 1 print
source, 1 online source, 1 book, and 1 image
• Tell us why you selected each source and how it
supports your topic
15Creative
Commons image by Flickr.com user dcJohn. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcjohn/72584084/ (accessed
November 6, 2011).

20. Thank you!
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“To forget history is to remain forever a child.”
—Cicero
16CreativeCommons image by Wikimedia Commons user Gunnar Bach.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thorvaldsen_Cicero.jpg (accessed November 6, 2011).