Historical Abstracts indexes articles, books, book chapters, and dissertations on all aspects of world history from 1450 to the present. Does not include United States and Canadian history, which is covered in America: History and Life.
In secondary sources, authors analyze and interpret primary source materials.
Secondary sources can be scholarly or popular. Scholarly sources (sometimes called "academic" or "peer-reviewed" sources) are written by and for experts and typically include bibliographies and citations. Popular sources are written for a general, non-expert audience and can be authored by anyone.
The Isis Cumulative Bibliography is a predecessor to the History of Science, Technology & Medicine database. It extends coverage back to 1913, and is divided into several sections. People and institutions as subjects of study are simply arranged alphabetically by name, with citations listed beneath each entry. Subjects, periods, and civilizations are arranged in a subject classification, so check the index for what you are interested in. You'll need to think more broadly than when you search a computerized database. Don't hesitate to ask for assistance with these indexes if you'd like to use them!
JSTOR contains thousands of full-text articles from journals across the sciences, humanities, and social sciences, and in particular is known for providing online access to extensive archives of back issues of journals, and as such is particularly helpful for historical research. Click here or use the search box below
The History of Science, Technology and Medicine (HSTM) is the definitive international bibliographic database for the history of science, technology, and medicine and their influence on culture, from pre-history to the present. It includes materials published until 1975; for works published prior to 1975, check the Isis Cumulative Bibliography. Click here to search this database!
Google Scholar can be a powerful search tool, but it can be inconsistent in its coverage, so it is best if used for supplemental research.
Another useful feature of Google Scholar is its ability to allow for easily finding articles which have cited an article that you have found.
Step 1: When looking at search results, check for the 'Cited by X' link underneath each result. That will tell you how many subsequent articles (that Google Scholar is aware of...it's not 100% comprehensive! This is a ballpark figure) have cited this particular article.
