Collins Memorial Library: SSI1-173: Alexander Hamilton's America: Articles

Database Search Tips

Try these strategies to become a better, more efficient searcher -- and help you find articles that you can actually use:

Build your search vocabulary -- keep a running list of key words, phrases, concepts, synonyms, and any related terms or ideas that you find.
Use advanced search features -- narrow your search with "AND," expand your search with "OR," or search in specified fields (i.e., author, title, publication, abstract).
Use search limits -- control the types of results you get (academic journals? language?) and how they are displayed (date? relevance?) so that you're only looking at results you can use.
Try multiple searches and evaluate -- try to figure out why you got the results you did, and adjust your search until you get closer to results you can use.
Use database descriptors -- once you find an article that looks good, see what descriptors or "subject headings" were assigned to it in the database. You can use these to search only for articles that have the same descriptors attached

Politics & Economics Databases

EconLit with Full Text
Comprehensive index, including partial full-text, of journal articles, books, book reviews, working papers and dissertations in Economics and related fields.
Political Science Complete
Provides full text, and indexing and abstracts, for many journal titles with a worldwide focus reflecting the globalization of contemporary political discourse. The database also features full-text reference books and monographs, and full-text conference papers, including those of the International Political Science Association.

History Databases

America: History & Life is the more critical database for American History, but English history covered in this class may also be found in Historical Abstracts.

America: History & Life This link opens in a new window
Indexes articles, books, essays in books, and dissertations on the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present.
Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window
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.

Historical Newspapers

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
From the Library of Congress a searchable database of U.S. newspapers with descriptive information and select digitization of historic pages.
New York Times Historical Newspaper This link opens in a new window
Includes full page images of the New York Daily Times (1851-1857) and the New York Times (1857-2017).
Los Angeles Times Historical Newspaper (1881-1996) This link opens in a new window
Full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue of the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

Interdisciplinary Databases

Academic Search Premier
A multidisciplinary database containing full text journal, magazine & newspaper articles, many from peer-reviewed titles. This scholarly collection covers information in nearly every area of academic study.
JSTOR
An interdisciplinary journal archive. It includes archives of over one thousand leading academic journals across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as select monographs and other materials valuable for academic work.
Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest)
Provides access to multiple databases covering the international literature in the social sciences, including politics, sociology, social services, anthropology, criminology and education.

Need help?

This guide highlights only a small portion of the many resources available to you. If you're not finding what you need, don't hesitate to contact Andrea!

Andrea Klyn
Social Sciences Liaison Librarian
email: aklyn@pugetsound.edu
tel: (253) 879-2875
office: Collins Library 141

Request an Appointment with Andrea