Introduction to the History 301 Guide
This guide will help you identify and evaluate information sources for your History 301 assignments. Although not intended to be comprehensive it is intended to introduce you to standard print and online resources available to you because you are a student at the University of Kentucky. These resources will allow you to effectively and efficiently search for and identify primary and secondary scholarly materials for your History 301 assignments. In addition, this guide is intended to help you utilize criteria for critically analyzing and evaluating the information you identify enabling you to choose the best of what is available to you for your assignments.
Explore a Topic
Need more information about a topic but don't necessarily want an in-depth treatment like you'd get in a book or a scholarly article? Consider using one of the online database links below for background/context information. The articles in these reference sources are often written by individuals whose credentials and expertise qualify them as experts on the topic. Specialized reference sources can also help you develop your research outline--look at the table of contents and index headings and subheadings.
Use these sources In lieu of Wikipedia, where even the site itself warns "You should not use Wikipedia by itself for primary research unless you are writing a paper about Wikipedia." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Researching_with_Wikipedia 08/31/2011).
Reference and Information Services
William T. Young Library
Responsibilities: General Reference, Information Literacy and Library Instruction, Reference Collection Management, Academic Liaison for Social Work
Research is a process, a series of steps from development of an idea to the completed product. If you need a more in-depth explanation of the research process, please click on the link below.