History & Political Science

Before You Search 

1. Identify keywords in your topic.
2. Choose the best database.
3. Use 1-2 words per search box.
4. Combine "keyword phrases" with AND.
5. Use limiters as needed (dates, scholarly (peer reviewed).
6. Evaluate your results by reading abstracts.
7. Look at subject terms assigned to a good article to focus search.
8. No full text? Use Journal Finder on Journals tab.
9. The Cite button will help with footnotes.

Research Process

1. Choose your topic & isolate potential keywords. Use synonyms.
2. Use your textbook & reference sources.
3. Determine what types of sources are needed & begin searching.
4. Evaluate the quality, quantity & relevance of your sources.
5. Be sure to cite any ideas you have used that are not your own.
6. Assess your results & refine as needed.

Scholarly vs. Popular Periodicals

Video Created by the Vanderbilt University Peabody Library

Where To Find Print Journals

• Current issues
  • Periodicals Room, 1st floor
  • Organized by subject
• Back issues
  • Stacks, 4th floor
  • Organized by title

Evaluating Websites

Search engines like Google or Bing find websites of all levels of quality and value.

These Web sites were chosen by your librarian based on the following standards. Keep these things in mind when deciding if a website is reliable and appropriate for your research.

• author has credibility
• objective and unbiased
• accurate
• recently updated
• educational purpose

Always check with your instructor to find out if you can use free (non-Library) websites for your assignments.

Remember, if looking for journal articles, library databases are the most efficient tool for searching.

Library Of Congress Call Numbers

Library of Congress Classification
Class D-E-F   -- History

•    D - European history
•    E - American history
•    F - Regional history of the United States

Class J-K -- Political Science

•   J -   Social policy and political science
•   K -   Law