HIST 1110 Foundations of the European World- Professor Thon: Introduction

Welcome to the History 1110, Foundations of European World research guide for Professor Thon's class.This guide contains information you'll need for researching your history topics and using the COD Library resources.  

If you need additional help, please contact the History Librarian or stop by the Reference Desk. You can also contact a Reference Librarian online: Ask A Librarian.

Image: "Digestum vetus, with gloss of Accursius" via JSTOR

Agenda

• Website
• Getting Help
• Library cards
• Databases - Off campus access
• Research Guide - library.cod.edu/1110-mt 

(Suggested) Steps for conducting research in History.  

There are many entry points in joining a conversation about history.  You might find a book, article, film, a primary source, something from a text book - all of these sources can provide a point of entry into a topic.  But first, you need to find your topic!

If you need an introduction to, or background information on, a topic:

If you already have a vague idea about your topic, for example, the Middle Ages, you'll want to do some preliminary search for background information.  

Background Information - Searching

Encyclopedias are often your best friend for getting background information on a topic.

• Use encyclopedias available from the COD Library, such as Credo and Encyclopedia Britannica,  These are EXCELLENT sources that are written by scholars with academic credentials.  For example, while searching the Middle Ages in Credo I learned that factors contributing to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire included attacks by barbarians, unequal financial resources between the western and eastern Roman Empires, and political instability in the west.  
• Books - search the COD Library for books that give an overview of your topic. 
• Wikipedia -  While this site can be updated by anyone so it's uncertain if a contributor has expert knowledge in a given field of study, it can be useful to find ideas related to your topic.   

Suggested resources include:

• JSTOR - an archive of scholarly articles only on nearly every academic discipline 
• Academic Search Ultimate - another multi-disciplinary database that has both scholarly and popular articles, including newspaper articles, and some multi-media sources
• Library catalog - find books and video related to your topic
• Very Short Introductions - The Very Short Introductions is a collection of overviews of history and other topics.