HIST 2230 History and Culture of Japan - Dr. Ritzema : Introduction

This guide contains information you'll need for 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.

(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 Japanese war with China, 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.  
• Search Credo Reference:  For example, in searching the Japanese war with China, I learned that Japan had two major wars with China, known as the Sino-Japanese Wars. From there, I learned that Japanese soldiers captured Shanghai and Beijing, killing more than 300, Chinese civilians.  
• Search Wikipedia -  While this site can be updated by anyone, it can be useful to find ideas related to your topic. 
• Books - search the COD Library for books that give an overview of your topic.  

Resources for your paper

Once you have some background on your topic, then start to gather resources for your paper or presentation.  In searching for secondary sources, use the COD Library to find articles and books on your specific topic.  

Suggested resources include:

• JSTOR - an archive of scholarly articles only on nearly every academic discipline 
• Academic Search Complete - 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