LibGuides at USA: HY 135: U.S. History to 1877: Finding Resources

Research Resources

Before and during a research project, you will need to find resources. Your resources are materials like books and articles that help you understand and make an argument about your research topic. If you are starting from scratch and having trouble choosing a research topic, visit our How to Start a Research Project guide.

You can find quality resources online in two different ways:

Through Google Scholar, the more academic version of Google.
Through USA Library databases.

These two methods are great to use for the same research project. You might find resources through one website that you wouldn't have found through the other.

How to Search a Database

Databases do not understand questions like Google can.

Databases talk through search queries.

Search queries are combinations of search terms, Boolean Operators, and punctuation.

Search terms
- Break your research question down into individual words or small phrases.
Boolean Operators
- Follow the Boolean Operators page.
Punctuation Marks
- " " - Quotation marks means you want that exact phrase to be searched. Not all databases follow this.
  - "Carnegie Library" - you only get resources that have "Carnegie Library" exactly.
- ? - Truncation/Wildcard symbol. Tells the database to substitute any letter there.
  - bibliograph? = bibliography, bibliographies, bibliographic...
  - read? = read, reading, reader, readmit, readdress...

Suggested Search Terms

You can learn how to create your own search terms in the How to Start a Research Project guide.

Here are some examples of possible searches:

"united states" "colonial period"
women "colonial period" diar?
american newspapers colonial
"indians of north america"
colonial “united states” letter?
newspaper? "united states" bibliograph?
"thomas jefferson" correspondence

Recommended Databases

JSTOR
A collection of full-text journals in which the latest issues are at least 3 to 5 years old, but the holdings often extend back many years. The journals may be searched separately or by discipline.
Project MUSE - Premium Collection
A collection of full-text journals which provides current coverage of journals, including many of the titles in JSTOR.
Academic Search Complete
This database is multi-disciplinary and full-text. It is a good start if you don't know where to go.
SAGE Journals Online
Full-text available for 574 journals.
Nexis Uni
Database of news, business and legal research. For educational activities only.

Google Scholar

You can use Google Scholar to find versions of articles that you can access for free. Google Scholar can tell you in the search results if you have access to an article through USA Libraries or if a free version of the article has been uploaded elsewhere to the internet.

Whenever you use Google Scholar, make sure to be logged into your JagMail account on that browser. Google Scholar will then understand that you have access to USA Libraries.

In Google Scholar, you can search by author, article title, or subject.

1. Search Google Scholar. Find an article in which you are interested.

2. Select the "Full-Text@USA" option below the article you want to read. You might need to click on the arrows to show this option. You may also see a PDF option to the side of the article's search result.

3. If you do not have the "Full-Text@USA" option, please make sure you are signed into your JagMail email on your browser. If you are signed into your JagMail, and you do not have a PDF option or a "Full-Text@USA" option, then you do not have access to that article through Google Scholar. You can still try to request access to the article through Interlibrary Loan.