In between trips to the historical society and other institutions, I have been searching online for documents and photographs to add to information I am collecting on the Hays family, the Maryland militia, and Harford County during the first quarter of the 19th century.
There are many steps in the research process, and with many repositories offering collections online and digitized books, there are more ways than ever to find sources for your research topic. Although being in the stacks at the library or handling historic documents at the historic society is sometimes the only way to go to complete your project, there are options to explore without leaving your computer!
1. Learn to use your tools more effectively.
Most people use Google as their default search engine, and there is nothing wrong with that. But take advantage of other options within the search engine you are already familiar with using. If you go to the ‘more’ section of Google, you’ll find Books and Scholar.
Google Books is a free search engine through books that have been digitized. Sometimes you’ll be able to see the entire book, other times you only will be allowed to see a preview of the book – usually the title page plus a few more pages. Google Scholar will find articles written in journals and other scholarly publications. This is a great way to narrow down your search to credible sources.
2. Expand your library catalog search.
You’ve already explored your local library’s catalog and are familiar with its holdings. But did you know you can search catalogs of libraries across the nation or across the world? WorldCat allows you to search for books, articles, and even DVDs and CDs. With more than 10,000 libraries participating, there are 1.5 billion + items for you to search. Who knows? That survey book on the history of Harford County or an analysis of the newest isotope technology just might be sitting on the shelf at a library not more than 20 miles away from you! Even if the library that has your book might be located across the nation, remember, it might be possible to obtain it through InterLibrary Loan! WorldCat is even available as a mobile app.
3. Target accurate and scholarly websites.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the backlash against Wikipedia as a legitimate source for your research project. Like I mentioned in my first research blog, Wikipedia can be a great starting point on a topic you know nothing about, but it is limited.
If you are doing a straight Google search:
· scan the results to weed out potentially harmful sites or hits that don’t include all of the terms you have entered.
· Focus on sites that end in .net, .org or .gov. Many historical societies and state websites will end in these locators.
· Choose what’s familiar. Often, magazines and television shows will have an online component to complement their programming. It is usually a better bet to read something posted by the History Channel than by www.history-o-rama.com (I made that up, but if you register that website you have to give me credit :)
There are quite a few libraries around Baltimore that have posted part of their collections online, and it’s a good idea to get familiar with the strengths of their collections. You might not need any information on early 20th century child labor laws for your current project, but keep it in the back of your mind that UMBC’s Albin O. Kuhn Library has the Lewis Hine photograph collection digitized.
Many institutions are also using content management systems to post collections digitally. You can search sites like CONTENTdm for other collections available online.
Hope this is enough to keep you going! I’ll post more soon!
Ann S. Persson, Hays-Heighe House coordinator
Great advice! Keep it coming.
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