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Historical Research: United States History

Search techniques and resources for the field of history.

Research Resources for United States History

Use the Library Web site Discovery Advanced Search platform along with the Research Worksheet to find resources for a study of United States History.

The Research Worksheet can be found here: <<http://masters.libguides.com/worksheet>>

Discovery can be found here: <<http://www.masters.edu/library>>

Discovery Advanced can be found here: <<https://masters.on.worldcat.org/advancedsearch?databaseList=>>

NOTE:  Do not use the carrots << >> from the examples below in your search.  These are simply delimiters used to indicate the beginning and ending of the characters to be used in the search. 

For Historical Information About A Country, search Discovery

su:united states history

su:united states 18th century

u:united states 20th century

"su:" tells the search engine to search in the Subject field for the following terms, in this instance "united" AND "states" AND "20th" AND "century"

For specific states, counties, cities, or place name use the same search query but replace "united states" with the name of the state, county, city, or other place name.

su:california 21st century

su:los angeles county history

su:los angeles 20th century

For specific events use the same search query but replace "20th century" with the name of the event:

su:united states civil war

su:california gold rush

su:los angeles aqueduct

For General Background Information of US History, use encyclopedias and dictionaries:

In the first search box select [Subject] and type <encyclopedias OR dictionaries>
 
 “encyclopediasanddictionaries” must be plural; “OR”must be in all caps. 
 
In the next search box, again change the field to "Subject" and then type <<united states>> or, whatever topic is of interest to you; this formula works for almost any topic.   See Figure 1 below.
 
Figure 1
 
It is also very helpful to limit the Format: to Books; the Audience: to Not Juvenile; and the Content: to NonFiction.Consider limiting the Language: to English as well (see Figure 1 above).  The language limit is especially useful when searching Libraries Worldwide.

Last updated November 17, 2016

Search Techniques for Customs & Cultures of the United States

From the Powell Library Web site:

Powell Library Discovery

Use the Discovery platform

To get information on the customs of a country or people group, simply use <<customs>> as a subject heading.   Add the name of the people group and/or the name of the country or region. For example:

<<su:native americans customs>>

For information on the culture of a country or people group, use the subject <<ethnology>>.  Add the name of the people group and/or the name of the country or region.  For example:

<<su:blacks ethnology>>

NOTE:  Do not use the carrots << >> in the search.  These are simply delimiters used to indicate the beginning and ending of the characters to be used in the search.

MORE SEARCH TECHNIQUES

Option 1:  A very broad keyword search ("keyword" searches all the metadata, i.e. author, title, subject, table of contents, summary, etc.)

<<united states ethn*>> -- This tells the Discovery search engine to look for records containing the terms "united" AND "states" and because of the use of the * (asterisk), Discovery knows to look for the root word "ethn" and any variation thereafter, so it will look for ethnic, ethnicity, ethnograph, ethnography, ethnographic, ethnographies.  Go ahead, try it here . . .

Search Powell Library Discovery

 

Option 2:  A focused metadata search -- in this instance the search is limited to the Subject field.  The metadata code used in Discovery is <<su:>>

<<su:united states ethn*>> -- This will limit the search to those records containing these key terms somewhere in the Subject.   Try it here . . .

Search Powell Library Discovery

 

Option 3: A very focused metadata search --  in this instance the search is limited to the Title field.  The metadata code used in Discovery is <<ti:>>

<<ti:united states ethn*>> -- Here the search is limited to those records containing these key terms somewhere in the Title.  Try it here . . .

Search Powell Library Discovery

 

Option 4: Another very focused metada search -- in this instance the search is limited to the Author field.  The metadata code use in Discovery is ....you guessed it

<<au:>>

<<au:gregg frazer>> -- Here the search is limited to those records containing these key terms belonging to an Author.

Last updated November 17, 2016

Browse the Shelves with Dewey

Dewey Decimal Classification System

DDC Outline Web page <<http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/oclc/dewey/DDC%2023_Summaries.pdf>>

900-999 Geography, history and auxiliary
                   disciplines
   910   Geography and travel
   920   Biography

930-990 History of ancient world; of specific continents, countries, localities; of extraterrestrial worlds
  
   973 - United States History

        .1     Early history to 1607
        .2     Colonial period, 1607-1775
        .3     Periods of Revolution and
                 confederation, 1775-1789
        .4     Constitutional period, 1789-1809
        .5     1809-1845
        .6     1845-1861
        .7     Administration of Abraham
                 Lincoln, 1861-1865; Civil War
        .8     Reconstruction period,
                1865-1901
        .9     1901-
                  .91     1901-1953
                  .92     1953 --
                     .931   George Bush
                     .932   Barack Obama
                     .933   Donald Trump

   974 - Northeastern United States (New England and Middle Atlantic States)

   975 - Southeastern United States (South Atlantic states)

   976 - South central Unites States; Gulf Coast States

   977 - North central United States; Lake states

   978 - Western United States

   979 - Great Basin and Pacific Slope region of the United States Pacific Coast states

996.9 - Hawaii and the North central Pacific Islands

Last updated November 17, 2016

Browse the Shelves with LC

Library of Congress Classification System

LC Classification Outline Web site: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco.html

D – History: General and Old World

E – History: America

        151+ United States

Last updated November 17, 2016

Reference Librarian

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