• Primary Sources
• GCC Databases
• Web Sites
• Citation Styles
• Research Assignment

A Note on Keywords and Search Terms

1. What is your research topic? Write down a couple of keywords to begin your search.
2. Remember, as you go through the process of researching, you may want to change terms that might be more commonly used in the research that you find. For example, you might find that different resources will refer to a specific Native Americans as Indians or American-Indians. 
3. Whether or not we agree with a specific term is not important to researching; however, it is important to recognize that different terms can refer to the same thing. Keep an open mind and pay attention to this phenomenon.  With this in mind, be flexible with your terms.

Searching for Primary Sources

The library catalog might contain primary sources for your research. A good way to search for primary sources is to enter a keyword or two into the catalog and then enter the type of source you are looking for. For example, in the figure on the right, the type of primary source you are searching for is interviews.

Try your keyword(s) with some of the following types of sources including:  correspondence, diaries, personal narratives, sources, photographs, letters, memoirs, speeches.

For more on primary sources, visit UC Berkeley Library’s link—This webpage can give you an overview on primary sources. http://lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/primarysources.html#catalogs

 

GCC Library Databases

US History Resource Center Database

The Gale US History Resource Center is a database that contains fulltext documents, including primary source documents. Below is a screen shot of search strategy that will return results for primary sources. When using most databases, always consider the Advanced Search option because it will often allow you more flexibility and control. In Advanced Search, you are able to search multiple fields at once to help refine your search.

 

 

 

In the figure to the left, the results from the above search yields a variety of sources that total 333 results. To view the primary sources that came up for a subject search on Native Americans, select the Primary Sources tab. You may then print, email or download the document you select.

 

 

 

 

Historical LA Times--Following are hings for searchign the Historical LA Times database:

1. This is a fulltext database. Also note the dates that it covers.
2. Use more than one search box for combining concepts using AND, OR, or NOT.
3. Notice that you may search in different fields. The Citation and abstract field is a good one to start with.

 

ProQuest--Following are hints for searching other primary sources in the ProQuest database:

1. You may also limit by Document Type for interview, letter, etc.
2. If you want to see what the "official terms" or subject headings for your topic might be, select the Topics tab, and enter your terms. For example, enter California and review the subject headings.
   • Use an * to search for roots of terms to the right of the search box.  For example, typing in camp* will bring back camp, camps, campaign, but also campfire. Alternatively, you may enter camp and camps on two different lines and selecting the or operator between them.
   • Use a ? for variations such as plurals of a word.  For example, wom?n, to find woman, women, or even womyn.
     
     

The Document Feature selection can be found towards the bottom of the search screen. All documents returned will contain the terms police brutality and los angeles in the Citation and abstract fields that also include photographs in the document.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reliable Web Sites with Primary Sources

The following websites contain digital images of primary sources related to California history and culture. Remember, part of finding quality sources entails looking at the contents and the flexibility of its search engine. Spend a little time exploring the various functions that the database offers.

• Calisphere -- http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/
  
• California Digital Library (Online Archive of California) -- http://www.oac.cdlib.org/about/oacprojects.html
  
• Santa Monica Image Archives -- http://digital.smpl.org/

• LAPL Regional History Databases -- http://www.lapl.org/resources/en/en_databases.html
  
• Independent Lense -- http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/
  

 

Turabian or Chicago Citation Style Guide

Following are some useful links to Turabian and Chicago style citation guides. The links also contain information about how to footnote your sources. In addition, we have print copies of both Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (808.02 T929m, 1996) and Chicago Manual of Style (REF 808.027 C532, 2003) guides.

• http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/chicago-turabianstyle.pdf

• http://umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/infolit/media/citing_turabian.pdf

• http://www.loyola.edu/library/REF/Chicagostyle3.html

 

Professor Kronbeck's Research Assignment