History 301: Historical Methods and Writing

Advertisement for Harry Houdini's Conjurer's Monthly Magazine. Undated. Oscar Teale Houdini Scrapbook. Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division. Digital ID (h) varshoud hs004.

Welcome to your History 301 course guide!  Take some time to explore the links throughout this guide that will help you find both primary and secondary sources. 

No guide can include every possible resource you need for your specific topic, so please reach out to me or your professor. 

Key Concepts that apply to all history research: 

• Use appropriate terminology (World War I was the "Great War" at the time since we didn't know there would be a second world war.)
• Ethnic and racial group references have transformed over time (e.g., Native Americans has replaced the term Indians which is now reserved in scholarly works to refer to South Asians from the nation of India.) 
• Geographic names can change over time (Myanmar used to be Burma.) 
• Time periods can be vague so try to be fairly broad (use the term "19th century" instead of 1849-1879) unless you are looking at a specific event such as the April 1906 San Francisco earthquake. 
• Non-English alphabets may be translated into English with a number of variant spellings. 
• Primary sources demonstrate the stereotypes and prejudices of the time, especially in the popular press or during times of conflict. 
• Propaganda or materials created by those in power are biased and frequently distort or disregard facts about those not in power.
• Give appropriate credit in your citation and comply with usage restrictions. 
  • Most sources allow use for educational purpose as long as cited or a particular condition is met. See Zapatistas! Anti-copyright statement and Creative Commons as examples.) 
  • Some sources will clearly state they cannot be used without permission and may require a fee (e.g., Getty Images)
  • The information or image must be from the original source (NOT Wikipedia, Pinterest or Google Images...) 
• Be a critical consumer, just because it is the first link in the results does not mean it is the best.