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History

LibrarySearch: History Discipline Search

LibrarySearch: Find articles, books and more

Finding Articles: History

An article database of particular interest to history students may be:

America History & Life: 

  • Covers North America (i.e. includes Canada)
  • Includes not only history but also "life"--society, politics, culture,  etc.

While most articles in this database can be found through LibrarySearch, it may also be searched directly. Ask a librarian for assistance if you have questions about how to locate additional resources for your topic.

History: Tips for Effective Searching

Review the reading list, reference list, bibliography, or list of "works cited" at the end of any useful publication that you find. Readings in textbooks, or at the end of journal articles that you are assigned to read, may list important related works and authors.

Titles and information about useful books and articles may suggest words and phrases to use in searching.

History: Tips for Searching for Books

When searching for books or articles use the name of the country (e.g. Canada, France, China) rather than the name of the people (e.g. Canadian, French, Chinese).

When looking for material on World War I, look for:

subject term = "World War 1914-1918"
key word string = ("
World War 1914-1918" OR "World War One")

When looking for material on World War II, look for:

subject term = "World War 1939-1945"
key word string = ("World War 1939-1945" OR "World War Two")

Search for the word history, together with the name of the country, e.g. Canada History. Also try also using phrases like "Politics and Government" or "Foreign Relations".

Specifying dates can be tricky. For example, when looking for books about Canadian foreign relations in the 1960's, you will have better success if your search is for Canada Foreign Relations 1945-

There is no easy way to intuit date ranges that have been applied to the Foreign Relations subject or any other subject. Ask a librarian to help you determine what will work best for your particular topic.

History: Selected Reference Sources

History Department @VIU

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