Research Guides: HIS 312 Civil War and Reconstruction: Introduction to the Research Process

Selecting and Narrowing a Topic

It is important to do some initial research before committing to a topic. One of the most effective ways to find a topic is to start broad on a general topic that interests you, do some reading, and then focus your topic. You need to focus on narrowing your topic into a workable topic that can be done in a semester and within the page limits set by your professor.

Course Textbooks – to familiarize yourself with your general topic.

Encyclopedias and other reference books – to familiarize yourself with your general topic.

Credo Reference

A-Z Databases: to research your topic more fully and to begin gathering possible sources

A-Z Databases : History

Library books – to research your topic more fully and to begin gathering possible sources.

Library Catalog

Bibliographies - Academic texts will ALWAYS have bibliographical references (footnotes, endnotes, works cited, etc.) that cite source material. If a scholalry work you are using lacks any references, chances are, it's NOT scholarly.

Your Professor! - No one has a better understanding of this area and no one wants you to choose an effective topic more than your professor.

The American Civil War : a handbook of literature and research by Steven E. Woodworth
Call Number: Z1242 .A47 1996

ISBN: 0313290199

Publication Date: 1996-12-09

The single most important volume for anyone interested in the Civil War to own and consult. (From the foreword by James M. McPherson) The first guide to Civil War literature to appear in nearly 30 years, this book provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and informative survey and analysis of the vast body of Civil War literature. More than 40 essays, each by a specialist in a particular subfield of Civil War history, offer unmatched thoroughness and discerning assessments of each work's value. The essays cover every aspect of the war from strategy, tactics, and battles to logistics, intelligence, supply, and prisoner-of-war camps, from generals and admirals to the men in the ranks, from the Atlantic to the Far West, from fighting fronts to the home front. Some sections cover civilian leaders, the economy, and foreign policy, while others deal with the causes of war and aspects of Reconstruction, including the African-American experience during and after the war. Breadth of topics is matched by breadth of genres covered. Essays discuss surveys of the war, general reference works, published and unpublished papers, diaries and letters, as well as the vast body of monographic literature, including books, dissertations, and articles. Genealogical sources, historical fiction, and video and audio recordings also receive attention. Students of the American Civil War will find this work an indispensable gateway and guide to the enormous body of information on America's pivotal experience.

Research Strategies

Pearl Growing: Front-End approach (used at beginning of search)

Research strategy that finds one ideal source that is similar to what you're researching.
The terms used to index that one perfect source are then used to track down other sources that have been indexed with the same terms.
Ex: Subject Headings

    Example search: Congress of Vienna in the Library Catalog

    Example search: Congress of Vienna in Historical Abstracts

    Example search: "Congress of Vienna" in JSTOR

Bibliography Mining: Back-End approach (used once other sources have been acquired)

Research strategy that looks at the bibliographical references within a major academic work (article or book) that is on your topic.
A researcher then goes out and finds those sources, which contain more 'deposits' of historical discourse.

Example search: Rites of Peace, by Zamoyski, DC 249.Z35 2007

Tip : Bibliography Mining is an effecient way to discover primary source material.

Often students will begin searching for primary sources by simply typing in a search term and 'primary documents.' This might work on occasion, and there are publications that are devoted to primary source material, but it is much more effective to collect citations from the bibliographical references within a text that is focused on your topic. This is often only accomplished by getting the physical item in your hands.

Acquiring the material is the tricky part.

Bibliographic essays may also be found at the end of some prominent works and textbooks which guide the researcher to other sources.

And of course, Literature Reviews of historical writings are invaluable.

HIS 312 Civil War and Reconstruction

Selecting and Narrowing a Topic

Research Strategies

Evaluating Sources