HIS 338 - Young America

Introduction to searching for information on your topic

As an SNHU student you have access to all Shapiro Library databases to search for Reference Books, Books and eBooks, and scholarly articles to find information on your topic. Certain types of sources are more appropriate depending on the assignment.

Reference Resources - Provide a brief overview of a topic and usually includes a reference list that may lead you to more in depth resources. Reference books work well as an introduction to topic but provide basic facts and information and not a more detailed analysis that you will find in other types of sources.

eBooks & Print Books - Books, whether physical or electronic, provide a more holistic account of a topic and will often describe the events leading up to, during, and the outcomes and consequences of that event. Keep in mind that you may not need to read the entire book, it may be a chapter or section of a book that will provide you the information you are seeking.

Articles - The most popular type of secondary source, articles found in scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and newspapers offer a more detailed analysis of a particular event, person, or experience.

Primary Sources - Another type of source often used in historical research is a primary source. Primary sources offer first-hand accounts of events. Common examples of such sources are diaries, letters, original documents such as laws or decrees from the event, and sometimes newspaper articles taken directly from the time of the event.

Helpful Subjects and Call Number Ranges

The Shapiro Library organizes its books using the Library of Congress classification system. Below are some helpful call number ranges for history and related disciplines:

D - History, Historiographies

E - United States / America

F - US States / Canada / Latin America

Soul by Soul

by Walter Johnson

One of the textbooks for the course and is accessible online through our ACLS Humanities E-Book Project database.