Research Resources
for
History 437 - Britain 1688-1877
Find books and Articles on Your Topic:
Searching for Books on Your Topic | Searching for Scholarly Articles on Your Topic
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Looking for More Books and Articles
Locate Primary Source Documents:
Collections of Printed Source Documents | Collections on Microformat | Collections of Primary Sources Online | Contemporary News and Magazine Articles
Selected Reference Works
Atlas of British Social and Economic History since c. 1700
Call # G1805.A8, Maps Library Reference, Ground Floor Paterno
Also online, search The CAT for the link to the online edition
Britain in the Hanoverian Age, 1741-1837: An Encyclopedia
Call # DA480.B75 1997, Arts & Humanities Reference, 2 nd Floor Pattee
British Diaries: An Annotated Bibliography of British Diaries Written Between 1442 and 1942.
Call # Z2014.D5M3, Arts & Humanities Reference, 2 nd Floor Pattee
British Historical Statistics
Call # HA1134.M58, Business Reference, 3rd Floor Paterno
Handbook of British Chronology
Call # DA34.P6 1986, Arts & Humanities Reference, 2 nd Floor Pattee
Historical Dictionary of the British Empire
Call # DA16.H56, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2 nd Floor Pattee
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (61 volumes)
Call # DA28.O95 2004, Arts & Humanities Reference, 2 nd Floor Pattee
Also online
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STEP 2 |
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Searching For Books On Your Topic
Use a Library Catalog to search for materials (books, videos, maps, etc.). You can access the library catalogs listed below by going to Books & More.
- The CAT ( Penn State 's catalog)
- OCLC WorldCat (Libraries worldwide)
Tips for locating published primary sources in The CAT
One way to find collections of published primary sources is to use the Subject Heading “Sources ”. Combine this with a broad topic, e.g. English civil war AND sources to find printed collections of documents. Another approach is to limit your search by date to find items published around the time an event occurred.
Also see the list of resources under Primary Source Collections
Searching for Scholarly Articles on Your Topic
To find articles on your topic, use an Index . The primary indexes are:
- Historical Abstracts (Articles published since 1954 in history journals)
Includes links to full-text journals in History Cooperative, JSTOR, & MUSE - Periodicals Archive Online (scholarly journals in many fields)
- Periodicals Index Online (scholarly journals in many fields)
- Women's Resources International (scholarly sources in Women's Studies)
If the article you want is not available online, search The CAT to see if the library has a copy of the journal the article appears in. The CAT will indicate if the library owns the journal, and if so, where it can be located.
Looking for More Books and Articles?
A BIBLIOGRAPHY is a list of citations (books and articles) on a topic. A few to try
- Annual Bulletin of Historical Literature
- Bibliography of British History, Stuart Period, 1603-1714
- Bibliography of British History, the 18th Century, 1714-1789
- Bibliography of British History, 1789-1851
- Bibliography of British History, 1851-1914
- Royal Historical Society Bibliography
STEP 3 - LOCATE PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS
Now that you have read what others have written it is time to research some relevant historical documents. It is likely that you will have some leads from the books and articles you have consulted, but you will also want to discover some sources on your own. Below are some types of historical collections available in the University Libraries.
Collections of Printed Source Documents
Many historical texts can be found by browsing the Call Number Range DA20 (Pattee Stacks Level BA).
Search The CAT for location information for the collections listed below.
- Calendar of State Papers (Foreign and Domestic)
- English Historical Documents (1660-1914) 12 volumes
- Great Britain. Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. Reports.
The commission reprints important texts. Over 100 volumes so far. - “Somers” Papers: A Collection of Scarce and Valuable Tracts…
- Statutes of the Realm from Magna Charta to . 1761. Continued to 1806. (collection of laws)
Collections on Microformat
The Library contains many primary source documents in microformat (microfilm, fiche, etc...). Search The CAT to locate a collection listed below.
- British and Foreign State Papers (documents on foreign relations)
- British Parliamentary Papers - Records of the British Parliament
Guide - English Cartoons and Satirical Prints, 1320-1832
- Three Centuries of Drama (1500-1800)
- British Periodicals in the Creative Arts (1770-1930)
- Great Britain. Foreign Office. The Slave Trade, 1858-1892
Collections of Primary Sources Online
Available from the list of library databases
- Early American Imprints, 1639-1800
- Early English Books, 1475-1800
- Eighteenth Century Collections Online, 1701-1800
- Empire Online, 1492-1969
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Magazine and news articles published shortly after an event can provide a snapshot of contemporary opinion on a topic, revealing current attitudes.
American Periodicals Series, 1741-1900+
Full-text of over 1,000 magazines, some coverage of UK events/topics.
Annual Register (1758-present)
Call # D2 .A7, Pattee Stacks Level BA
Early American Newspapers, 1690-1922
Best online source for colonial and early 19th century newspapers.
Early English Newspapers
Call # FILM 290, use THE CAT to get a list of titles in the collection.
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature (1802-1907)
Call # AI3.P7, Arts & Humanities Index Tables, 2nd Floor Pattee Library
Times of London, Index, 1790-1905
Subject index only, the newspaper is in News and Microforms.
Times of London Digital Archive, 1785-1985
Wellesley Index to Victorian Periodicals, 1824-1900
CD-ROM, ask at the Arts & Humanities Reference Desk, 2nd Floor Pattee Library
See Microfinder for a list of newspapers on microfilm.
Repeat Steps 1-3 as required
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Questions????Ask at any Reference Desk, or contact Eric Novotny, ecn1@psu.edu, 814-865-1014, IM: HistoryLibrarian. Office Hours in W321 Pattee: Friday 3-4pm, or by appointment. |
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