Skip to Main Content

History: A Guide to McFarlin Library Resources: Home

A guide to online and print sources available through McFarlin Library

Introduction

Abraham Lincoln head on shoulders photo portrait
President Abraham Lincoln
1809-1865

This Library Research Guide will provide information about and access to some of the most significant research materials available from McFarlin Library related to the study of History

If you're just beginning your research or you want to develop a basic understanding of a historical topic, check out Books & More under the Secondary Sources tab.  Books often synthesize the available scholarship on a subject.  This makes them an excellent resource when you need a lot of information quickly, you want to put a topic in context with other issues, or you need a good summary of research.  McFarlin Library provides books in both print and electronic formats.

If you're doing more in-depth research, such as for an upper division or graduate class or a senior project, you'll probably want to track down some journal articles.  Check out what's in Journal Articles, also under the Secondary Sources tab.  You'll learn about the major resources McFarlin has that will help you identify and retrieve professional and scholarly articles on history-related topics.

Primary sources, materials created at roughly the same time as the event or during the time period you're studying, are the real "meat" of historical research.  The Primary Sources tab provides more information and links to library databases that cover these types of resources.

Best Bets for Research

Professional Associations