Where Do I Start? - HIST 3000W - The History Workshop: Social Movements

Getting Started

As a Vanderbilt student you can:

get help with your research assignments by using Ask a Librarian.
borrow books and other items from any of the campus libraries (except Special Collections).
return most items you check out to any library.

Central Library has a materials budget over Two million dollars.
Vanderbilt Library subscribes to over 700 databases.
These resources make up a majority of the Deep Web
Google, Bing and other familiar search engines capture less than 1% of information on the Web.

Oxford Research Encyclopedias This link opens in a new window
Long-form overview articles written, peer-reviewed, and edited by leading scholars. Both foundational and cutting-edge topics are covered in order to develop, over time, an anchoring knowledge base for major areas of research.
Access to selected content only. Some articles may not be available.
Cambridge Histories Online This link opens in a new window
Cambridge Histories covering American, British, economic, regional, and general history, language and linguistics, philosophy, religious studies, theatre studies and performing arts, etc.
Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Literary guide to significant sources on a variety of subjects. Works as an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia.
Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window
Articles and books on Archaeology, Classical Studies, Criminology and Criminal Justice, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology. Some content in Business & Management, Economics & Finance, Literature, Psychology, and Religion.
Very Short Introductions This link opens in a new window
Concise overviews of hundreds of diverse topics from the abstract (Knowledge) to the concrete (Coral Reefs), written by experts in the field who combine facts, analysis, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make challenging topics highly readable.
Video demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOf171Mk_JU

Gale Literature: Book Review Index This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive guide to book reviews: cites or links to full-text reviews.

Coverage: 1965 to present
Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Index of academic historical journals on the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450 to the present, including world history, military history, women's history, history of education, etc.
Coverage: 1955 to present
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Large and important archive for academic journals, books, and primary sources in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Many journals do not have current issues.
ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Search all ProQuest databases simultaneously. Includes arts, humanities, social sciences, news, and science and technology.
Readers' Guide Retrospective, 1890-1982 This link opens in a new window
Index of articles from magazines, including full coverage of the original print volumes of Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature™. Atlantic Monthly, Century Magazine, Christian Century, Commonweal, Foreign Affairs, Fortnightly Review (London), Good Housekeeping, Harper's, Ladies Home Journal, Literary Digest, The Nation, New Republic, Reader's Digest, Saturday Evening Post, Saturday Review, Scribner's, and Women's Home Companion.
Coverage: 1890-1982.

Library Perks
Vanderbilt Libraries offers a variety of resources and services for research and scholarship. Make sure you don't miss out on any of these library perks for Vanderbilt affiliates.