National History Day, University of Iowa Libraries, December 1, 2004

National History Day Resources
Research Tips and Evaluation Criteria
Reference and Library Instruction Resources
Government Publications Resources
Map Collection
Special Collections/Iowa Women's Archives Resources

National History Day Resources

A Research Roadmap  http://nationalhistoryday.org/02_contest/frameb_02_a3_1d.html
There are two major types of source material used by researchers; these are known as primary and secondary sources. Primary sources provide firsthand accounts about a person or event. They include letters, diaries, speeches, interviews, newspaper articles from the time, and many other types of documents. Secondary sources are usually published books or articles in which the author presents a personal interpretation of a topic, based on primary sources. Most library books are secondary sources, as are encyclopedias. Secondary sources are important because they show how people have formed different opinions about historical events.  top of page

Research Tips and Evaluation Criteria

Locating Materials in the University of Iowa Libraries
 *To find the location and call number of the books (as well as millions of video, audio, microform, map, serial, and rare titles) owned by the University of Iowa Libraries, use InfoHawk, the gateway to the libraries catalogs and other information resources. 
*Library of Congress Call Numbers  The University of Iowa uses Library of Congress call numbers. For a brief introduction, check the locations card in your packet. For more information ask the staff at the Reference Desk.
*Other Ways of Finding Books (and other resources)  Catalogs of books and other materials available in the library can also be found in the Government Publications Department and the Special Collections Department.  Some materials in these departments use other classification systems than Library of Congress.  Ask the staff for further information.

Research Tips
 *Begin with background information - Once you have identified the main topic and keywords for your research, find one or more sources of background information to read. These sources will help you understand the broader context of your research and tell you in general terms what is known about your topic. The most common background sources are encyclopedias and dictionaries from the print and online reference collection. Class textbooks also provide background information.
*Become more specific with subject encyclopedias and dictionaries - You can find encyclopedias and dictionaries for specific topics by using InfoHawk, by consulting a subject guide (an annotated bibliography of selected reference sources on a specific subject), or by asking a reference librarian to suggest appropriate titles. For more general background you may wish to consult Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
*Exploit the bibliographies in your initial sources - 
     * Read the background information and note any useful sources (books, journals, magazines, etc.) listed in the bibliography at the end of the encyclopedia article or dictionary entry. The sources cited in the bibliography are good starting points for further research.
     * Look up these sources in InfoHawk and periodical indexes. Check the subject headings listed in the subject field of the online record for these books and articles. Then do subject searches using those subject headings to locate additional titles.

Basic Evaluation Criteria from Evaluating Internet Sites  http://www.colorado.edu/history/coloradohistoryday/research/evaluating.html
 *Author--Is it clear who authored the page, does the author indicate an institutional affiliation or sponsor?  
*Bias--Does the author or sponsor of the site indicate that it may be biased? 
*Citations--Does the author of the page cite the sources that were drawn upon for the information included on the page? 
*Dates--As with printed sources, sometimes more recently published books are more authoritative and represent the most up-to-date scholarship. Does the author of the web page note the dates it has been revised or updated? 
*Reviews--Has this site been reviewed by a teacher, a school, or some other type of institution or agency for accuracy and truthfulness? 

Reference and Library Instruction Resources

University of Iowa Main Library Departmental Resources   http://www.lib.uiowa.edu
*Reference Department (1st floor, Main Library)  http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/ref
*Special Collections (3rd floor, Main Library)   http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/  About Us > Subject Guides  http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/Subject%20Guides/subjectguide.htm
*Iowa Women's Archives (3rd floor, Main Library)   http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa/  Collections; Exhibits > Evelyn Birkby Collection of Radio Homemakers Materials
*Government Publications (3rd floor, Main Library)   http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/govpubs  (see Government Publications Section below for more resources)
*Map Collection (3rd floor, Main Library)   http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/maps/  Cartographic Information of the Web > Historical Maps Online  http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/maps/histmaps.html.  

Government Publications Resources

Government Publications Department (3rd floor, Main Library)  http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/govpubs

International Government Resources
 *Foreign Relations of the United States   http://libtext-dev.library.wisc.edu/FRUS/ is a series of publications that reflect the history of United States foreign policy through diplomatic correspondence, declassified documents, presidential papers and more from 1861 through the Viet Nam era.  FRUS is available as a free Internet source with limited searching capability and as a bound set of volumes in Government Publications at JX 233 .A3.
*Access UN (UI Access Only)  http://purl.lib.uiowa.edu/accessun  Index to United Nations publications including Official Records, preliminary documents, draft resolutions, meeting records, books and serial titles, and UN Treaty Series citations. Also included is the full-text of more recent UN documents. Many of the sources may be found in print or microfiche in Government Publications.
*Iowa State Documents. http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/govpubs/iowa/state.html. If you are researching a topic with an Iowa connection, this research page may be of interest to you.
*World Development Indicators (UI Access Only)  http://proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/login?url=http://devdata.worldbank.org/dataonline/  Produced by the World Bank, this database is a good place to start when looking for statistical information for countries around the world. In this one database, you can expect to find comprehensive data for 575 development indicators, time series from 1960 to the present, for over 200 countries and 18 country groups.
*International Documents 
A look at the UN’s work communicating peace and South Africa’s transition from apartheid to “democracy”.

United States Statistical Information
*CQ Electronic Library:  Encyclopedia of American Government (UI Access only)  http://library.cqpress.com/eag/ provides full-text access to documents on the U.S. electoral process, political parties and campaigns, voting rights and trends.  Searching the phrase "facts and figures" in the search box will find all statistical materials within this database.
*Statistical Abstract of the United States  provides social, political, and economic statistical information on the United States.  The print is available beginning in 1878 through the present in the UI Libraries Government Publications department under the call number:  HA202.  This is also freely available online at http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/index.htm or http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS2878.
 *Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Time to 1970 is produced by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and presents U.S. statistical information on a wide range of topics including population, labor, communications, energy, and government.  The print copy is available in the Reference area of the UI Libraries Government Publications department:  call number:  fHA202 A385 1975.  This is also freely available online at http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/index.htm or http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS2878
 *Datapedia of the United States: 1790-2005 contains statistics ranging from 1776 to the present, with some projections made to the year 2010.  This is a private publication of the information presented in Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970 and contains statistical information on the same topics as this source.  The print copy is available in the Reference area of the UI Government Publications department:  call number:  fHA202 D37 2001.
 *Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of ... http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS53175  from the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives is a collection of the official vote counts for federal elections from the official sources among the various states and territories since 1920.  These documents are available in PDF or HTML formats.

Map Collection

Map Collection (3rd floor, Main Library)   http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/maps/ 

Special Collections/Iowa Women's' Archives Resources