Picking a topic
- Think about:
- a topic that interests you. You'll have to write about it -- try to make it fun!
- making sure your topic is manageable. Avoid researching something too broad or too narrow. Too broad will mean you will be overwhelmed. Too narrow will mean you might not find enough information to back up your thoughts. TIP: If you feel you are overwhelmed or not getting enough, you may need to refine your search. How? Think about broader/narrower time span, a larger/smaller place, broad/specific group of people, general/specific event.
- making sure you are clear about what your topic is. Its okay to adjust your topic while you research. However, try to have a basic idea of what you want to do when you begin.
- Avoiding research stress:
- Browse general reference resources to give yourself ideas. You may not want to cite from these resources, but try subject encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, etc. to get the ideas flowing. These resources are located on the 3rd floor of the library.
- Be careful about time! Finding materials takes time. Interlibrary loans take time. Putting together your thoughts takes time.
Suggested Reference Sources
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*Note: these books CAN NOT circulate
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American Cultural & Intellectual History
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3 volume encyclopedia set on various periods in American history.
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REF E169.1 .E624 2001 |
| American Decades |
Selected primary sources from 1900-1990 |
REF E169.1 .A471977 2004 |
Milestone Documents in American History
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4 volume set of various important documents in American history. Includes overview of document, context, explanation and analysis of the document, the audience and impact. Includes bibliography and related documents.
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REF E173 .M62 2008 |
Postwar America
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A multi-volume encyclopedia of social, political, cultural and economic history following World War II.
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REF E169.12 .P654 2007 |
| Documentary history of Reconstruction: political, military, social, religious, educational, 1865 to the present time |
Primary documents on the political, military, social, religious, educational and industrial history of Reconstruction in American. Older source.
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REF E668 .F58 1960 |
The Reconstruction Era
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Primary documents on events from 1865-1877
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REF E668 .D545 2003
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American Conservatism
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An encyclopedia on the various major persons, schools, concepts, organizations, events and publications that have contributed to the development of the conservative intellectual movement since WWII.
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REF E743 .A44 2006
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Find a book
In your own backyard (The Potter Library)
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Catalog: use this link to find books, government documents, reserve items, music, movies and journal titles (NOT JOURNAL ARTICLES) in our library.
Finding Articles
Types of Articles
- Scholarly v. Popular: What's in a name?
- Scholarly/Peer Reviewed/Refereed articles have been reviewed by a selected panel of experts in the discipline covered by that journal. Many databases allow you to limit or filter your search to these articles. Click here for a quick check list of what makes a publication "scholarly" or "popular."
- Don't know if an article comes from a scholarly publication? Check out the database called Ulrich's. Ulrich's is a database that allows you to check if a journal is scholarly. Enter the name of the journal (not the article) into this database. If you see a referee shirt next to the journal name, its a scholarly journal.
- Still having trouble? Look here.
- HTML Full-text v. PDF: What's the difference?
- Always try to use a PDF link over other options. PDFs are exact copies of articles. HTML Full-text articles will provide you with the text of the article, but may leave out pictures, graphes or other visual information.
How do you find articles?
- Databases are the best resources to get journal articles.
- Databases are available 24/7 ONLY to Ramapo students.
- Off campus use require you to login: use your Ramapo email and email password.
Suggested Databases |
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| JSTOR |
Comprised of the full-text of more than 500 academic journals. Note about printing: Click "PDF" on the top right of the screen with in the record. This opens an Adobe file. Print from inside this screen.
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America: History and Life
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History of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. |
| Academic Search Premier |
A multi-disciplinary database containing full-text in nearly every area of academic study including: computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, ethnic studies, and many more. |
Wilson OmniFile
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Wilson OmniFile Full Text, Mega Edition dramatically expands your periodical resources with electronic access to full text articles, page images, article abstracts, and citations from over 4,000 journals. |
Africana Studies Center
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Includes bibliographies, interactive timelines and maps, thematic photo essays and image collections, key primary source documents, and editorially selected links to Internet resources. |
Historical Abstracts*
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Historical database as a complete reference guide to the history of the world from 1450 to the present. Note: Coverage includes all areas EXCEPT United States and Canada
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Lexis-Nexis Academic (a.k.a. Academic Universe)
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An excellent source for newspaper articles or legal information.
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New York Times Historical
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This database offers full-text and full-image articles for newspapers dating back to the 19th century. For most titles, the collection includes digital reproductions of every page from every issue--cover to cover--in downloadable PDF files. |
| For more databases, see our complete A-Z database list |
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Extra Tips
Tricks for Searching Databases
- Always go back and revise your search! Look at using different terms and synonyms.
- Use the Subject Terms or Thesaurus link in databases to find the best search (or descriptor) terms to use.
- When using a phrase, use quotation marks. The words in the phrase will then be searched together. Ex. "social movements"
- Try to switch to the Advanced Search page in a database. This will give you more control over your results.
- Try to use Boolean Operators - AND, OR - when running a search.
- What's Boolean? A way to help narrow and broaden your search.
- AND: narrows your search. Ex. "United States" AND Reconstruction
- OR: broadens your search. Ex. "United States" OR America
- Always check your spelling if the catalog or database results are zero.
- To look for full-text use the "check availability at Ramapo", "primary catalog" or "check availability" links in the databases.
Need a specific journal?
- Check out the library's Journal Finder to locate what you are looking for or to see if we have it. The Journal Finder will be able to show you what dates the library has access to and if you can access the journal electronically or in print.
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