- The Harvard Library system is a rich, diverse ecosystem with many libraries, collections, and librarians to help you with the process of research. There are LibGuides on many topics that will help you, and librarians with subject specialties who can help you sort through the process of finding a topic or unknot a thorny research problem.
- All the LibGuides, organized by subject, can be found here: Guides by Subject
- Some subjects do not have many LibGuides, but others, such as History, have 70 or more. Some of them are designed for a specific course or doing research in a particular topic/period, and others are more general. Some of the more general ones are highlighted below.
- Remember if you don't know who to ask or are feeling overwhelmed, there are two ways to start that don't require you to know who to ask: Ask a Librarian and Research Consultations.
- Filling out either of these forms will get a response within a day. We'll find the right librarian for you.
- You can also find a subject expert to contact directly by browsing the FAS List of Library Liaisons
Research Guides and Contacts for History
- LibGuide for HistoryThis is not so much a basic guide to research in history as it is a one-stop-shopping extravaganza of history research. It covers finding many kinds of information, from speeches & oral histories to foreign government information & maps. It covers a wide variety of topics, too.
- LibGuide for American StudiesHistory is only one of the aspects of this LibGuide, but if you are researching the history of a particular aspect of American culture, this guide will help you find resources in a variety of fields.
There are many LibGuides under the general subject heading of History, so be sure to check the Guides by Subject, especially if you are researching in a particular time period or outside U.S. history.
There are many librarians who can help you, if you would like a consult. Widener is the 'home' library for collections in this discipline. Fred Burchsted is the Liaison to the History Department and one of the knowledgeable and approachable people in Widener. Anna Assogba, based in Lamont Library, also covers history, as well as being one of our experts on citation management software.
Research Guides and Contacts for Government/International Relations
- International RelationsThis is the main entry point for research in this field. It covers finding articles, journals, data, and news, as well as referrals to other useful LibGuides.
- National and International SecurityThis is a growing area of research focus within the discipline, and has subtopics, such as cybersecurity, that are very hot. This guide is for you if this is your area or if your area and these topics as a facet.
- U.S. Federal GovernmentA deep dive into resources for finding information about all the branches of the U.S. government.
- Country Information SourcesIt can be hard to find (reliable) information about other countries. This LibGuide will help with that problem.
The disciplines Government and International Relations are studied in great depth by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and their Library covers these fields, as you can see from the authorship of the LibGuides. Their librarians will be happy to work with you!
Kathleen Sheehan, based in Lamont Library, works with Government concentrators in addition to her work in Psychology and Sociology.
Government Documents (U.S. and international) questions should be sent right to the this email: govdocs@fas.harvard.edu. A team of library experts will triage them.
Research Guides and Contacts for Psychology
- Contemporary Issues in PsychologyCreated for undergraduate psychology concentrators, this LibGuide covers the basics of developing a topic and the major research databases in the field.
- Human Development and PsychologyFor those focusing their research on this area of psychology, this LibGuides discusses the major research databases, as well as offering search tip and tricks, major journals, and citation management help.
- SociologySometimes allied or adjacent fields also do relevant research. This guide will help you get up to speed researching in what might be an unfamiliar subject area.
Widener is the 'home' library for the social science collections in this field. Kathleen Sheehan, based in Lamont Library, is the liaison librarian for the social sciences aspects of Psychology, and Michael Leach (who hails from Cabot Library) covers the more neuroscience/medicine-based aspects of this discipline.
Some of the Libraries that have major collections in the field of Psychology are Cabot, Countway, and Widener.
Research Guides and Contacts for Anthropology
- Anthropology ResearchThis is the general LibGuide for Anthropology research. Resource suggestions are organized by Human Evolutionary Biology, Medical Anthropology, and Social Anthropology.
Tozzer is the 'home' library for Anthropology. Susan Gilman is the Librarian for Tozzer Library, and is the Library Liaison for Anthropology.
