Pre-Search Resources
Some of these resources are examples of what you can use to get to know your topic, gather information, and plan. Pre-search is an important part of the research process. Everyone has their own way of doing this, so please feel free to use the following as supplemental resources.
Please note that the following are just SOME of the resources available to Harvard Users. If you do not see your topic represented, please feel free to reach out to the librarian and we can find some resources for your topic.
- Encyclopedia of American Studies (EAS)This encyclopedia brings together a large range of disciplines related to the history and cultures of the United States, from pre-colonial days to the present. Available to Harvard users only
- CQ Press LibraryCQ Press Library is the definitive reference resource for research in American government, politics, history, public policy, and current affairs. Available to Harvard users only.
- Oxford African American studies center :the online authority on the African American experienceComprehensive collection of scholarship focused on the lives and events which have shaped African American and African history and culture, coupled with precise search and browse capabilities. Features more than 10,000 articles by top scholars in the field, over 1,750 images, more than 300 primary sources with specially written commentaries, nearly 150 maps, 150 charts and tables, and over 6,000 biographies. Available to Harvard users only.
- Chicano DatabaseThe Chicano Database identifies all types of material on Mexican-American topics and about Chicanos. Updated quarterly, the Chicano Database covers at least 1967 to the present. Records added since 1992 have expanded its scope to include the broader Latino experience, including Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Central American immigrants. Available to Harvard users only.
Primary Sources
The following resources are focused on primary sources. Please note the description for date and subject coverage. Harvard Library has access to many primary resource databases. For more options or other topics, please check TBD.
- History MakersFocused on American history, oral history and education in general and more specifically on African American history, education, music, law, the arts, science, technology, media, medicine, entertainment, fashion & beauty, business, the military, politics and sports, The History Makers is a combination archive, library, museum, stock footage collection, on-line educator and educational PBS/TV programming. Its topics include but are not limited to African American organizations and associations, slavery, reconstruction, the labor movement, the civil rights movement and black authors. Available to Harvard users only.
- Everyday Life and Women in America (1800-1920)Everyday Life and Women in America, c.1800-1920 provides primary source material for the study of nineteenth and early twentieth century American cultural and social history from the collections of the New York Public Library and the Sallie Bingham Center for Women s History and Culture, Duke University.
- Images of America: A history of American life in images and texts HistoryImages of America: A History of American Life in Images and Texts contains thousands of Arcadia books on local histories of the United States. The histories includes primary sources and photographs from archives, historical societies and private collections. Images and text are fully searchable. The database can also be searched by location, person, event, date, ethic group and organization.
- Archives of Sexuality and GenderInstead of linking directly to the database, this is a link to the library record on Hollis. There are two parts to this database, so the user can choose which one they need. Includes material from hundreds of institutions and organizations, including both major international activist organizations and local, grassroots groups, the documents in the Archives of Sexuality and Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture since 1940 present aspects of LGBTQ life in the second half of the twentieth century and beyond.
- The international women's movement : the Pan Pacific Southeast Asia Women's Association of the USA, 1950-1985Formerly known as the Pan Pacific Women's Association of the U.S.A., the Pan Pacific and Southeast Asia Women's Association was founded in 1930 to strengthen international understanding and friendship among the women of Asia and the Pacific and the women of the U.S.A. The group promoted cooperation among women of these regions for the study and improvement of social, economic, and cultural conditions; engaged in studies on Asian and Pacific affairs; provided hospitality to temporary residents and visitors from Pacific and Asian areas; and presented programs of educational and social interest, dealing with the customs and cultures of Asian and Pacific countries.
Secondary Resources
The following are secondary sources (articles, dissertations, reviews, books).
- 3-in-1 Education Articles SearchThese education specific databases are focused on the field of education and allow you to narrow down by education level, intended audience, and other filters.
- Proquest Social SciencesThis collection provides access to databases covering the international literature in the social sciences, including politics, sociology, social services, anthropology, criminology and education.
- America: History and LifeMain database providing indexing and abstracts (with many links out to full text) for the history and culture of the United States, Canada, with some material on Mexico and the Caribbean, from prehistory to the present.