Reference Sources
- Use reference sources (specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries, bibliographies, and handbooks) early in the research process to find topic overviews. To search for reference sources in HOLLIS, add (encyclopedias OR dictionaries OR bibliographies OR handbooks) to your search or use the right menu to limit to reference sources.
- African American Biographical Database The African American Biographical Database (AABD) brings together in one resource the biographies of thousands of African Americans. These biographical sketches have been assembled from biographical dictionaries and other sources. AABD draws its initial content from Chadwyck-Healey’s acclaimed Black Biographical Dictionaries 1790-1950. Biographical portraits from newly uncovered dictionaries as well as from other published reference sources, obituary files, slave narrative collections, internet sites, etc. have been added as the database expands. Use the Profile Search to locate individuals by name, place of birth, date of birth, date of death, occupation, religion, gender, or source of information. To access this material, you must visit a Harvard Library in person or have a Harvard ID and PIN for remote access.
Monographs
Monographs
- Use monographs (books that provide a detailed treatment of a single subject or an aspect of a subject) for in-depth information. Examples of monographs include a history of a single institution, an analysis of the evolution of an aspect of black education or a study of a particular period in education.
- Monographs can be a useful source for finding primary sources.
See HOLLIS search tips to search for books.
Dissertations
Scholarly Articles
Although HOLLIS includes articles, the databases below focus your search by discipline and/or provide sophisticated search features to improve your results. Meet with a librarian to learn strategies for efficient, effective searching.
- 3-in-1 Education ArticlesSearch three education-related databases, ERIC, Education Source, and Academic Search Premier, to find articles on your topic.
- America: History and LifeSearch this definitive index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present, for articles, dissertations, and book reviews.
Use the "historical period" limiter to search for materials about a particular period in history. - Education Index RetrospectiveSearches education literature 1929-1983.
- JSTORSearch this archive of scholarly journals for long runs of major journals. Caution: JSTOR often does not include articles published in the past 3-5 years.
Use "advanced search" for fielded searching (tip: only 10% of JSTOR articles have abstracts) or to select relevant (i.e., history, education, etc.) collections.