• Credo Reference
  Provides online access to encyclopedias, almanacs, and other reference tools.
  
• Encyclopedia of American Studies
  This source brings together a wide range of disciplines related to the history and cultures of the United States, from pre-colonial days to the present. It features broad, synthetic articles covering areas such as history, literature, art, photography, film, architecture, urban studies, ethnicity, race, gender, economics, politics, wars, consumer culture, and global America.
• Sharpe Online Reference
  A collection of approximately 20 electronic references sources that provide introductions to major topics in US and global history and culture. Also includes primary source documents.
• Blackwell Companion to 20th Century America

The library's print reference collection also houses a number of important reference works (encyclopedias, bibliographies, etc.). For American history, browse the print reference collection in these areas, or ask a reference librarian for assistance. Here are some specific titles that you may find useful:

• American Eras (8 vols. - Ref. E 169.1 .A47 1979 1997)              
  
• American National Biography (Ref. E 176 .A68 1999)        
  
• Harvard Guide to American History (Ref. E 175 .A1 H27)             
• American Years: A Chronology of the United States (Ref. E 174.5 .G753 1999) 
  
• Annals of America (hundreds of primary source documents - Ref. E 173 .A793)

Newspapers

• New York Times Historical
  Offers full-text, full-image articles from 1851 – 2008 of The New York Times. The database can be used to search national and international news, editorials, obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, plus historical photos and advertisements. The documents are downloadable in PDF format. How to export to RefWorks
  
• American Periodicals Online Series
• Other historical papers include the Detroit News (1890-present -- an index is available) and the London Times.
   

Images

• ARTstor
  A digital library of more than one million images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and social sciences with a suite of software tools to view, present, and manage images for research and pedagogical purposes. Check out the American Studies Subject Guide for tips on searching the collection for relevant materials.
   

Documentary histories

• Annals of America  (in the library's reference collection on the 2nd floor, call number E 173 .A793) contains hundreds of primary source documents.
• You may also find primary sources by searching the Library Catalog. Often, important primary sources are gathered together and reprinted in books. The following words and phrases in the Subject Headings of a book record may indicate that the item contains primary source material:
   

--Sources	--Photography
--Personal Narratives	--Interviews
--Correspondence	--Sermons
--Diaries	--Songs and music
--Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc.	--Facsimiles
--Records and correspondence	--Manuscripts

 
You can use any of these terms in a Boolean Keyword search of your topic. For example: eisenhower and correspondence.

Government documents

• Consult Kresge Library's Government Documents Center for assistance in finding and using government documents such as the Congressional Record.
• American Presidency Project (UCSB) - Searchable database of presidential documents.
• Foreign Relations of the United States - A series (also available in print in the library in the documents collection - S 1.1:) that provides copies of important documents in foreign relations history. The online version is not yet complete.
• Avalon Project - Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy (Yale University)
   

Directories of archives in the US and beyond

• American Historical Association Archives Wiki - A searchable wiki of information on print and digital archives worldwide.
• Repositories of Primary Sources - A guide to archives and other institutions worldwide that house primary source material.
  

The history research guide and 20th century U.S. history guide contain some references to some of the largest digital archives online.

For help in working with primary sources, consult History Matters. For a good definition and review of primary sources, see this tutorial.

• Kresge Library catalog
  You can use the library catalog to find books, scholarly & popular journals, government documents, dvds & videos, reference materials, sheet music, and more.
• MelCat
  A statewide catalog of many of Michigan's libraries. It allows you to request books at another library be sent to Kresge Library for you.

Here are the main databases for scholarly articles on American history:

• America: History & Life
  The definitive index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. Provides indexing for 1,700 journals. How to export to RefWorks. Coverage: 1964-present
  
America: History & Life
• JSTOR
  Full text of core scholarly journals from their beginning to approximately one year ago. Disciplines include botany, business, ecology, general science, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and statistics. Browsable by discipline and full-text searchable across all disciplines. Especially good for historic or classic articles in most fields. Coverage: 1665 to present. How to export to RefWorks
  
• Project Muse
  Project Muse provides full-text access to the content from over 400 scholarly journals in the humanities and the social sciences. How to export to RefWorks
  
• History Cooperative
  Full-text articles from 22 leading history journals, including "The Michigan Historical Review"
• Academic OneFile
  A huge and highly heterogeneous multidisciplinary mix of scholarly, journalistic, practitioner and popular sources, with much direct full-text included. Use the tabs to identify scholarly, newspaper or other sources as necessary. Thanks to MeL / How to export to RefWorks Coverage: 1980-present
  
• Humanities Full-Text
  Here you'll find articles, book reviews, and interviews dealing with literature, movies, journalism, dance, and communication. 1984 to present.
  

Find articles, books, etc...

An effective research strategy is to consult the reference lists and bibliographies of books and journal articles that you find; these bibliographies should help you identify other valuable materials on your topic. Your next step is to determine whether KL owns that book or journal article.

e.g.: Suppose you find the following citation in the bibliography of a book or article you're reading:
 
Bernstein, B. J. "Truman and the a-bomb: Targeting noncombatants, using the bomb, and his defending the 'decision.'" Journal of Military History 62 no. 3 (1998): 547-570.

Check to see if KL owns this journal (Journal of Military History) by searching Kresge Library’s Library Catalog. (Be sure to perform a Journal Title search using the title of the journal — Journal of Military History — NOT the title of the article.) If Kresge Library does not have this article, you can order a copy through Interlibrary Loan.

KL has a video tutorial on how to find journals owned by the library

Ask a Librarian

• by phone at 248-370-4426
• via chat with reference IM
• via email at Email Us!
• in person in Kresge Library.

Research Consultation
Request an individual session to get help with your research. You can expect the session within 2-3 days.

To request an item from another library:

Refworks allows you to create a personal database of references and automatically generate formatted bibliographies for your projects.

Writing Resources for Students
Find in-depth information about the mechanics of writing, MLA/APA citations, avoiding plagiarism, and more.

Writing Center
The consultants can help you with every stage of the writing process.