LibGuides: Introduction to History Research at MSU: Home

Online Reference Tools

Blackwell Reference Online (now on Wiley Online Library) This link opens in a new window
Blackwell Reference Online content has moved to the Wiley Online Library, which contains online versions of authoritative reference publications in Philosophy, Religion, Literature, Cultural Studies, History, Business, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Linguistics and many other subjects.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Includes over 200 reference works in the humanities, social sciences, and the sciences.
Gale Virtual Reference Library This link opens in a new window
Includes a number of online reference works by the Gale Group and affiliated publishers.
Sabin Americana, 1500-1926 This link opens in a new window
Joseph Sabin’s Bibliotheca Americana: A Dictionary of Books Relating to America from Its Discovery to the Present Time has been heralded as a cornerstone in the study of the history of the Western Hemisphere. Gale’s Sabin Americana, 1500-1926 takes the works currently captured from that bibliography and makes them available online.

Starting Your Research

Video tutorial to help with your research focus and getting started with searching.

Direct link to "Searching with a Purpose" in MSU MediaSpace

The Historical Research Process

Below are additional resources on the historical research process, from developing an initial question, to identifying sources and developing a thesis, to structuring your final paper.

Guidelines for Historical Research and Writing (Minnesota Historical Society)

Reading, Writing, and Research for History (Patrick Rael, Bowdoin College)

Writing Historical Essays: A Guide for Undergraduates (Rutgers University)