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Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons

Historiography: Sources for Research at Salem State

This is a guide for students in HST 200: Historiography with Dr. Andrew Darien in Fall 2023

Getting Started and Getting Help

Remember that the most important thing you can learn today is that you CAN ask for help! Please contact me if you are having any challenges or difficulty finding sources for your historiography. 

Resources on Writing a Historiographic Essay

The websites below provide good background information on what historiography is as well as advice and guidance on writing a historiographic essay.

Tips on Doing Research

  • Keep a running list of words and phrases that relate to your topic. (Ukraine, famine, Great Famine, holodomor, Stalin.)
  • Add alternate words and spelling variations to your lists (Ukrainian, Soviet, USSR, Eastern Europe, genocide).
  • Make sure spellings are exact matches. (King Philip's War not King Phillips or King Philips) 
  • If you search and get too much, try again with one or two specific keywords.
  • If you search and get nothing or not much, simplify and use only one or two generic keywords.
  • Don't expect search boxes to auto-complete what you are thinking. 
  • When you get results, pay attention to types of resources and the dates of publication.
  • Take notes on what you find as you go along 
  • Search often and early -- the searching process may seem like it's easy but it's going to take longer than you think it will. Make 2-3 hour appointments with yourself to focus on it and allow yourself to go down the paths the research takes you!

The Chicago Manual of Style Online

The one, the only...make sure you bookmark this link: