Research Tips
Research Sources
Particularly for historical narratives – whether fiction or nonfiction – immerse yourself in the details of the time, all about everyday life back then, along with the facts and rumors on the people and places in your story.
▪ Public libraries
▪ Interlibrary Loan (ILL) – find in WorldCat
▪ Specialized research libraries
▪ Some are private, with restricted access and/or fees
▪ Church and diocese archives
▪ Other researchers’ files
▪ Historical societies and museums
▪ Subject’s heirs (permissions), extended family, and friends
▪ Used and rare books
▪ Amazon Marketplace
▪ Alibris
▪ Bookseller search such as Bookfinder, AbeBooks and Bookfinder4U (email your requirements to the vendor)
▪ Scholars’ theses
▪ Online full-text sources
▪ Google Books
▪ Gutenberg.org
▪ Microfilmed records (may be obtainable as for-fee scans or ILL loans)
▪ Interviews (get permission from the subject before you record)
▪ Email correspondence and documentation (save and back up) – Be careful: Old email files and messages may not be readable with current-version software. So save in a document format, or get conversion software.
Ephemera (Universities, Foundations, Private Collections, Church Records, Municipal Records )
▪ “Finding Aids”
▪ Collection Name
▪ Storage Location
▪ Box Number
▪ Item Number
▪ Medium (microfilm)
▪ Accession method / fee
▪ Allow time!
Ancestry.com (membership fee required for access with some for-fee extra services)
▪ Genealogy share site
▪ Photo archives (shared)
▪ U.S. Census records
▪ Military records
▪ Newspaper archives (Fold3)
▪ Passenger lists (steamship logs)
▪ Obituaries
▪ Gravesite photos and records
History – General Reference Books
▪ The Timetables of History by Bernard Grun
▪ The Outline of History by H.G. Wells
▪ A History of the Modern World by R.R. Palmer, Joel Colton & Lloyd Kramer
▪ A Study of History by Arnold Toynbee
▪ The Story of Civilization by Will & Ariel Durant
▪ A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome by Alberto Angela & Gregory Conti
▪ A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester
For Any Historical Narrative – Consider Technology and Logistics
How did they ____________________?
▪ travel
▪ shelter
▪ communicate
▪ speak
▪ eat
▪ and how long did it take?