Subject Librarian
Finding Background Information
Use these sources to gain familiarity with your topic, narrow your research question, provide context, and identify experts.
- The South Carolina Encyclopedia OnlineSearch events, people, organizations, and places related to life and history in South Carolina.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
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Use to find quick facts, images or background information on various topics in dictionaries and encyclopedias. - History Reference Source This link opens in a new window
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Features reference books, history periodicals, and other secondary sources as well as thousands of historical documents - Oxford Reference This link opens in a new windowIncludes specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries for History topics
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Choosing a Topic
Taking the time to carefully choose and refine your topic can save you significant time and effort later in your research.
- How to Choose a TopicThis short video tells you the questions to ask and describes the process of choosing a workable research question.
Understanding Primary and Secondary Sources
Primary sources = Evidence
- Created during the time period or event you are studying, or produced by a participant (even if after the fact)
- Primary sources are defined by how they are used (i.e. as evidence for interpretation of the past) rather than by what they are (i.e. format or type of material)
Secondary sources = Analysis and interpretation
- Written by historians, scholars, and other researchers
- Secondary sources are based on the analysis and interpretation of primary evidence and other sources