This guide will help you find published scholarship (essays, books, chapters, journal articles, etc.) and primary sources on a topic.
Remember to evaluate the accuracy of your sources, and think critically about their content and arguments.
For remote login to the Library's electronic resources, see our instructions for Off-Campus Access.
Remember to consult with your instructor in the History Department about your project!
Subject encyclopedias and other reference guides can provide good background information on a topic. Many reference books are in printed format, while others are available in electronic resource collections such as:
Dictionary of American History
Encyclopedia of Archaeology by 
Encyclopedia of European Social History
Encyclopedia of India
Encyclopedia of Modern Asia
Encyclopedia of Modern China (4 vols.)
Encyclopedia of Russian History (4 vols.)
Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450 (3 vols.)
Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World (6 vols.) by 
Europe, 1789 to 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire (5 vols.) by 
Europe since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction (5 vols.) by 
Gale Encyclopedia of U. S. History: Government and Politics
Gale Encyclopedia of World History: Government and Politics
International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest (8 vols.) by eBook Collections
Ebooks from our various QC collections and from Open Access collections are usually accessible through OneSearch but there are occasionally errors or omissions, so it's good to know what the other ebook collections are so you can search them directly.
QC eBook Collections
On the Databases page you can sort the A-Z list to display databases that have ebook content within them. Under ‘All Database Types’ select ‘Electronic Books.’ Some ebook databases are devoted entirely to ebooks, while others have a variety of documents including ebooks. Here is a list of those that are useful for Anthropology, History, and other humanities and social science disciplines.
Online collection of over 5,400 books in the humanities and related social sciences.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Collection of over 45,000 electronic e-books in all disciplines.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Collection of electronic books (e-books); users can create a MyEBSCOhost account to save notes and create personal folders. ebook Collection
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Digital collection of more than 520 volumes of Greek and Latin texts alongside English translations.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Collection of scholarly journals and e-books, primarily in the humanities and social sciences.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch
SAGE Knowledge is a cross-media platform, home to an expansive range of titles within the Social Sciences. QC Library users have access to titles within SAGE Books, CQ Press, SAGE Reference, and SAGE Navigator.
Collection of journals and e-books, with a strong emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, medicine) content.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Wiley Online Library is a collection of scholarly journals and e-books published by Wiley-Blackwell in science, medicine, social sciences, and humanities.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch
Open Access eBook Collections
You can access ebooks freely that are open access. Some open access collections are valuable for older, historical titles that were published before 1925 and are now in the public domain (outside of copyright restrictions). Other collections contain contemporary or recently published titles.
Directory of Open Access Books
English Short-Title Catalogue (ESTC)
Public Library eBook Collections
New York public libraries also offer access to books and ebooks for New York State residents who register for a library card.
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL)
New York Public Library (NYPL)
Queens Public Library (QPL)
Definitive index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO) is the world’s largest online resource of documents and articles devoted to research, analysis, and scholarship on international politics and related fields, including security studies, global finance, diplomatic practice, humanitarian law, global governance, development studies, and environmental studies.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. Please sign to QC Library when prompted to browse articles within the Queens College Library collections.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Historical Abstracts is the definitive full-text database covering world history (excluding the United States and Canada) from the 15th century to the present.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Humanities Source is a valuable full-text database covering literary, scholarly, and creative thought.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Social Sciences Full Text (H.W.Wilson) covers the latest concepts, theories, and methods from both applied and theoretical aspects of the social sciences.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Provides full-text, Peer-Reviewed sociology journals covering many studies including gender studies, criminal justice, social psychology, racial studies, religion, and social work.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Indexes the international literature of sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences; (1952-current).
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
What is a scholarly journal article?
A scholarly journal article is written by a scholar or an expert, and provides a detailed analysis of a topic. It is written in the specialized language of a scholarly discipline (such as Philosophy). It documents the resources the writer used by providing bibliographic citations such as footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography so a reader can check or repeat the research the scholar has completed.
A scholarly journal is edited by scholars, and any article published in the journal has usually been approved by the author's peers or by referees (other scholars expert in the subject who serve as editors or readers and critique the article before it is accepted for publication). This is why most scholarly journals are referred to as a Peer-Reviewed or Refereed journals. Here is a comparison between popular and scholarly periodicals. There are usually several databases that can be used to search for journal articles on a topic.
Academic Search Complete is a multidisciplinary database of scholarly journals, magazines, and news sources. It is a good starting point for research in all areas of study.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Founded in 1843, The Economist is renowned for its consistent approach to internationalism and championing of minimal state in political and government affairs.
National Geographic Magazine Archive includes access from 1888 through 2015.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
A database providing full text, indexing and abstracts for a broad selection of periodicals covering many subjects, including art, business, education and entertainment. It is ideal for educators, students, and patrons seeking current events, curriculum support, and popular periodicals.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982 includes all the information from 44 Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature annuals, as well as access to over three million articles from approximately 550 leading magazines.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Research Library provides access to a wide range of core academic titles, from business and the sciences to literature and politics.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Ethnic NewsWatch is a current resource of full-text newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press, providing researchers access to essential, often overlooked perspectives.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Gale OneFile: News provides access to more than 2,300 major U.S. regional, national, and local newspapers, as well as leading titles from around the world. It also includes thousands of images, radio and TV broadcasts and transcripts.
Comprehensive digital coverage back to 1980. The complete text of recent articles is provided in ASCII format. The New York Times Book Review and Sunday Magazine are provided in PDF format.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers is the definitive newspaper digital archive offering full-text and full-image articles for significant newspapers dating back to the 19th Century (1851-2018).
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
U.S. Newsstream enables users to search current U.S. news content (The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Newsday, and Chicago Tribune), as well as archives that stretch back into the 1980s.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
An essential library tool that brings together book reviews of a wide range of topics for more than 5,000 indexed journals.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Book Review Digest Retrospective is a one-of-a-kind resource that provides access to nearly eight decades worth of literary critique, evaluation, and thought.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch
This comprehensive bibliographic database provides indexing and abstracts for hundreds of publications related to film and television studies.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
MLA International Bibliography Produced by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the electronic version of the bibliography dates back to the 1920s and contains millions of citations from journals and series, as well as book publishers.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Scholarly studies, research reports, and primary source materials are sometimes available from scholarly and research organizations
