Research Guides: History Research Guide: Intellectual History

Intellectual History: Introduction

This guide will help you find published scholarship (essays, books, chapters, journal articles, etc.) and primary source material on a topic.

Choose a topic that interests you and fits within your assignment's parameters.
Read good summaries of the topic in subject encyclopedias, like those listed below, to gain a basic overview of your topic.
Search for published scholarship in library discovery systems, catalogs, databases, scholarly & research organizations, etc.
Identify primary source material (e. g. documents & records, art & artifacts, personal narratives & memoirs, data & statistics, maps & charts, photographs & illustrations, etc.) through your scholarly readings, and by searching or browsing the digital collections of libraries, archives, museums, and other scholarly & research organizations.

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 talk about your project with your instructor in the History Department!

Reference Essays (from subject Encyclopedias & Dictionaries)

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:

Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library)

Oxford Reference

Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2nd. ed., 10 vols.)
ISBN: 9780028660721
Publication Date: 2005-12-01
"English-language reference source for philosophy," has been the cornerstone of the philosophy reference shelf. Lauded for its clear and accessible presentation of wide-ranging philosophical subjects,"
Encyclopedia of Religion
ISBN: 9780028657332
Publication Date: 2004-12-17
"Widely regarded as the standard reference work in the field. This second edition...will include almost all of the 2750 original entries - many heavily updated - as well as approximately 600 (1.2M words) entirely new articles. Preserving the best of Eliade's cross-cultural approach while emphasizing religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture,.."
Encyclopedia of Science and Religion by Wentzel Van Huyssteen
ISBN: 9780028659114
Publication Date: 2003-12-01
"A multidisciplinary approach that addresses all aspects of the dialogue between the sciences and the world's religions, reaching into the humanities as well as into the physical sciences and technology. Examines controversial issues such as human cloning and stem cell research long with more traditional questions such as the origins of life, the nature of sin, and the philosophy of science and religion."
Encyclopedia of Science Technology and Ethics by Carl Mitcham
ISBN: 9780028659916
Publication Date: 2004-11-01
"This Encyclopedia considers both the professional ethics of science and technology, and the ethical and political issues raised by science and technology in an increasingly complex and global society. This broad coverage supports the numerous courses in applied and professional ethics and policy related to the practice of science and technology in education."
Encyclopedia of Scientific Principles, Laws, and Theories by Robert E. Krebs (Text by); Rae Dejur (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780313087509
Publication Date: 2008-06-30
"Provides descriptions of the most famous scientific concepts, principles, laws, and theories that are known in the areas of astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, medicine, meteorology, and physics."
Encyclopedia of Time by H. James Birx (Editor)
ISBN: 9781412963961
Publication Date: 2009-01-01
"Surveys the major facts, concepts, theories, and speculations that infuse the present understanding of time. Explores the contributions of scientists, philosophers, theologians, and creative artists from ancient times to the present."
Gale Encyclopedia of Science by Gale Editors (Editor)
ISBN: 9781414498492
Publication Date: 2014-06-06
"Covers all major areas of science, engineering, technology, as well as mathematics and the medical and health sciences, while providing a comprehensive overview of current scientific knowledge and technology. Entries typically describe scientific concepts, provide overviews of scientific areas and, in some cases, define terms."
Science and Its Times (8 vols.) by Neil Schlager
ISBN: 9780787639327
Publication Date: 2000-04-07
"The histories of science, technology, and mathematics merge with the study of humanities and social science in this interdisciplinary reference work. Essays on people, theories, discoveries, and concepts are combined with overviews, bibliographies of primary documents, and chronological elements to offer students a fascinating way to understand the impact of science on the course of human history and how science affects everyday life."
Science of Everyday Things (4 vols.) by Judson Knight; Neil Schlager
ISBN: 9780787677466
Publication Date: 2004-04-01
"Illustrates the importance of scientific and mathematical principles through their use in everyday life. Each volume focuses on a specific scientific discipline -- biology, chemistry, earth sciences and physics -- offering students an in-depth understanding of each discipline and its theories."
New Dictionary of the History of Ideas (6 vols.) by Maryanne Cline Horowitz
ISBN: 9780684314525
Publication Date: 2004-12-01
"Survey of the history of Western thought and culture, presented through 700 alphabetically arranged entries. Each entry explores the origin, cultural interpretations, and historical themes of such subjects as beauty, love, feminism, diversity, and social capital, among many others."

Scholarly Books

OneSearch; Search for printed and electronic scholarly books at QC and other CUNY libraries.
WorldCat: Search for scholarly books in the national catalog for the United States and Canada. Includes holdings from libraries in other parts of the world, primarily European or English-speaking.

Scholarly Journal Articles (Search Databases)

America: History & Life This link opens in a new window
Definitive index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Atla Religion Database This link opens in a new window
This database is an essential resource for religious and theological studies, providing bibliographic records covering topics such as biblical studies, world religions, church history, and religion in social issues.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
General Science Full Text (H.W.Wilson) This link opens in a new window
Provides full text from more than 100 periodicals and indexing and abstracts for nearly 300 periodicals in such fields as astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, conservation, and health & medicine, oceanography, physics, and zoology.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
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.
Remote access to Google Scholar may not always work. In such cases we advise that you follow the steps below or review the FAQ on Google Scholar
How to access QC subscribed articles via Google Scholar:
1.Access Google Scholar via the un-proxied version: Google Scholar
2. From the Menu Icon on the Top Left select Settings then Library Links
3. In Library Links, search for Queens College then select "Queens College --> Fulltext at QC"
4. SAVE and return to the Google Scholar Homepage
5. You should be able to search for articles. When you see the "Queens College --> Fulltext at QC", select to either be re-directed to the Library Catalogue, OneSearch or asked to login to the library proxy in order to access articles.
6. Please review the FAQ on logging into the library proxy.
Should you have any additional questions, please contact our Electronic Resources Librarian by completing the Electronic Resources Access Form.
Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window
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 This link opens in a new window
Humanities Source is a valuable full-text database covering literary, scholarly, and creative thought.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR is a multi-disciplinary collection of scholarly journals and e-books that include primary sources, images, and more.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
JSTOR provided expanded access during the pandemic (June 2020-June 2023). Expanded access expires on June 30, 2023. CUNY will reinstate that access beginning in January 2024.You may review the Electronic Resources Status Dashboard for updates. Questions? Email: access-support@qc-cuny.libanswers.com or Open a Ticket!
Philosopher's Index This link opens in a new window
This current and comprehensive bibliographic database covers scholarly research in all major fields of philosophy.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
RAMBI: The Index of Articles on Jewish Studies This link opens in a new window
RAMBI: The Index of Articles on Jewish Studies is a selective bibliography of academic articles covering all of the fields of Jewish studies as well as the study of Eretz Israel and the State of Israel.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
ScienceDirect This link opens in a new window
Collection of scholarly journals with strong coverage for the life and physical sciences, medicine, and technical fields, with additional content in the social sciences and humanities.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) This link opens in a new window
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.
Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Indexes the international literature of sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences; (1952-current).
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.
Springer Link This link opens in a new window
Collection of journals and e-books, with a strong emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, medicine) content.
Catalogue Link: OneSearch.

History Research Guide

Research Librarian

Intellectual History: Introduction

Reference Essays (from subject Encyclopedias & Dictionaries)

Scholarly Books

Scholarly Journal Articles (Search Databases)

Primary Source Collections: Digital Archives

Museum Exhibits