Research Databases for Politics & Law
A library of legal resources including law journals; government, legal and diplomatic documents; books; reports; and historical sources.
Journal articles in almost every subject area, including some historical articles back to the 17th century.
Journal articles, working papers, conference proceedings and other publications dealing with political science and international relations.
Legal documents at the federal and state level, including court cases, laws, and legal encyclopedias.
More options for Political Science: https://libguides.holycross.edu/az/databases?s=21147&p=1 and Law: https://libguides.holycross.edu/az/databases?s=21507&p=1
Research Databases for Economics
Working papers published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Working papers report new economic research prior to its publication in scholarly journals.
More options for Economics: https://libguides.holycross.edu/az/databases?s=21144&p=1
Research Databases for History
Journal articles, book chapters and magazines about the history of the United States and Canada, 1450-present.
Journal articles, book chapters and magazines about the history of the world (excluding the United States and Canada) from 1450-present.
Journal articles in almost every subject area, including some historical articles back to the 17th century.
More options for History: https://libguides.holycross.edu/az/databases?s=4674&p=1
Current News:
Local, national, and international news, including the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Date(s): 1857-present
Articles, articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, events, and more from TheAtlantic.com. ** To access: Choose “College of the Holy Cross" as your institution. Log-in with your HC email and password.
Date(s): 1980-present
Text-only articles from the Boston Globe.
Date(s): 2004-present
Current access to the Financial Times site, including news, columns, reports and more covering global business, finance, and politics. You must create an account to use this online news source.
Date(s): 1980-present
Text-only articles from the New York Times. **Blogs are not included.**
Current access to the New York Times site, including news, columns and more -- courtesy of the Holy Cross SGA. ** To access, create an account with your HC email address. If you already have an account, there will be an option to click-through to log in.
Date(s): 1857-present
Articles, articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, events, and more from TheAtlantic.com. ** To access: Choose “College of the Holy Cross" as your institution. Log-in with your HC email and password.
Date(s): 1984-present
Text-only articles from the Wall Street Journal. **Blogs and other website content are not included.**
Current access to the Wall Street Journal site, including news, columns and more -- courtesy of the Holy Cross SGA.
** To access: log-in with your HC email and password, then create an account using your HC email address.
Local, regional, national and international newspapers, in addition to images, transcripts and recordings from radio and TV broadcasts.
Data [Subscription Sources]:
Historical statistics addressing population, work, economic factors, and governance in the United States.
Downloadable data files, documentations, and data-based research related to a wide range of social science areas. Guide to Searching ICPSR
Statistics relating to social, political and economic conditions in the United States.
Statistical data in a wide range of subject areas, with tools for searching, analyzing and visualizing.
Visualization, reporting and downloads of U.S. Census Data.
Data [Open Sources]:
For more detailed guidance on locating data relevant to your project, visit our Data & Statistics Guide -- or, contact Jennifer Whelan.
Primary (Historical) Sources
What is a Primary Source?
In the humanities, a primary source is a first-hand witness to a historical event or period, created at that point in history.
| NOTE: The term “primary research” is used in a different context in the sciences, to designate an article which reports on original research. |
Why Use Primary Sources?
Primary sources offer a first-hand perspective which is untouched by hindsight or subsequent events. They provide valuable insights about the actions, motivations and emotions involved in a historical event, and allow us to understand history (even recent history) as it was experienced at the time rather than as we analyze it after the fact.
How Old Is “Primary”?
This depends entirely on your topic! If you were researching the design of Washington, D.C., your primary sources would date to the late 18th and early 19th centuries. But if you are researching current concealed-carry policies in the District, your "primary" sources might cover a wide time period and might include very current publications.
Are Primary Sources Scholarly?
They can be. A scholarly article on WWII published in 2016 is not a primary source. But a scholarly article on WWII published in 1945 is! (JSTOR has articles back to the 1800s, in fact). But remember that with primary sources, the most important information is the first-hand perspective, rather than the scholarly-ness of the source. Of course, the author, publication, etc. provide useful context too!
How Do I Interpret Primary Sources?
Because they provide different kinds of information than secondary sources you may be used to (and provide it differently!), it can be difficult to know where to begin when working with primary sources. How you use each source will vary depending on the source and the topic. In general, though, the most important question to ask yourself is: What have I learned from this source that is unique to a "primary" voice? That is, what information or perspectives differentiate the source in your hand from a typical book, encyclopedia article, etc. on the subject?
For further guidance and places to look, see our Primary Sources Research Guide -- or, contact Jennifer Whelan.