History Librarian
General Newspaper Resources
In addition to the resources listed on this guide, the following sites have useful lists of online newspapers and how you can access them:
- Wikipedia List of Online Newspaper ArchivesYes, this is one of those times when it is OK to use Wikipedia as a resource! This page provides a crowdsourced list of online newspaper archives around the world, including information about access. Use the navigation menu to the right to jump to the country/state you're interested in viewing.
- ICON Newspaper Digitization Projects"This page highlights and links to past, present, and prospective digitization projects of historic newspapers. The focus is primarily on digital conversion efforts, not full-text collections of current news sources."
- Google Newspaper ArchiveFree, online access to digitized newspapers from around the world, covering a range of dates from 19th century to present. Search or browse an alphabetical list of titles.
Working With Historical Newspapers
Evaluating & Using Historical Newspapers:
- Primary Source Analysis Worksheets - Digital HistoryUse these worksheets and other tools, originally developed by the National Archives, to help you analyze a range of primary sources including artifacts, cartoons, maps, movies, photos, posters, sound recordings, and written documents.
The British Press:
The resources on this tab are designed to help you understand the process of journalism and newspaper publishing throughout British history, and how to utilize these sources effectively as primary research sources.
- "Concise History of the British Newspaper". The British Library.This defunct page can still be accessed via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
- "The Times as a Complete Source" (Gale Primary Sources Learning Center)Useful information and thought questions for understanding the complete context of the London Times -- including its audience, politics, style, and influences.
Read All about It! A History of the British Newspaper by Call Number: [E-Book]Publication Date: 2009
The Encyclopedia of the British Press, 1422-1992 by Call Number: REF PN5114 .E53 1992Publication Date: 1993
The U.S. Press:
The resources on this tab are designed to help you understand the process of journalism and newspaper publishing throughout U.S. history, and how to utilize these sources effectively as primary research sources.
Communities of Journalism: A History of American Newspapers and Their Readers by Call Number: PN4855 .N67 2001Publication Date: 2001
The Tyranny of Printers: Newspaper Politics in the Early American Republic by Call Number: PN4861 .P37 2003Publication Date: 2002
Time, Change, and the American Newspaper by Call Number: [E-Book]ISBN: 9780805835885Publication Date: 2001
Research Strategies
General Research Strategies
Begin your research early. Well-done research is an iterative process; leave yourself time for this process to occur! This has the added benefit of extending your resources to excellent sources which may take longer to locate.
Be efficient. Use the strategies we will discuss together and presented on this guide (such as: choosing appropriate and multiple research tools; making use of advanced search features; thoughtful choice of keywords; following your sources) to conduct your research in a targeted, effective and efficient manner.
Leave plenty of time to read and understand your sources. This is especially true for primary sources, which may take longer to process (or read, if scans of original handwritten documents).
Ask for help as needed. Your research librarians are available to assist you -- it's literally our job! Sometimes this may mean making a research appointment; other times, a quick e-mail conversation will suffice.
Take notes as you go. As you're weaving in and out of multiple sources, it can be tempting to skip the notetaking. Don't! -- over the course of a long research process, you are not as likely to retain that perfect keyword search or ideal URL as you might think, and browser history/cookies can expire. Taking the time to document your strategies and the sources you find will make it much easier to reconstruct your findings into a final product.
Choosing the Right Search Tool
In order to choose an appropriate database, you should consider your research needs. What do you need at this point in time? Are you still becoming familiar with your topic, or are you trying to fill specific gaps?
Always consider the limitations of your topic. For example, if you need property records, you won't get far searching in a newspaper collection! When selecting a research tool, you should try to identify one that matches your topic based on...
For example, if you are looking for local news reports on the construction of the Kennedy Expressway, not just any tool will do! You need a resource that:
- Provides access to newspapers;
- Includes resources published in Boston;
- Cover the period approx. 1950s-1990s.
Searching in Historical Sources:
Looking for historical sources is a bit different than searching for academic articles -- here are some pro-tips!
Keywords:
When searching for primary sources, think carefully about the vocabulary you are using.
- Remember that the names we use in hindsight to describe historical events (for example, "World War I"), might not have been used at the time.
- Consider and look for other 'quirks' of the historical language. You might find that words are used to describe items, places or groups of people which we no longer use today.
- Don't forget to consider, for example, the renaming of streets and other changes over time.
You may want to use the worksheet below to help you brainstorm and organize your research for primary sources:
- Primary Source Brainstorm(fill it out online, then download to save your answers!)
Browsing:
Some research tools for historical sources lend themselves easily to precise searching; many do not. Commit to taking plenty of time with your sources and browsing through lists of results, even if what you're looking for doesn't rise immediately to the top. It may appear further down, or there may be other clues in your result that can help you correct your search in the right direction. Likewise, what you are looking for may be present but not immediately apparent -- that blurb about the shop you're researching, for instance, could be buried at the bottom of a vaguely-titled newspaper article covering many pieces of local news.
Because the phrasing (and digital scanning) of historical records is so variable, it's often more effective to keep your search simple, sort by date order, and let your own eyes take you the rest of the way!