What types of information will I find in History Database Search?

History Database Search will help you find both secondary and primary sources for your topic. Consisting primarily of articles from encyclopedias focusing on history, the database also includes biographies, select primary sources (including speeches and court opinions), images, videos, maps, and charts. While not as focused in its subject matter as the Encyclopedia of Chicago, the database nonetheless has numerous articles on Chicago-specific topics and articles on broader historical trends that can help you place your topic in its larger context.

Note that History Database Search is actually a "metasearch" of six different (but similarly constructed) history databases. Each database may be searched individually and even "browsed;" however, for History Fair topics, searching the entire group is usually the quickest way to proceed as relevant resources may turn up in several of the databases.

How do I find this information?

Identify keywords that describe your topic and use these to search.

Pick one or two words that describe your topic and enter these in the search box on the opening page. Results are returned in the center of the screen, headed by tabs that allow you to limit your search results to specific types of resources (biographies, articles on events and topics, primary sources, etc.).

Try adding Chicago to your search.

Adding the word Chicago to your search words will make sure that the author mentions Chicago in the article, thus increasing the probability that the article is related to the event or process you are researching.

Put phrases in quotation marks.

Putting two or more words in quotation marks requires that they appear together in the articles returned. This can be very helpful in reducing the number of results you must sift through. For example, if researching the Chicago Freedom Movement, you probably do not want articles that have the word "Chicago" in one paragraph, "freedom" in another, and "movement" in yet another. You want them to appear together. Require this by putting the three words in quotation marks: "Chicago Freedom Movement".

Ask a librarian.

Because you are searching the full-text of articles, some searches can return many, many entries. Moreover, it can be difficult when first beginning to research a topic to know exactly what words to use to find helpful articles. If you are having trouble finding good information in this database, don't hesitate to ask a librarian or your teacher to help you.

Can you give me some examples?

Suppose that you are researching the 1919 race riot. A search in the Encyclopedia of Chicago turns up a good article on race riots as well as a few images for your project. However, you'd like to read more. A search in History Database Search on 1919 riot Chicago pulls up several interesting encyclopedia articles:

• Altman, Susan. "Red Summer." In Encyclopedia of African-American Heritage. 2nd ed. New York: Facts on File, 2000. http://www.fofweb.com/.
• Aberjhani. "Red Summer of 1919." In Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance. New York: Facts on File, 2003. http://www.fofweb.com/.
• Hartman, Michael. "Race and Racial Conflict, 1890-1930." In The Emergence of Modern America, 1900 to 1928. Vol. 7, Encyclopedia of American History. New York: Facts on File, 2003. http://www.fofweb.com/.

All of these articles take a national view of the events of 1919 and can help you place your project in a larger context.

Again, suppose you are researching mothers' pensions. The Encyclopedia of Chicago has a useful article, but you'd like to know what other states and localities were doing. A search on mothers pensions returns quite a few articles, perhaps too many to look through; however, the first result is an article about these pensions that gives you exactly the information you are looking for. (You could also have put the phrase in quotes ("mothers pensions") to receive fewer results.)

• Faue, Elizabeth. "Mothers' Pensions." In The Emergence of Modern America, 1900 to 1928. Vol. 7, Encyclopedia of American History. New York: Facts on File, 2003. http://www.fofweb.com/.