Liaison Librarian
Melissa Jones
Contact:
Research Consultations are available in person and via Zoom. Click Schedule Appointment to reserve a time. Email me if you need an alternate time.
202-687-7595
Finding Books
- HoyaSearch This link opens in a new windowHoyaSearch is the GU Library's discovery layer and catalog. HoyaSearch data comes from Georgetown and WRLC Consortium holdings, many of the Georgetown databases, and a variety of other resources. You can find books, journal and newspaper articles, encyclopedias, images and media, and primary sources in HoyaSearch.
Pro Tip: The following are examples of subject headings that can be searched in combination the country name and/or time period to find sources about the social and cultural history of a county.
- Social life and customs
- Social conditions
- Manners and customs
- Religious life and customs
- Civilization
Background Information
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowProvides full-text online versions of general and subject dictionaries and encyclopedias.
- Bloomsbury Medieval Studies This link opens in a new windowBloomsbury Medieval Studies is an interdisciplinary digital resource with a global perspective which opens up the medieval world for students and scholars. It brings together high-quality secondary content with visual primary sources, a brand new reference work and material culture images into one cross-searchable platform, to support this rich field of study.
- Cambridge Histories This link opens in a new windowThis unique historical reference compendium allows instant access to the renowned texts of the Cambridge Histories series. Providing full-text access for all collection content published up to the year 2015, Cambridge Histories Online is an invaluable resource, for undergraduates, graduates, lecturers and researchers alike.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowProvides online, full text access to Gale subject encyclopedias and dictionaries.
Evaluating Wikipedia Pages
While it's important to evaluate all sources, it's particularly important to evaluate Wikipedia articles given the dynamic nature of the content and the uneven quality among articles. According to Wikipedia, "The ideal Wikipedia article is well written, balanced, neutral, and encyclopedic, containing comprehensive, notable, verifiable knowledge."
When reading a Wikipedia article for background information, keep the following criteria in mind.
- Is the article "well written, balanced, neutral, and encyclopedic"?
- Are there any template messages posted at the top of or within the article that point to bias, unverified claims, or original research? These can indicate whether the article fails to meet Wikipedia's standards for a neutral point of view, verifiability, and no original research.
- Has the article been designated as a good article or featured article?
- Are the assertions and facts included in the article backed up with sources?
- What types of sources are being cited? Are they appropriate for the type of information being presented?
- What grade has the article been given on its Talk page?
Read More on Evaluating Wikipedia Articles
- Evaluating Wikipedia: Tracing the Evolution and Evaluating the Quality of Articles (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Evaluating Wikipedia Articles (Skyline College)
