HU 3421: Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Studies

C Term - J. Forgeng

Your Name: _________________________

Your Topic in one sentence:

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Key Concepts:

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Synonyms or other search terms to try:

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Two Venetian Ladies on a Terrace, Carpaccio (c. 1475)
View keyword brainstorm example

Off campus?

While gathering general information and facts...

Make a list of keywords and add to this list as you find more
Follow up on relevant authors, researchers, experts
Can statistical information help build scope and impact of problem?
Consider all perspectives: historic, economic, social, political, etc.

Off campus access to resources with proxy.

Background Information

Beyond reading your class texts try...

The free web: search engines and other free web sites such as Sumptuary Law
Encyclopedia Britannica.

Information Choices: What Sources To Use

Use different types of information to get broad coverage of your topic. Historians use primary materials to build their research. See the Primary Sources guide for information on primary literature and how to find it.

Books

Search the Library Catalog for items @ WPI or WorldCat to search beyond our library.

Some specialized encyclopedias in the reference collection may be worth using:

Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. CB361 E52 1999
Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students (e-book)
Daily Life in Medieval Europe. Reserve (2 hour in-library use)

Browse the library catalog for one book that could be useful for your project and jot down the call number.
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Browse WorldCat to find another book, that is not available at WPI. What library is it available at? What does ARC stand for?
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Can the library get it for you? How do you go about requesting the item? How long would it take?
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Find Articles about Your Topic

All databases listed are WPI subscriptions. But check out Google Scholar, a web search of scholarly sources.

Historical Abstracts: References and abstracts for articles on historic topics.
Gale PowerSearch (formerly InfoTrac): Articles on all topics, click More Search Options... and checkbox to limit only to peer-reviewed publications. Contains articles back to the 1980s but contains good coverage of historical topics.
JSTOR: Complete full text of important scholarly journals in a variety of academic fields. Coverage: Varies by publication but many back to late 1800s.
Web of Science: Search abstracts of major scientific literature, most academic sources, choose LinkFinder Plus @ WPI to track down full articles.
Project Muse: Search full text of major historical and global studies journal, most academic sources.
MLA International Bibliography - Indexes books, essay collections and bibliographies on literature, languages, linguistics and folklore
More...

Filter and Follow Up...

Scan results: use subject headings/descriptors, keywords, phrases found to expand search
Scrutinize article titles, number of pages, and journal title
Browse promising abstract and conclusion sections of long studies
Bibliographies can clue you in on the value of the article as well
Find an interesting author? Search for more articles or for his/her web site
Notice an organization, agency, association or expert mentioned in an article? Follow up!

Search one of the above databases for an article on your topic. Jot down the reference here, in MLA style.
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Example of a work from a library subscription service:: Gooday, Graeme J. N. and Morris F. Low. "Technology Transfer; and Cultural Exchange." Osiris 13 (1998):; 99-128. JSTOR. Gordon Library Worcester; Polytechnic Institute, MA. 17 Jan. 2006; <http://www.jstor.org>.

What journal or magazine is this article from? Is it available in full text? Or just an abstract? If only an abstract is found, find the full text, using the library's Journals, Magazines, & Newspapers list.

Only Finding a Citation? Getting the Full Text

Is the journal online or here in the library? Search our Journals, Magazines, & Newspapers list
Visit another library: Search WorldCat to find one
Request delivery from another library: Interlibrary Loan.

Confused? See our tutorial on Getting What You Need.

Give Credit! Cite Your Sources

Medieval Web Sites

Evaluate...

Evaluating Web Resources Checklist (PDF)

According to a study at Stanford, nearly half of all web site evaluators (46.1%) used visual cues, to assess a site's credibility. Move beyond what a site looks like...

Footwear of the Middle Ages | Chopine

Authority
Scope
Currency
Accuracy

Internet Medieval Sourcebook - An excellent compendium of online medieval texts.
Netsurf - check out the Medieval Glossary
ORB.net: On-line Reference Book for Medieval Studies - academic site, maintained by medieval scholars. Articles are peer reviewed.
Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval Studies - Also offers access to primary source material on the web.
Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies - A useful source of classified medieval and Renaissance links, including primary source material.
Internet Medieval Sourcebook
Medieval Feminist Index: Covers journal articles, book reviews, and essays in books about women, sexuality, and gender during the Middle Ages.

Questions?

Stop by the reference desk or set up a research consultation.

Have questions? Send an e-mail to library-instruction@wpi.edu

"Your ladyship is nearer to heaven than when I saw you last by the altitude of a chopine."
- Hamlet, William Shakespeare

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Last modified: Feb 15, 2008, 10:39 EST