Social Studies Subject Guide: American Studies

The Key to All Wisdom:  Think First, Search Second
Good research is the result of good thinking.

Brainstorm a list of keywords and phrases relevant to your topic, and include synonyms.  This is an essential step you should never skip.  Think about synonyms for your keywords and phrases.

Use quotation marks for exact phrases:

• ex:  "yarn bombing"
• ex:  "poetry slam"

Wild cards find all versions of a word when added after the word's root:

• ex:  snowboard* finds snowboard, snowboards, snowboarder, snowboarding, etc.
• ex:  resist* finds resist, resists, resistance, resisting, etc.

Start with a general search, and narrow it down as you look through your results.

Some Useful Databases & Ebooks

Databases
We subscribe to a number of databases.  To use them, you'll need the logins and passwords, so click on the box at the upper left of this page.Different databases are useful for different kinds of searches. 

Searching for Podcasts

Use your list of search keywords and phrases to find Podcasts or specific episodes that address your topic. 

Major Platforms:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Youtube Music
Pandora
iHeart

Outside the Major Platforms:
Use these tools to search for podcasts outside specific listening platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audacy, etc.):

Podchaser
Listen Notes

You establish your credibility by showing that the sources you use are written by knowledgeable, professional people with expertise.  Here are some possible credentials an author might have:

• is an Associate Professor of American Literature at Lewis and Clark College
• authored a book on James Baldwin, and several academic articles
• has several academic articles published in journals that you found through JSTOR
• earned an advanced degree in the field of study s/he/they are writing about
• shows evidence of deep experience on the topic (e.g., a chef writing on cooking, or a seasoned mountaineer on climbing)

How to Credential a Journal Article

There are 3 quick places to look:

1. first page of the article, adjacent to the author's name
2. last page of the article, just before the Works Cited or Notes section
3. by clicking on the author's name in the database, and seeing what else comes up

When credentialing web sources, use similar tactics.   Watch for a link titled "About," or "More Information."  Here is such a page on a website about the writer Mark Twain.

Need help?  Ask Sue, Maureen, Patrick, or Derek.

Credentialing a Book Author or Contributor

Book publishers and editors often do a bunch of the work for you!  Here's where to look:  

• check the book flap for a brief bio of your author (inside front or back cover)
• check the back of the book
• If the book has an editor and chapters by different authors, check the table of contents for a chapter called CONTRIBUTORS, or something similar.