American Women's History provides citations to print and Internet reference sources, as well as to selected large primary source collections. The guide also provides information about the tools researchers can use to find additional books, articles, dissertations, and primary sources.

Quick Facts About This Guide

• 2100+ citations to print and Internet sources
• 1200+ links to Internet sources
• 500+ links to Digital Collections of Primary Sources
  [some links appear in more than one section]
• 75 subfields are covered in the "Subject Index to Research Sources."
• Updated frequently [at least monthly] since 1998
• A link checking program is used to minimize incorrect links.

Audience

American Women's History is designed to assist serious researchers, such as history professors, independent scholars, graduate students, and possibly upper-division undergraduates. Many of the Digital Collections of Primary Sources are appropriate for high school and perhaps middle school students. Librarians who assist these researchers and students may also want to become familiar with the guide.


Organization/Content

The research guide is divided into five main sections:

I.Subject Index to Research Sources

Coverage includes reference and primary sources in more than 75 topical areas, ranging from "African-American Women" to "World War II." Most of these subject guides include citations to bibliographies, biographical dictionaries, encyclopedias, journals in the field, guides to archival collections, digital collections of primary sources, and microform collections.

II. State Index to Research Sources

Coverage includes bibliographies, biographical dictionaries, indexes to state history journals, and guides to archival collections. Use this section as a supplement to Biographical Research Sources and to subsections within the Subject Index to Research Sources. The Digital Collections of Primary Sources: State Index and the State Index to Research Sources will be combined to form a single section by the June 2004.

III. Research Tools: Finding Primary Sources

This section describes the major tools for finding information about archival and manuscript collections, museums, newspapers and periodicals.

IV. Research Tools: Finding Secondary Sources

This section focuses on tools for finding books, articles, theses and dissertions. sources.

Shortcuts are offered to a few of the more popular types of sources. A Subject Index and a State Index offer quick access to digital collections of primary sources. Talking About Women's History provides over 100 links to interviews, lectures, and documentaries that focus on specific women's history topics.

About the Author

Ken Middleton is a reference librarian at Middle Tennessee State University Library. He has a second master's degree, with an emphasis in American women's history, from the same university.