Hist Med Research Gd[1]

History of the Health Sciences Research http://ebling.library.wisc.edu/historical/students/ • •

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Introduction Terminology o Part 1 o Part 2 Starting Your Research o First Step o Second Step o Third Step o Fourth Step  UW Resources  Other Resources What Databases To Use o Top Picks o More History Based Databases Print Resources to Consider o Books o Journals IndexCat Demystified o Tutorial For More Help

Introduction Writing a research paper on a history topic can be a daunting task if you are unfamiliar with historical research. This resource guide was designed to get you started. After using this guide, you will understand the difference between primary and secondary resources and will be familiar with some of the databases and print material you will use to conduct your research.

Writing your paper: Most History papers have three main parts: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. To gain a better understanding of how to put a research paper together once you are ready to write it, our friends at California State University, Fullerton created a great

online tutorial called “The Historian’s Toolbox.” Unit 5 describes writing a research paper. http://guides.library.fullerton.edu/historians_toolbox/unit5/Unit5.htm

Terminology - Part One Historical Research Terms Defined 

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Primary Resources: Journal articles, books, diaries, photographs, reports, etc., created or written during the time being studied. For Example: If you are writing on the history of TB treatment in the 1920s, the books and journal articles written by health professionals between 1920 and 1930, as well as the brochures from TB sanitariums published between 1920 and 1930- would be primary material. Secondary resources: Works written after the original time period that interpret or analyze an event, theme of subject. For Example: A book entitled, The History of Tuberculosis in Wisconsin 1870-1930, is a secondary resource that used primary sources, like letters, journal articles and newspaper articles, to find evidence for its story. Historiography: Historical scholarship done on a subject. For Example: Until the late 1970s, early 1980s, there was little on the subject of blacks or women in the history of health care. As new sensibilities or new resources come to light, the historiography on a subject may change. Historicism: Application of one's own sensibilities to a historical topic. For Example: When reading racial epitaphs voiced in the 1950s the reader must appreciate the times in which the language was used. While it does not excuse the behavior, it does add context to how a pattern may have developed and what lessons it can teach us about today's climate in health care, politics, economics, etc.

Terminology - Part Two Some other terms that might be useful... 

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Database: An online resource that provides citations to journal, magazine and newspaper material. They often provide the actual article as well, which is called Full Text. Bibliographic citation (often simply called citation) consists of the author, title of article, title of newspaper, journal or magazine, volume and pages. This citation can be used in your paper's footnote, if you use the material as evidence within your paper. The citation will link either to FIND IT or to a PDF. FIND IT will indicate an online full text version, or link you to MadCat to see if the original journal or newspaper is on campus. You would then go to the library to get the material and scan or copy the article. Evidence: Sources that provide facts, background, commentary on the person, theme or period you are studying. When you have a line of inquiry, like, "The Role of Public Education in Stemming the Tide of Tuberculosis," newspaper articles that talk about a campaign in the schools to educate people regarding hygiene would be evidence for your study.

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Resources/Material: Generic terms librarians/historians use to describe all the books, journals, newspapers, databases, sheets of music, plays, and videos- the "stuff" needed to write a research paper. MadCat: The UW-Madison online library catalog. MadCat is for primary and secondary books or journal and magazine titles in the UW system. MadCat does not contain journal or magazine content. Databases (see above) may contain content. WorldCat: WorldCat links to books, journals and magazine titles in libraries all over the world. If the resource you need is not in the UW system, you can interlibrary loan it using Library Express.

Starting Your Research First Step: Construct an overall line of inquiry, a theme or question "How do I come up with an idea?" 

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Especially if this is your first historical research paper it helps to springboard from an event from your own family's history, perhaps your great grandmother survived the 1918 Influenza epidemic. Ideas can come from a current historical study that does not explore in depth a specific part of an issue. A chapter on the history of home birth leaves out discussion of how women may have learned about their birthing options in the 1970s. Comparisons on similar issues between different countries or varying time periods are often instructive. Did Canada react differently to the AIDS crisis then America?

Second Step: Fine Tuning Your Question "I want to do something on venereal disease."      

What era? Late 18th century, mid 1800's, WWI, post 1950s... What population? Children, women, men, immigrants, military, the elderly... What region? United States, Milwaukee, Europe, Germany, Asia, South Africa... What clinical aspects of the disease? Transmission, epidemiology, treatment, diagnosis, mortality... What social aspects of the disease? Education, economic, health care administration, politics, patient compliance, public health restrictions... What cultural aspects of the disease? Quarantines, racial aspects, psychological concerns...

Third Step: Questions to ask as you collect evidence Your working title is: "Oversexed, Overpaid, Over Here: Prevention vs. Abstinence in British and American Anti-VD Campaigns" When looking for secondary resources that will help contextualize the subject OR for primary material that will provide evidence for your narrative, these would be some themes to consider....     

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Was the Red Cross involved with education? Were the governments involved? What were the methods of education? Posters, lectures in camps, radio announcements, songs? Were the methods different in American training camps then in British training camps? Did either country involve the local health care practitioners wherever the base was located? Were there translation services for local material published in a foreign language? Was the same educational material used overseas used on the home fronts? Did they enlist the help of prostitutes?

Fourth Step: "How do I find primary and secondary resources; collect evidence?" Using UW Resources 1) Use databases like those found in What Databases to Use. These databases consist of bibliographic citations that sometimes link to the Full Text of the article, sometimes not. If not, FIND IT will take you into the MadCat record to see where the journal is held on campus. Go to that library, get the resource, and make a copy of the article. The newspaper databases are particularly useful. They are Full Text and tacitly put you right into the time period being studied. Be sure you take advantage of the date/year limits that are available in the various databases. 2) Use MadCat to find primary or secondary books. Tip #1: When looking for primary from, say the 1940s, put venereal disease in the Guided search field. Get the results of over 300 titles. Limit Results-from 1935-1950. You will notice a number of journal titles (not the content of those journals), some government documents, a couple of books. All those resources should lead you to other resources, either through their footnotes or bibliographies. Tip #2: When looking for secondary sources about WWII, etc., put venereal disease in the Guided search field, and history in the second field. A number of them look applicable, including the social history by Allan Brandt, that might include WWII and Prostitution, Race, and Politics : Policing Venereal Disease in the British Empire that

might include a chapter on WWII-in either case, the footnotes might lead you to further resources. 3) Use the Historical Pamphlet Collection in the Historical Reading Room, or checking out the webpage. There might be a government or privately issued pamphlet during the time period you are studying-which would serve as a primary resource.

What Databases to Use M & M's Rave Faves P= Primary: A source from original time period: i.e., an article on Civil War surgery in an 1863 medical journal. S=Secondary: A historical interpretation of that time period: i.e., an article written in 1994 on the history of Civil War battlefield surgery. Database: A computerized bibliography that lists the author, title, source years and pages of various magazines, journals and newspapers, in various disciplines, like history, medicine, and law. Years Included: Years the database covers on the individual publications. Full-text: Yes, No, Some. • Yes: the original article has been scanned and is available in a PDF or other format. This is also called “full text.” • No: the original article is not available online. • Some: Some databases have some newer articles scanned, but nothing scanned before 1995-some databases have older material, but not the last year. Some, like JSTOR have both older and newer material. ***In all 3 cases, the database will display a FIND IT function which goes either directly to a copy of the original through an electronic resource-or into MadCat to see if the original is on campus. You would then get the journal at the library and scan or copy the article. Subjects: Subjects covered by the database Comments: Any exceptional features. ***When looking at the list of “More History Based Databases” online, click the + sign to learn what subjects or additional comments are associated with each database. The UW Library’s E-Resource Gateway lists dozens of databases that may be useful to your research. While they may not all be full-text, these databases with the variety of subjects and amount of both primary and secondary resources should not be overlooked.

Years Included

P or S Database

Full-text

P & S ProQuest Newspapers

1995+ for some titles 1989-Present

P & S JSTOR

Some

Varies

SUBJECTS: Variety

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NewspaperARCHIVE.com (1759-2005) Yes

1700s+

COMMENTS: Many small towns

P

Palmer's Full Text Online

1800-1870

1790-1905

Yes

1741-1900

SUBJECTS: The London Times

P

American Periodical Series Online

SUBJECTS: Magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines

P & S Readers' Guide Retrospective

1994+ for some titles 1890-Present

SUBJECTS: Interdisciplinary COMMENTS: US popular magazines

More History Based Databases Details P or S

Database

Full-text

Years Include

+

P&S

African American Biographical Database

Yes

1790-1950

+

S

America : History and Life

Some

1964+

+

P

American Periodical Series Online

Yes

1741-1900

+

P&S

Business Full Text

Some

1982-Present

+

P&S

CINAHL Plus

Some

1931+

+

P

Defining Gender

Yes

1450-1910

+

P&S

Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management

Some

1981-Present

+

P

Ethnic News Watch

Yes

1959+

+

S

Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Some Index (c. 400-1500)

1994

+

P&S

The Gerritsen Collection, Women's

1543-1945

Yes

History Online +

S

Google Scholar

Some

Varies

+

P

HarpWeek-the Civil War Era

Yes

1857-1865

+

S

Historical Abstracts

Some

1450-Present

+

S

History Cooperative

Some

Varies

+

S

History of Science, Technology and Medicine

Some

1975-Present

+

S

Humanities International Index

Some

1975-Present

+

P&S

IndexCat

No

Antiquity1950

+

P&S

International Index to Black Periodicals Some Full Text (IIBPFT)

1900-Present

+

P

Internet Library of Early Journals

Some

1700s-1800s, varies

+

S

International Medieval Bibliography

No

1967-Present

+

P&S

JSTOR

Some

Varies

+

P&S

LEXIS/NEXIS

Some

1980s+

+

S

Magazine Stacks

No

1827+, vary by title

+

P

NewspaperARCHIVE.com (17592005)

Yes

1700s+

+

P&S

19th Century Master File (1800s-1920) No

1700s-1800s, varies

P&S

Old Medline; See PubMed

No

1950-1965

P

Palmer's Full Text Online

1800-1870

1790-1905

S

Poole's Index to Periodical Literature (1806-1920); See 19th Century Masterfile

S

Project Muse

Yes

1990-Present

P&S

ProQuest Newspapers

1995+ for some titles

1989-Present

+

P

ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune

1849-1985

1849-1985

+

P

ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times

1881-1985

1881-1985

+

P

ProQuest Historical Newspapers: New 1851-Present 1851-Present York Times

+

P&S

ProQuest Research Library

Some

1989

+

P&S

PsychINFO

Some

1972-Present

Pubmed

Some

1950-Present

P&S

Readers' Guide Retrospective

1994+ for some titles

1890-Present

S

Social Sciences Citation Index; See Web of Knowledge

Some

1981-1985

+

P

Times (London) Digital Archive, The

Yes

1785-1985

+

S

Victorian Database Online

No

1945-Present

+

S

ViVa: Bibliography of Women's History in History and Women's

+

+

+ +

1995-Present

Studies Journals +

P&S

Web of Knowledge (Web of Science)

Some

1970-Present

Print Resources to Consider Books Unless otherwise noted, these items are located in the History of Medicine Reference Collection. To learn more about any of these titles, just follow the links to the MadCat record.        

Index-catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office (U. S. Army), Authors and Subjects (SEE: IndexCat Demystified) Companion Encyclopedia of the History of Medicine Cambridge World History of Human Disease Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence The Oxford Medical Companion Dictionary of American Medical Biography History of Medicine: A Scandalously Short Introduction Subject Catalogue of the History of Medicine and Related Sciences

These bibliographies list the primary and sometime secondary sources that make up the literature available on a particular subject. They are especially useful when researching a broad topic.  

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Bibliography of the History of Medicine Garrison and Morton's A Medical Bibliography: An Annotated Check-List of Texts Illustrating the History of Medicine Covers classic texts in clinical medicine, as well as primary journal articles. Includes some public health and has a section on the British Isles. The History of the Health Care Sciences and Health Care 1700-1980: A Selective Annotated Bibliography Indexes books and articles written about the history of medicine and health sciences (hospitals, mental health, women's issues, etc). ISIS Cumulative Bibliography (A Bibliography of the History of Science)

Journals These journals are located in the Ebling Library Periodicals section. Use MadCat to see what is available online.   

Bulletin of the History of Medicine Current Work in the History of Medicine Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences

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Medical History Nursing History Review Social History of Medicine

IndexCat DeMystified IndexCat is a bibliographic database based upon the Index-catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office (U. S. Army), Authors and Subjects. IndexCat contains citations to health science literature from the late 19th century to the late 1950's. The catalogues are separated into four series, each covering a different time period. * 1st ser.: 1880-95 * 2nd ser.: 1896-1916 * 3rd ser.: 1918-32 * 4th ser.: 1936-50, Covers A - Mn only; 11th volume (Mh-Mn) includes literature through 1949. * 5th ser. (suppl.): 1959-61, 3 v.; Books only, periodicals not indexed Please see Micaela for more help working with IndexCat.

For More Help... ...contact a librarian! Historical Services staff works closely with faculty and students from the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine and the Medical History and Bioethics departments. We also work with students from the medical, nursing, and pharmacy schools, as well as other departments across campus. Please call or email for an appointment if you need help: Micaela Sullivan-Fowler, Curator msullivan at library.wisc.edu (608) 262-2402

Mary

Hitchcock, Librarian mhitchcock at

library.wisc.edu (608) 263-9332