How to Do Research Into a Historical Figure
Search the Internet Archive., Look for sources on the US Library of Congress and US National Archives websites., Search credible online encyclopedias., Use precise search terms.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Search the Internet Archive.
The Internet Archive is an incredible resource that’s free and open to everyone.
That makes it especially useful if you don’t have a membership to other online databases through a school or library.
It includes historical documents from around the world, like books, letters, and other texts.In addition, you can find audio, video, software, archived webpages, digital images, and other cultural artifacts from recent history. -
Step 2: Look for sources on the US Library of Congress and US National Archives websites.
The Library of Congress has an enormous database of documents of all sorts: from books to newspapers, magazines, and photographs.The National Archives website offers a similarly dense collection of original documents, letters, photographs, and officials records, in addition to biographical information.Both are important sources of information on any major figure in American History.
If you’re living outside the U.S., you can search for the website of your nation’s archives for more information about what records and documents are available and how to access them. , There are countless internet encyclopedias and databases organized by academic subject.
You can track down a reliable encyclopedia by checking your local university library's website for links to online resources, or by going to a local library to see what's on hand in their reference section.
If, for example, your teacher assigned you a historical name that you didn’t recognize, you could run a more general internet and archive search and find out key details.
You can search a more specific encyclopedia once you know a little bit about who they were and what they did.
For example, there are particular encyclopedias that offer information on art and artists, different ones for philosophers, for political figures, and so on.Check out your local university library’s website for lists of reliable encyclopedias and databases organized by subject.You can also look at a university’s history department website for links to online resources that are useful for historical research, as well as for guidelines with more helpful tips about conducting research.If you’re a student, you will most likely have access to a wide variety of online databases and encyclopedia.
If you’re not a student, you’ll still be able to access many open-access resources, and you’ll be able to find titles of sources that might be helpful.
Consult a librarian if you find a title that you can’t access but seems important for your research. , When researching on the internet, it’s important to use specific and relevant keywords to narrow your search.If your historical figure is widely known, just putting their name into the search bar will likely return tens of thousands of results.
Once you find out a little about your historical figure, combine their name with specific events or topics.For example, if you’re researching Pablo Picasso, a simple Google search will return far too many results, and many will be unreliable.
Once you’ve learned even a little bit about him, you can use an online archive or art database to search for his most famous paintings.
Once you know the titles of some of his paintings, you can find out which museum collections they belong to, and find more information about the individual artwork and the artistic movements it represents at the museum’s website.
Each step in the process will help you refine your search terms, helping you track down better and better sources.
Be careful when using regular search engines or Wikipedia.
Both can give you some basic information and can help you refine the search terms you use on more specialized databases.
Looking at the sources referenced on Wikipedia pages can also be helpful, but neither regular search engines or Wikipedia on their own are reliable for serious scholarly research. -
Step 3: Search credible online encyclopedias.
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Step 4: Use precise search terms.
Detailed Guide
The Internet Archive is an incredible resource that’s free and open to everyone.
That makes it especially useful if you don’t have a membership to other online databases through a school or library.
It includes historical documents from around the world, like books, letters, and other texts.In addition, you can find audio, video, software, archived webpages, digital images, and other cultural artifacts from recent history.
The Library of Congress has an enormous database of documents of all sorts: from books to newspapers, magazines, and photographs.The National Archives website offers a similarly dense collection of original documents, letters, photographs, and officials records, in addition to biographical information.Both are important sources of information on any major figure in American History.
If you’re living outside the U.S., you can search for the website of your nation’s archives for more information about what records and documents are available and how to access them. , There are countless internet encyclopedias and databases organized by academic subject.
You can track down a reliable encyclopedia by checking your local university library's website for links to online resources, or by going to a local library to see what's on hand in their reference section.
If, for example, your teacher assigned you a historical name that you didn’t recognize, you could run a more general internet and archive search and find out key details.
You can search a more specific encyclopedia once you know a little bit about who they were and what they did.
For example, there are particular encyclopedias that offer information on art and artists, different ones for philosophers, for political figures, and so on.Check out your local university library’s website for lists of reliable encyclopedias and databases organized by subject.You can also look at a university’s history department website for links to online resources that are useful for historical research, as well as for guidelines with more helpful tips about conducting research.If you’re a student, you will most likely have access to a wide variety of online databases and encyclopedia.
If you’re not a student, you’ll still be able to access many open-access resources, and you’ll be able to find titles of sources that might be helpful.
Consult a librarian if you find a title that you can’t access but seems important for your research. , When researching on the internet, it’s important to use specific and relevant keywords to narrow your search.If your historical figure is widely known, just putting their name into the search bar will likely return tens of thousands of results.
Once you find out a little about your historical figure, combine their name with specific events or topics.For example, if you’re researching Pablo Picasso, a simple Google search will return far too many results, and many will be unreliable.
Once you’ve learned even a little bit about him, you can use an online archive or art database to search for his most famous paintings.
Once you know the titles of some of his paintings, you can find out which museum collections they belong to, and find more information about the individual artwork and the artistic movements it represents at the museum’s website.
Each step in the process will help you refine your search terms, helping you track down better and better sources.
Be careful when using regular search engines or Wikipedia.
Both can give you some basic information and can help you refine the search terms you use on more specialized databases.
Looking at the sources referenced on Wikipedia pages can also be helpful, but neither regular search engines or Wikipedia on their own are reliable for serious scholarly research.
About the Author
Charlotte Brown
With a background in writing and publishing, Charlotte Brown brings 3 years of hands-on experience to every article. Charlotte believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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