History

Writing a History paper usually requires using primary and secondary sources. It is best to start with secondary sources as they help you find primary sources. The best places to start looking for secondary sources are the library search box and History database lists.  

Before you get started researching for your History class assignment, it is recommended you review the guide written by the Department of History as it describes writing for history, includes citation information based on the Chicago Manual of Style, and sample formats for your title page, essay, and bibliography in order to meet the department's style. 

Primary Sources - documents or artifacts that were written or created in the time you are studying.

Secondary Sources - scholars’ interpretations of primary sources or critiques of other scholars’ ideas.

Tertiary Sources - resources that summarize, consolidate, or identify primary and secondary sources but do not offer original testimony or conclusions.

Source: Department of History, The History Student’s Handbook: A Short Guide to Writing History Essays (Calgary: University of Calgary, 2019), https://arts.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/teams/29/history-students-handbook-2019.pdf   (accessed 19 September 2019).

Reference Sources -  resources and finding tools to help you find general information and facts about people, organizations, events, or terminology. They are authoritative and can include encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographical dictionaries, yearbooks, atlases/gazetteers, handbooks/manuals, almanacs, factbooks, directories, thesaurus, bibliographies, indexes. 

These links can help you with general library information, citing, and writing resources at the University of Calgary.