HY 274 The Middle Ages: The Making of Europe
Interim Interdisciplinary Programs Liaison Librarian
- Daryl Alder
- Tutt Library 201
- (719) 389-6669
- Email me or Chat with me now
Library Research Guide
Professor Carol Neel | Block 5 (Spring 2011)
- Getting Started
- Finding Books at Tutt and Beyond
- Finding Journal Articles in Databases
- Medieval Archives
- Managing and Citing Your Research
- Research Help
Getting Started
It’s best to start your research with general materials and work your way towards more specific items, such as books and journal articles. A topic overview in a reference book (e.g., encyclopedia, atlas, chronology, etc.) can help you to brainstorm ideas, narrow an existing topic, and glean keywords for future searches. Plus, the bibliographies within these books will lead you to other useful resources.
Take a few minutes to browse the history reference books that cover the Middle Ages. Call numbers generally begin with CB351 and go through D117. The sources listed below are a good place to start.
Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, and Chronologies
Atlas of the Medieval World (Reference D117 .M35 2004)
Chronology of the Medieval World: 800 to 1491 (Reference D118 .S855 1973b)
The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages (Reference D117 .O9 2010)
Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages (Reference CB351 .D5413 2000)
Routledge Medieval Encyclopedia (click on link to see individual volumes and locations)
Trade, Travel, and Exploration in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia (Reference HF1001 .T7 2000)
Women in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia (Reference HQ1143 .W643 2004)
Bibliographies
Internet Medieval Sourcebook (Fordham University)
The Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval Studies (Georgetown University)
Netserf (links to Medieval resources on the web)
ORB: On-line Reference Book for Medieval Studies (City University of New York)
World Wide Web Virtual Library – Medieval Europe (Michigan State University Graduate Student Medieval and Renaissance Consortium)
Finding Books
You have access to books from three sources — TIGER, Prospector, and WorldCat:
- TIGER includes all of the books owned by Tutt Library
- Prospector gives you access to books from 22 regional libraries
- WorldCat lists library holdings nationwide
If you have questions about any of the catalogs, feel free to ask me or the librarians at the reference desk for help — that’s what we’re here for.
TIGER
The fastest way to find books is to search the TIGER, the CC library catalog, by keyword or subject:
Use broad keywords from your class reading to begin your search. Then, refine your searches by adding keywords. Once you find an interesting book, you can click on the subject headings listed in the catalog record to find similar works.
You can also browse topics about the Middle Ages using these subject searches:
Civilization—Medieval
Europe—History—476-1492
Europe—Social Life and Customs
Middle Ages
Keep in mind that materials about the Middle Ages are not limited to the history section. You’ll also find resources in related subject areas such as art, religion, theology, sociology, science, and women’s studies.
For more ideas on creating effective TIGER searches, visit Advanced Keyword Search and Ten TIGER Catalog Tips.
Browsing
When you go to the stacks to find a specific book, take a minute to browse the books around it. Quite often you’ll come across other useful books on the same topic.
Prospector
If the books you want are checked out or not owned by Tutt Library, you can request them through Prospector, which gives you access to materials (books, CDs, DVDs, etc.) from libraries throughout Colorado and Wyoming. However, plan ahead: it takes three to five business days for the materials to arrive at the Tutt Library circulation desk for check out.
WorldCat (Interlibrary Loan)
Materials not available in TIGER or Prospector may be requested through Interlibrary Loan via WorldCat . Be sure to set up an ILLiad account before making a request.
Finding Journal Articles
After you’ve reviewed general resources, it’s time to start looking for journal articles, which typically have a very specific focus.
Iter and Feminae are databases that target medieval studies. Both will help you to locate articles, books, and bibliographies. Since you will be searching within full-text articles, abstracts, or citations, you may want to use more specific keywords or a larger group of keywords to prevent irrelevant hits.
You may also want to search subject-specific databases in related disciplines, such as religion and art. Some of the best bets are listed below. General databases like Academic Search Complete and JSTOR will also have articles about the Middle Ages.
Medieval Studies Databases
History, Religion, Art, and Gender Studies Databases
General Databases
Finding Full Text Articles
Not every article you find in a database will be available in full text. If you come across one that’s not, just follow the black, white, and gold Tutt Link logo to find out if the full text appears in any other databases at Tutt Library or if you’ll need to request the article through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Learn how to use Tutt Link to find full text.
Sometimes you’ll have a full citation from another source. In this case, the fastest way to find out if we own the article is through Find Journals. You’ll see whether or not Tutt Library has the journal and which issues we own. If we do not have the full text of your article, you may request it by filling out the Interlibrary Loan Request Form.
Articles requested through Interlibrary Loan may arrive in as little as 24 to 48 hours. However, you must be registered with ILLiad to make requests (see First Time User Registration for Interlibrary Loan).
Archives for Medieval Research
Archives de France (in French)
Archives in Germany: An Introductory Guide to Institutions and Sources (names of and links to archives throughout Germany)
The National Archives of the United Kingdom
Managing and Citing Your Research
RefWorks
You can easily compile and format your citations using RefWorks. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the librarians at the reference desk, tutors at the CC Writing Center, or contact me for help.
RefWorks Database Saves
RefWorks FAQ
RefWorks Tutorials
Write-N-Cite
Citation Style
Professor Neel asks for citation in the Chicago/Turabian documentation style. Tutt Library has the The Chicago Manual of Style online and in print (see locations), plus Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers. For a sample history research paper formatted in Chicago style, check out Diana Hacker’s Research and Documentation Online.
Research Help
Contact the Reference Desk, 9 a.m. – 10 p.m., x6662, IM=tuttlibrarian
Contact Daryl Alder, Interim Interdisciplinary Programs Librarian, x6669, Tutt Library 201
dlindsay-alder@coloradocollege.edu, IM=tuttalder